Polk County Vital Records
111 Court Avenue Suite 250, Des Moines, Iowa, 50309-2251
Contact & location
- Address
- 111 Court Avenue Suite 250, Des Moines, Iowa, 50309-2251
- Mail-in address
- Polk County Recorder Attn: Vital Records111 Court Avenue Suite 245, Des Moines, Iowa, 50309-2251
- Records for
- Polk County, Iowa
- Phone
- 515-286-3781
- Official site
- Government website ↗
Last verified July 14, 2026
This office issues Iowa state records
Polk County follows Iowa’s fees, eligibility rules and processing times. Compare the statewide baseline below before choosing where to go.
- $15.00
- Iowa birth certificate fee
- 4–6 weeks
- Statewide processing
- 3,241,488
- Iowa population
Office hours
| Monday | 8:00am - 4:30pm |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 8:00am - 4:30pm |
| Wednesday | 8:00am - 4:30pm |
| Thursday | 8:00am - 4:30pm |
| Friday | 8:00am - 4:30pm |
| Saturday | closed |
| Sunday | closed |
Certificates, fees & processing
| Record | Fee | Processing |
|---|---|---|
| Birth Certificate | $15.00 | 4–6 weeksIowa estimate |
| Death Certificate | $15.00 | 4–6 weeksIowa estimate |
| Marriage Certificate | $15.00 | 4–6 weeksIowa estimate |
Processing times are set at state level — county offices do not publish their own — and are estimates that vary with demand.
The Polk County Vital Records’s office or registry of vital records, offers a wide range of crucial services. These offices play a vital role in the protection and provision of essential documents such as birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage certificates . In addition to maintaining these primary records, they are responsible for managing and issuing copies of birth, marriage, and death records that occurred within the Township of Des Moines. Alongside record maintenance, this office provides valuable services like issuing certified copies of documents, overseeing the registration of domestic partnerships, and offering assistance to rectify any errors detected in vital records. Through these comprehensive services, the vital records office ensures the accuracy, accessibility, and integrity of vital records for the benefit of the community.
Reviews
★★★★★4.5 (17)- ★★★★★Colin WardGoogle
I usually hear about interactions at public departments being time consuming, confusing, frustrating, etc. This was probably the quickest and most cheerful interaction I've had concerning registration paperwork. 5 stars!
- ★★★★★Bill NguyGoogle
Very helpful customer service. Jamie was fast and answered all my questions on recording a deed and mailing it in. Look forward to working with them all more. Thank you team!
- ★★★★★Nate Hurd (N473)Google
Judy you did a great job, you were so cheerful and pleasant to talk to. You effectively communicated and helped me through the process of getting my boat license renewed. Thank you.
- ★★★★★Hawkeye5Google
I never do reviews but feel obligated because I have had nothing but incredibly positive experiences at the Recorder's office from getting our children's passports processed to getting our boats registered. The folks in this office are incredibly efficient and go out of their way to help explain things and answer questions. They spent 15 minutes getting a good passport picture of our 3 year old daughter when she wanted no part of it. In fact....I was loosing my cool and they stayed positive and calm until they got the picture. Job well done folks and it doesn't go unnoticed. They are also very quick responding to email questions submitted through the website.
- ★★★★★Sharon RaittGoogle
The young ladies were very helpful. Great job!