Shelby County Certificate of Trust Form (Iowa)
All Shelby County specific forms and documents listed below are included in your immediate download package:
Certificate of Trust Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included Shelby County compliant document last validated/updated 6/5/2025
Certificate of Trust Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included Shelby County compliant document last validated/updated 5/27/2025
Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.
Included Shelby County compliant document last validated/updated 6/3/2025
The following Iowa and Shelby County supplemental forms are included as a courtesy with your order:
When using these Certificate of Trust forms, the subject real estate must be physically located in Shelby County. The executed documents should then be recorded in the following office:
Shelby County Recorder
Courthouse - 612 Court St, Rm 201 / PO Box 67, Harlan, Iowa 51537-0067
Hours: 8:00am to 4:30pm M-F
Phone: (712) 755-5640
Local jurisdictions located in Shelby County include:
- Defiance
- Earling
- Elk Horn
- Harlan
- Irwin
- Kirkman
- Panama
- Portsmouth
- Westphalia
How long does it take to get my forms?
Forms are available immediately after submitting payment.
How do I get my forms, are they emailed?
Immediately after you submit payment, the Shelby County forms you order will be available for download directly from your account. You can then download the forms to your computer. If you do not already have an account, one will be created for you as part of the order process, and your login details will be provided to you. If you encounter any issues accessing your forms, please reach out to our support team for assistance. Forms are NOT emailed to you.
What does "validated/updated" mean?
This indicates the most recent date when at least one of the following occurred:
- Updated: The document was updated or changed to remain compliant.
- Validated: The document was examined by an attorney or staff, or it was successfully recorded in Shelby County using our eRecording service.
Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Shelby County?
Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Shelby County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.
Can the Certificate of Trust forms be re-used?
Yes. You can re-use the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have more than one property in Shelby County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Shelby County.
What are supplemental forms?
Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Iowa or Shelby County. These could be tax related, informational, or even as simple as a coversheet. Supplemental forms are provided for free with your order where available.
What type of files are the forms?
All of our Shelby County Certificate of Trust forms are PDFs. You will need to have or get Adobe Reader to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.
Do I need any special software to use these forms?
You will need to have Adobe Reader installed on your computer to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.
Do I have to enter all of my property information online?
No. The blank forms are downloaded to your computer and you fill them out there, at your convenience.
Can I save the completed form, email it to someone?
Yes, you can save your deed form at any point with your information in it. The forms can also be emailed, blank or complete, as attachments.
Are there any recurring fees involved?
No. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.
Under Iowa Code 633A.4604, the certification of trust is an official document confirming the terms of a trust as they relate to a specific transaction. Trustees wishing to enter into a transaction in the trust's name may be asked to present a certification of trust to prove the trust's existence and the trustee's authority to enter into the transaction.
A certificate of trust presents the name and date of the trust under which the trustee is acting, as well as the identities of the trust's settlor and trustees. The document provides the name by which the trust will hold title to trust assets, and includes the trust's taxpayer identification number (TIN).
If there is more than one trustee, the certificate identifies who has authority to sign documents relating to the trust and how many co-trustees are required to sign. The document also enumerates the trustee's powers relative to the transaction at hand, and includes the name of any person able to revoke the trust, if applicable. Like other documents affecting real property, the certificate should include the legal description of the subject property.
Finally, the certificate requires statements that the trust has not been revoked, modified, or amended in any manner to cause the representations contained within to be incorrect; that the document is being signed by all acting trustees; and that the certificate is sworn and subscribed to under penalty of perjury before a notary public (Iowa Code 633A.4604(2)).
The statements contained within the certificate may be relied on as if they were fact, but recipients of a certification of trust may request copies of the sections of the trust instrument designating the trustee and conferring the trustee's powers pursuant to Iowa Code 633A.4604(4). A recipient requesting the entire trust document may be liable for damages if a court finds they acted unreasonably in their request (Iowa Code 633A.4604(6)).
Consult a lawyer with questions regarding trust law and certifications of trust, as each situation is unique.
(Iowa Certificate of Trust Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)
Our Promise
The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Shelby County recording requirements for formatting. If there's an issue caused by our formatting, we'll make it right and refund your payment.
Save Time and Money
Get your Shelby County Certificate of Trust form done right the first time with Deeds.com Uniform Conveyancing Blanks. At Deeds.com, we understand that your time and money are valuable resources, and we don't want you to face a penalty fee or rejection imposed by a county recorder for submitting nonstandard documents. We constantly review and update our forms to meet rapidly changing state and county recording requirements for roughly 3,500 counties and local jurisdictions.
4.8 out of 5 - ( 4557 Reviews )
Nigel S.
June 24th, 2025
Very simple to use. The 'completed examples' are very helpful.
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!
Robert H.
June 23rd, 2025
Great service, easy way to get accurate documents
Thanks, Robert! We're glad you found the service easy to use and the documents accurate—just what we aim for. Appreciate you taking the time to share your experience!
Andre H.
June 19th, 2025
World class forms, great for someone like me that has no clue what I'm doing! Always better to let the pros do it than think one knows it all and gets themselves in trouble!
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!
Marc T.
August 31st, 2021
Walked the document through our county offices today. the directions to fill out the document were awesome and we had no issues, We now have a TOD property. Beats paying an attorney $200.00
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!
JOHN R.
March 15th, 2023
This is an Outstanding Website for easy access in expediting my property investment needs. Thank you for this much needed online service.
Thank you!
Willie P.
June 15th, 2022
got the forms needed plus all the information needed to fill them out.
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!
Robert W.
November 20th, 2019
very good forms and easy to print and read. I need a notary form from a different state. We are both from the state of Michigan. This would make it easier to complete out of the State of Utah. Thanks Robert W.
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!
Claire W.
March 24th, 2022
The price is right, and very simple to follow
Thank you!
Gary K.
November 15th, 2019
Straightforward and pretty easy to use. The only downside is that there is no way to contact them directly. The number on the website is answered only by a voicemail with no return calls.
Pricing seems fair compared to other services and much more efficient that filing "over the counter."
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!
Joseph B.
September 8th, 2022
All very good
Thank you!
Kolette S.
February 7th, 2020
The forms are nice; however, they do not display the "th" after the day or the second digit of the year. You can type them in, but they will not print out. I just left them blank and will handwrite.
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!
Johnathan D.
March 30th, 2021
Very helpful and quick responses
Thank you!
Ken C.
October 20th, 2020
I did a Beneficiary Deed, package came with all forms and instructions. Recorder accepted first time.
Ken C
Thank you for your feedback Ken. We really appreciate it.
Ralph E.
March 24th, 2019
I wish I had found this site earlier!!! Not only was it helpful and just what I needed but I got my information so fast AND on the weekend. I would recommend this site to everyone. I plan on using it more. Its cheap and I can get my information while sitting at home. Very impressed!
Thank you for the kinds words Ralph. Have a great day!
Brenda M. K.
August 2nd, 2020
Great service
Easy to do
Efficient
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!