Howard County Recorder

The County Recorder is responsible for recording and maintaining records related to real property located in Howard County.

To record the first page of a document, the fee is $7. Each additional page is $5. An auditor’s transfer fee of $5 for each township section or city block will apply as well.

A document that does not conform to the formatting standards will not be recorded without payment of an additional recording fee of $10 per document. However, the non-standard fee will not be applied to the following: legibility requirements, the requirement to include the taxpayer information on documents of conveyance, or the requirement that all documents have original signatures in dark black or blue ink and the names of the parties typed below signatures.

Separate checks for recording fees and real estate transfer tax appreciated. Send a self-addressed stamped return envelope with all filings. Documents are usually mailed back the day after recording.

Note that recording fees are subject to change. Please verify the information with the local recorder's office.

-All documents should consist of one or more individual pages not continuously bound or in a permanent form.
-A page should have printing on one side only and should not be larger than 8.5x14 inches.
-The document shall not have attachments stapled or otherwise affixed to any page except as necessary to comply with statutory requirements. Individual pages of a document may be stapled together for presentation for recording. Firmly attached labels are acceptable.
-The first page should have a top margin of at least 3 inches. This is reserved for the recorder’s use. All other margins should be a minimum of ¾ of an inch. -Non-essential information such as page numbers or customer notations may be placed in margins, but not in the top margin.
-All pre-printed text should be at least 8 point and no more than 20 characters and spaces per inch. All other typed or computer generated text, including but not limited to, names of parties to an agreement, should be at least 10 point in size and no more than 16 characters and spaces per inch.
-Each document should be sufficiently legible to produce a clear reproduction.
-White paper of at least 20# weight is required.
-All signatures should be in black or dark blue ink and of sufficient color and clarity to ensure that signatures are readable when the document is reproduced. All names should be typed, printed, or stamped beneath original signatures.
-Embossed or inked stamps are not to interfere with or cover up any part of the document.

REQUIRED FIRST PAGE INFORMATION
The following information should be given on the first page, immediately below the 3-inch top margin:
• The name (and business name, if applicable), phone number, and address of the individual who prepared the document.
• The name and complete address of the individual to whom the document should be returned.
• The name and address of the taxpayer for any document of transfer.
• The title of the document.
• The names of all grantors and grantees involved in the conveyance.
• The legal description of the real property being transferred.
If insufficient space exists on the first page for all of the above information, reference the page number where the information is located within the document.
When referencing a related document, use a book and page format (example: Book 240 Page 30).

The transferor of real property is required to complete a Groundwater Hazard Statement to satisfy legal requirements for filing instruments of conveyance of real property with the county recorder. The Department of Natural Resources does not approve or disapprove of property transfers based on the groundwater hazard statement. The statement must be signed by one of the persons transferring the property interest or that person’s agent. An agent signing the form represents the information from the transferor to be correct.

Iowa law requires that a Declaration of Value statement reflecting the full consideration paid in certain non-exempt real estate conveyances be submitted to the county recorder at the time a deed, contract, instrument, or other writing is presented for recording. Part I, the Declaration of Value, is to be completed by the buyer or seller or either’s agent for non-exempt transactions. Part II is to be completed by the assessor.

This form does not have to be completed for a document presented for recording which clearly indicates that it is an exempt transaction. Refer to Iowa Administrative Code 701-79.5. If the transaction is exempt but the exemption isn’t clearly stated on the actual document presented for recording, Part I of the form must be completed. If the form is not completed accurately and in full for non-exempt transactions by the buyer or seller (or either’s agent), the county recorder is required by law to refuse to record the contract, deed, or other instrument conveying the affected property.

This form can be obtained from the Iowa Department of Revenue webpage.

Iowa is a notice statute recording state. This means that a later buyer who pays fair value for the real property and does not have any notice of any earlier conflicting interests, wins, and will have priority over any later recordings.