State recorders propose fee increases

As the 2025 session of the Iowa Legislature begins this week, one item expected to be reviewed is increasing fees within county recorder’s offices.

Union County Recorder Katie Carlton explained the proposal Monday to the Union County Board of Supervisors. With information from the Iowa County Recorders Association, the fees help cover the costs of recording real estate transactions and related technology and security. The fees have been the same since 1985 as inflation has far passed county recording costs and the Iowa Land Records costs.

Carlton said her office’s goal is to convert information into a bound book. The income from the fees only allow one book to be made a year, creating a backlog of other information. Proposed fee increases would allow for a modernization of the work. Information would be standardized and consistent within record keeping.

The proposal is to increase the recording fee to $10 per page, an increase from $5 per page plus fees. Carlton said “add on” recording fees would be eliminated. Fees for larger sized documents would be capped.

Recording fees would be simplified to rounded numbers for recording services while reduct the overall net fee increase. A $1 records management and $1 electronic transaction fee would be eliminated under the proposal. Under the $10 for one page cost, $2 would be for recorder office’s technology and $3 would be for Iowa Land Records costs. Any remaining amounts would be for the county’s general fund.

For four pages, the proposed increase is $40, up from $22. According to the county recorders association, four pages is the average number of pages recorded per document in Iowa. A $3 service fee per document for E-Submission would remain the same. Proposed increases do no include fee policies related to real estate transfer taxes or auditor’s transfer fees.

According to information from the county recorders association, even with the proposed prices Iowa would still be one of the most less expensive states for one page. Nebraska is similar in cost. Iowa’s other neighboring states of South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri are more than $20. Minnesota is more than $40. Illinois is more than $80.