Polk County, Iowa Recording Fees
Recording a deed in Polk County costs about $12 and a mortgage about $82 (a 2-page deed (2 x $5 + $1 + $1 = $12) and a 16-page mortgage (16 x $5 + $1 + $1 = $82)), per the Polk County Recorder's fee schedule. Iowa Code 331.604(1) sets recording at $5.00 per page (not a lower first-page/higher-additional-page split) statewide, plus two flat $1.00 fees per recorded transaction regardless of page count (a records-management fee and an electronic-transaction fee), for $2.00 in fixed add-ons on top of the per-page charge. Set by state statute and identical in every Iowa county, including Polk; Polk County's own recorder page returned a 403/blocked response to automated fetches this session, so this is sourced directly to the statute text.
Fee schedule
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Deed, first page | $5 |
| Deed, each additional page | $5 |
| Mortgage, first page | $5 |
| Mortgage, each additional page | $5 |
| Records management fee per recorded transaction (Iowa Code 331.604(2)) | $1 |
| Electronic transaction fee per recorded transaction, regardless of page count (Iowa Code 331.604(3)(b)) | $1 |
County transfer tax
Iowa's Real Estate Transfer Tax ($0.80 per $500 over the first $500, Iowa Code 428A.1) is a purely state tax; Polk County levies no add-on. Matches data/transfer/iowa.json exactly. Iowa transfer tax →
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to record a deed in Polk County?
$5 for the first page and $5 for each additional page, about $12 for a typical deed, per the Polk County Recorder's fee schedule.
And the mortgage?
$5 for the first page and $5 per additional page, about $82 for a typical mortgage or deed of trust. The buyer pays this at closing.
Sources
Figures are computed from the documents above and rounded to the dollar. All sources.
Polk County closing costs → Polk County home buyer guide →
Fees as published by the recorder; e-recording and courier charges may apply. General information, not legal advice.
Polk County overview