Shelby County Special Warranty Deed Form (Iowa)
All Shelby County specific forms and documents listed below are included in your immediate download package:
Special Warranty Deed Form

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

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included Shelby County compliant document last validated/updated 7/2/2025
Completed Example of the Special Warranty Deed Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.
Included Shelby County compliant document last validated/updated 6/26/2025
The following Iowa and Shelby County supplemental forms are included as a courtesy with your order:
When using these Special Warranty Deed 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 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 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 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 Shelby County recording requirements for formatting. If there's an issue caused by our formatting, we'll make it right and refund your payment.
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Get your Shelby 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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February 26th, 2019
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