Shelby County Certificate of Trust Form

Last validated October 14, 2026 by our Forms Development Team

Formatted for recording in Shelby County, for property anywhere in the county: rural and unincorporated areas as well as Defiance, Earling, Elk Horn, Harlan, Irwin, Kirkman, Panama, Portsmouth and 1 more.

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Shelby County Certificate of Trust Form

Shelby County Certificate of Trust Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.

Document last validated 10/6/2026
Shelby County Certificate of Trust Guide

Shelby County Certificate of Trust Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Document last validated 10/14/2026
Shelby County Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Shelby County Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Document last validated 8/20/2026

All 3 documents above included • One-time purchase • No recurring fees

Immediate Download • Secure Checkout

Important: Your property must be located in Shelby County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

Where to Record Your Documents

Shelby County Recorder

Address:
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

Recording Tips for Shelby County:
  • Bring your driver's license or state-issued photo ID
  • Ensure all signatures are in blue or black ink
  • Ask for certified copies if you need them for other transactions
  • Ask if they accept credit cards - many offices are cash/check only
  • Check that your notary's commission hasn't expired

Cities and Jurisdictions in Shelby County

Properties in any of these areas use Shelby County forms:

  • Defiance
  • Earling
  • Elk Horn
  • Harlan
  • Irwin
  • Kirkman
  • Panama
  • Portsmouth
  • Westphalia

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Shelby County

How do I get my forms?

Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Shelby County forms will be in your account ready to download to your computer. An account is created for you during checkout if you don't have one. Forms are NOT emailed.

Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Shelby County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable formatting requirements used for recording in Shelby County, including margin requirements, font requirements, and other layout standards. This guarantee applies to formatting, not to the legal sufficiency of information entered by the user or the suitability of a form for a particular transaction.

Can I reuse these forms?

Yes. You can reuse the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have multiple properties in Shelby County you only need to order once.

What do I need to use these forms?

The forms are PDFs that you fill out on your computer. The free Adobe Acrobat Reader is recommended, and most PDF apps also work. You do NOT enter your property information online - you download the blank forms and complete them privately on your own computer.

Are there any recurring fees?

No. This is a one-time purchase. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.

How much does it cost to record in Shelby County?

Recording fees in Shelby County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (712) 755-5640 for current fees.

Questions answered? Let's get started!

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)

Important: Your property must be located in Shelby County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the county recording office listed above.

This Certificate of Trust meets all recording requirements specific to Shelby County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable Shelby County recording format requirements. If there is a rejection caused by our formatting, we will correct the issue or refund your payment. This guarantee applies to document formatting only and does not extend to information entered by the user, the selection of the form, or the legal effect of the completed document.

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.

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Pros, quick purchase and document availability including instructions and examples. Cons, For the cert. of trust, the form would not accept the length of our trust name with no way to get around. The pdf file printing did not meet the requirements for 2.5" top margin and .5" other margins as well as the 10pt font size as the form information was shrunk down even when normal printing.

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