SEARCH FAQ
What is the difference between Business Search and Individual Search?
Iowa Land Records are public documents available for search at no cost.
All users are required to create an account before accessing the search database. This helps reduce
the risk of automated bots and ensures the system remains secure and reliable.
Our goal is to keep information both safe and accessible. If you have any questions or need
assistance with registration, please contact us for support.
Business Accounts This is intended for businesses/organizations in the real estate industry that
will have multiple employees needing access to the Iowa Land Records application. To ensure system
security and proper access, all businesses/organizations must complete an application that provides
detailed information about their organization and intended use of the system.
After submission, the application is reviewed to verify the legitimacy of the business and its
functions. Once the application is approved, the initial user will receive login credentials and be
granted access to the appropriate features, which may include E-Submission, Search, or both. This
initial user will be an Administrator on the account, and they will provided with instructions on how to add other users to the business account.
Individual Users Individuals may need to access records for a variety of personal reasons, which
differ from business-related use. To make access easier, the
application process for individual users has been simplified.
Will "Search Only Users" go directly to the search application or to a landing page? Can they see the application for E-Submission?
Search only users will go directly to the search application. They will not see the E-Submission application.
E-Submission users with search enabled will be directed to the E-Submission application upon logging in. They may navigate to the search app by clicking on “ILR Search” in the menu bar.
To see how to navigate with both applications, watch this video below.
What does the counter on my documents downloaded mean?
For security purposes, users have limited document views per day. Individual users may view up to
10 documents per day, and users on a business account may view up to 120 documents per day. The
counter resets every 24 hours. If for any reason you need to view or download more records than
your daily limit, please contact our support team. Please provide as much information about your
project and needs as possible.
What happens if I don't log into my account for a few months?
Each user is required to update their password every 90 days. After 120 days without a successful login, the username becomes inactive. Steps to reactivate the account depends on the user situation.
Business User/ Non-Administrator (User belongs under a business account with an assigned account administrator.) Contact your administrator. The administrator may choose to reactivate or delete any deactivated user accounts.
Business Administrator Any other active administrator on the account may reactivate another administrator, or contact support.
Individual Search Only User Your account is not associated with a business or organization. Please contact support to be reactivated.
Does the search application allow E-Submission users to look up past E-Submission documents submitted?
What happens if I don't log into my account for a few months?
Within E-Submission, the menu item "E-Search" only shows documents recently recorded by your organization. Images are archived regularly; therefore, recent documents are only visible in E-Search for a brief period. All documents, paper and electronic, are transferred to the ILR Search application by the counties and remain there permanently.
Download the Search FAQ PDF
Get answers fast. Our Search FAQ PDF covers the most common questions about finding and accessing records through Iowa Land Records Search, so you can spend less time searching and more time working.