Shelby County Court Officer Deed Form

Last validated April 28, 2026 by our Forms Development Team

Shelby County Court Officer Deed Form

Shelby County Court Officer Deed Form

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

Document Last Validated 4/10/2026
Shelby County Court Officer Deed Guide

Shelby County Court Officer Deed Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Document Last Validated 4/20/2026
Shelby County Completed Example of the Court Officer Deed Document

Shelby County Completed Example of the Court Officer Deed Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Document Last Validated 4/28/2026

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:
  • Verify all names are spelled correctly before recording
  • Leave recording info boxes blank - the office fills these
  • Avoid the last business day of the month when possible
  • Both spouses typically need to sign if property is jointly owned

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. You'll need Adobe Reader (free software that most computers already have). 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!

When a property owner dies in Iowa, title to his or her real property passes by means of the decedent's will, or, in the absence of a will, via the laws of intestate succession established in the probate code, codified at chapter 633 of the Iowa Code.

Probate is the court procedure through which a decedent's will is proved and his or her estate is settled. The probate process takes place in the county in which the decedent was domiciled at the time of his or her death.
Pursuant to designation in the decedent's will or priority to administer the decedent's estate, as established by Iowa Code 633.227, the court appoints a personal representative (PR) who will oversee the estate's administration. The PR is either called an executor, when named by a decedent's will, or an administrator, in the absence of a will or lack of designation in a will. Regardless, the fiduciary duties of the personal representative remain the same, including marshalling the decedent's assets, paying debts and valid claims on the estate, and distributing the remainder of the estate to beneficiaries.

Title to real property that does not transfer outside of the probate process by means of a survivorship interest or trust must pass by means of a deed. Depending on the situation, a PR may be directed by the terms of a will to sell real property, or might need to consolidate the estate by selling property. The PR will need to petition the court for an order of sale if a power of sale is not set forth in a will. In Iowa, PRs use a court officer deed to transfer property from a decedent's estate to a distributee or purchaser.

A court officer's deed must meet all state and local standards, and might also require additional supporting documentation. The completed deed is executed and signed by the PR of the decedent's estate and recorded in the office of the recorder of land records in the county where the subject real property is situated. Iowa requires additional documentation when recording land records, including a Ground Water Hazard Statement (GWHS) and a Declaration of Value (DOV), unless a revenue tax exemption is claimed on the face of the conveyancing document.

As always, consult a lawyer with any questions regarding estate administration and court officer deeds in Iowa.

(Iowa Court Officer Deed 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 office below.

This Court Officer Deed 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 Court Officer Deed 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 - ( 4705 Reviews )

Debbie C.

July 21st, 2020

Wonderful forms and service.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

randy j.

December 15th, 2018

the deed format and fill-in language are very specific to one type of easement and are not generally applicable to any other type; in other words it is not useful in a majority of situations and i would recommend against purchase unless you are creating an easement for an appurtenant landowner ONLY

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Cherene K.

February 19th, 2019

The process was easy and reasonable. My only problem was that, when I filled out my form on the computer, the writing I did overlapped with the pre-written words on the form, so that I had to end up doing it by hand. I've used DEEDS before and have not had that problem.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback Cherene. We've emailed you for some followup regarding the issue you reported.

Laura D.

February 4th, 2023

Great forms - I got several property deeds and really appreciated that they came with the required state forms (for NY). the sample completed form is also really helpful. Attorney wanted hundreds- with this form it is the same amount of work but I can file myself for the cost of lunch!!

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Teresa R.

May 7th, 2022

FANTASTIC. Sometimes we think know something, glad I found out I was wrong before it was too late.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Maurice C.

September 14th, 2023

This is a great service! Very much needed.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Alan C.

December 10th, 2020

I thought the instructions could have been a little better. I didn't know how to do this if the spouses are married but living in separate residences. Also I didn't understand the "Prior Instrument Reference". That should be explained better. Very sketchy instructions.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

FREDERICK T C.

November 8th, 2021

simple to follow and easy to use. Thanks

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Louise J.

September 6th, 2020

I found your service to be very helpful. The documents were correct and comprehensive as well as easy to access. The cost is so reasonable. I think it's a great service and was impressed with it.

Reply from Staff

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Laura B.

May 5th, 2020

Quick and easy! Took the hassle out of trying to locate information during this quarantine.

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Richard W.

March 25th, 2019

Very nice web site with available forms. Being out of state we appreciated instruction sheet details. Rick and Jean Weber, Chicago

Reply from Staff

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catheirne o.

January 10th, 2019

Easy to use!

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

David M.

May 21st, 2020

Extremely easy to use. The sample completed document was very helpful. I really appreciated not having to spend a few hundred dollars for a lawyer to generate a document that I can produce myself for a small fraction of the cost.

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Ken B.

August 9th, 2022

Instructions were easy to follow

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Willie T.

March 8th, 2019

Great

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!