Iowa Forms

Polk County Gift Deed Form

Polk County Gift Deed Form

Polk County Gift Deed Form

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

Document Last Validated 5/9/2025
Polk County Gift Deed Guide

Polk County Gift Deed Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Document Last Validated 7/23/2025
Polk County Completed Example of the Gift Deed Document

Polk County Completed Example of the Gift Deed Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Document Last Validated 5/16/2025

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

Immediate Download • Secure Checkout

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

Where to Record Your Documents

Polk County Recorder
Address:
Administrative Building - 111 Court Ave, Suite 250
Des Moines, Iowa 50309-2251

Hours: 7:30am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday

Phone: (515) 286-3160

Recording Tips for Polk County:
  • White-out or correction fluid may cause rejection
  • Bring extra funds - fees can vary by document type and page count
  • Leave recording info boxes blank - the office fills these
  • Both spouses typically need to sign if property is jointly owned

Cities and Jurisdictions in Polk County

Properties in any of these areas use Polk County forms:

  • Alleman
  • Altoona
  • Ankeny
  • Berwick
  • Bondurant
  • Clive
  • Des Moines
  • Elkhart
  • Grimes
  • Johnston
  • Mitchellville
  • Polk City
  • Runnells
  • Sheldahl
  • Urbandale
  • West Des Moines

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Polk County

How do I get my forms?

Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Polk 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 Polk County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Polk County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.

Can I reuse these forms?

Yes. You can reuse the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have multiple properties in Polk 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 Polk County?

Recording fees in Polk County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (515) 286-3160 for current fees.

Questions answered? Let's get started!

Gifts of Real Property in Iowa

Gift deeds convey title to real property from one party to another with no exchange of consideration, monetary or otherwise. Often used to transfer property between family members or to gift property as a charitable act or donation, these conveyances occur during the grantor's lifetime. Gift deeds must contain language that explicitly states that no consideration is expected or required. Ambiguous language, or references to any type of consideration, can make the gift deed contestable in court.

A lawful gift deed includes the grantor's full name and marital status, as well as the grantee's full name, marital status, vesting information, and mailing address. Vesting describes how the grantee holds title to the property. Generally, real property is owned in either sole ownership or co-ownership. For Iowa residential property, the primary methods for holding title are tenancy in common and joint tenancy. An estate conveyed to two or more people who are not married to each other is considered a tenancy in common unless otherwise specified. A conveyance to a married couple vests as joint tenancy with rights of survivorship unless otherwise stated (Iowa Code 557.15).

As with any conveyance of realty, a gift deed requires a complete legal description of the parcel. Recite the source of title to maintain a clear chain of title, and detail any restrictions associated with the property. The deed must be signed by the grantor and acknowledged by an individual authorized to take acknowledgements. All signatures must be original.

In Iowa, most conveyances of real property require a Declaration of Value. Because a gift deed transfers real property from one party to another with no exchange of consideration, however, it is exempt from this requirement (Iowa Code 428A.2(21)). Record the completed gift deed in the recorder's office of the county where the subject property is located. Contact the same office to confirm recording fees and accepted forms of payment.

With gifts of real property, the recipient of the gift (grantee or donee) is not required to declare the amount of the gift as income, but if the property accrues income after the transaction, the grantee is responsible for paying the requisite state and federal income tax [1].

In Iowa, there is no state gift tax, but gifts of real property are subject to the federal gift tax. The person or entity making the gift (grantor or donor) is responsible for paying the federal gift tax; however, if the donor does not pay the gift tax, the donee (grantee) will be held liable [1]. For questions regarding state and federal tax laws, consult a tax specialist.

In accordance with federal law, individuals are permitted an annual exclusion of $15,000 on gifts. This means that gifts valued below $15,000 do not require a federal gift tax return (Form 709). However, if the gift's value could possibly be disputed by the IRS, a donor may benefit from filing a Form 709 [2].

This article is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Contact an Iowa lawyer with any questions about gift deeds or other issues related to the transfer of real property.

[1] http://msuextension.org/publications/FamilyFinancialManagement/MT199105HR.pdf

[2] https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/frequently-asked-questions-on-gift-taxes

(Iowa Gift Deed Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

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

This Gift Deed meets all recording requirements specific to Polk County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Polk 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 Polk County Gift 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.

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March 25th, 2023

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January 12th, 2023

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