Dubuque County Special Warranty Deed Form (Iowa)

All Dubuque County specific forms and documents listed below are included in your immediate download package:

Special Warranty Deed Form

Dubuque County Special Warranty Deed Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included Dubuque County compliant document last validated/updated 6/25/2025

Special Warranty Deed Guide

Dubuque County Special Warranty Deed Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included Dubuque County compliant document last validated/updated 7/2/2025

Completed Example of the Special Warranty Deed Document

Dubuque County Completed Example of the Special Warranty Deed Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.
Included Dubuque County compliant document last validated/updated 6/26/2025

When using these Special Warranty Deed forms, the subject real estate must be physically located in Dubuque County. The executed documents should then be recorded in the following office:

Dubuque County Recorder

720 Central Ave / PO Box 5001, Dubuque, Iowa 52004-5001

Hours: 8:00a.m. - 4:30p.m. Monday - Friday

Phone: (563) 589-4434

Local jurisdictions located in Dubuque County include:

  • Bernard
  • Cascade
  • Dubuque
  • Durango
  • Dyersville
  • Epworth
  • Farley
  • Holy Cross
  • Luxemburg
  • New Vienna
  • Peosta
  • Sherrill
  • Worthington
  • Zwingle

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 Dubuque 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 Dubuque County using our eRecording service.
Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Dubuque County?

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

Can the Special Warranty Deed 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 Dubuque County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Dubuque County.

What are supplemental forms?

Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Iowa or Dubuque 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 Dubuque County Special Warranty Deed 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.

A special warranty deed is a legal document used to transfer, or convey, rights in real property from a grantor (seller) to a grantee (buyer). This type of deed provides more liability protection for the grantor, and less protection for the buyer. In a special warranty deed, the grantor warrants against defects in the title during his or her ownership, and that he or she is authorized to sell it, but does not guarantee freedom from claims on the title originating before the grantor owned the property. Because of this risk, special warranty deeds are less common for residential real estate transactions. Instead, these types of deeds are typically used for foreclosed bank-owned properties and commercial properties that have changed ownership several times.

A lawful deed includes the grantor's full name and marital status, as well as the grantee's full name, marital status, mailing address, and vesting. Vesting describes how the grantee holds title to the property. For Iowa residential property, the primary methods for holding title in co-ownership are tenancy in common and joint tenancy. A grant of ownership of real estate to two or more unmarried persons is presumed to create a tenancy in common, unless a joint tenancy is specifically created (Iowa Code 557.15). A transfer to a married couple vests as a joint tenancy, unless otherwise stated (Iowa Code 557.15(3)(a)).

As with any conveyance of real estate, a special warranty deed requires a complete legal description of the parcel. Recite the source of title to establish a clear chain of title, and detail any restrictions associated with the property. Finally, the deed must meet all state and local standards for recorded documents.

The grantor must sign the completed deed in front of a notary. The acknowledgment (notary section), whether made within the State of Iowa, outside the state, outside the United States, or under federal authority, should comply with the provisions of chapter 9b of the Iowa Statutes. Once acknowledged, file it in the recorder's office in the county where the property is located.

Include all relevant documents, affidavits, forms, and fees along with the deed for recording. Most deeds require a separate Real Estate Transfer Groundwater Hazard Statement (Iowa Code Section 558.69). Consult the local recording office to confirm which supplemental materials are necessary for the specific transaction.

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

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

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Dubuque 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 Dubuque County Special Warranty 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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July 10th, 2025

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June 30th, 2025

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June 30th, 2025

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August 19th, 2020

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November 6th, 2020

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Pat A.

July 18th, 2019

I was impressed that the forms were easy to read and the directions were helpful. Thank you for providing this.

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June 10th, 2019

It turned out that I was able to search for what I needed on the local county website, which is what your site suggested be tried. I was impressed with your honesty and practical instructions for searches your site gave. I'm pretty sure I'll be back.

Reply from Staff

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April 12th, 2020

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December 24th, 2018

Deeds.com worked very well for me. Very Simple packet. And my County uses the same website

Reply from Staff

Thanks for the kinds words Elijah, we really appreciate it.

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April 14th, 2019

Excellent find (Deeds.com) from a google search, first hit. This was exactly what we were looking for. It also got me to upgrade Adobe to be able to fill in the forms.
Will be back for follow up as needed, but I think I got everything we needed in the first downloads. Appreciate a well done site like yours. Thanks John

Reply from Staff

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Margaret F.

September 15th, 2021

They were very responsive although not able to find the document I was requesting.
Will be checking to make sure they refunded the fee on my credit card

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Pamela G.

November 18th, 2020

I have an apple phone. I could not fill in the form to pay because apple phones do not have a dash that can be used when the field requires a phone number with a dash. I had to borrow an android phone in which the telephone keypad had a dash that could be used. It was easy to pay using an android phone but impossible to pay using an apple phone. Remove the requirement for dashes to allow apple phones to use this service.

Reply from Staff

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John K.

July 11th, 2020

I was unable to finish what I started due to computer crash. I'll get back soon. I paid off my mortgage last year in November. I need to see what to do to get the deed to my property.

Reply from Staff

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Angela S.

April 29th, 2021

Very easy process and efficient. Made my job easier.

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Kasie K.

May 15th, 2020

This was such an easy transaction and quicker than if I went to the recording office. During this time of COVID19 and not being able to record documents in person it helped us to get what we needed and quickly.
Thank you!

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