Story County Court Records

Story County court records refer to case files on legal prosecutions within the Story County District Court. These records encompass all documents on civil and criminal case trials. Typical criminal records information may include:

• Complaints, Petitions, or Charges
• Case number
• Names of the involved parties
• Answers/Responses/Counterclaims
• Motions, briefs, and legal arguments
• Exhibits/Evidence
• Trial transcripts
• Post-judgment documents.

Iowa court records (including Story County court records) are crucial documents. They empower law enforcement agencies to maintain law and order within the society. Also, court records ensure the transparency and equity of the judiciary when performing their constitutional roles.

Are Court Records Public in Story County?

Yes, Story County court records are public. The Iowa Open Records Law stipulates that the public has the right to examine and copy government records and to publish or disseminate the information in such documents. Nonetheless, the public cannot access Story County court records that relate to

• minors
• Sealed or expunged cases
• Active law enforcement or judicial investigation
• Adoption
• Mental Health Commitments
• Domestic Abuse Protective Orders
• Confidential Information in civil and criminal cases (this includes financial account information, Social Security Number, and other information protected under federal and state privacy laws).

Story County Court Records Search

Searching for Story County court records entails seeking information about Story County District Court case trials. Story County court records are accessible online through government and third-party resources. To search for case files on Story County trials, log in to the records databases and use search criteria and online tools to look for information.

Also, Story County court records are available offline through their custodian’s offices. Record seekers should contact the agencies responsible for maintaining the specific court records and request access.

Story County Courts

The Story County District Court handles all trials within the County. These include all civil, criminal, family laws, and Probate cases. There are several divisions within the Story District Court handling different cases. The Story County District Court division is based on the types of cases they handle. For instance, there are divisions for

• Juvenile
• Probate
• Small Claims
• Domestic Relations
• Civil
• Criminal
• Special cases that do not involve the enforcement of rights, prevention or redress of wrongs, or the recovery of a penalty or forfeiture).

To contact the Story County District Court, call, send a mail, or visit the Courts & Clerk Court Office at

Story County District Court

1315 South B Avenue,
P.O. Box 408,
Nevada,
IA 50201
Phone: (515) 382-7410

Story County Criminal Records

Story County criminal records are official documents on criminal activities and their prosecutions within the county. These documents include Story County arrest records and all case files on criminal trials by the County District Court. Per Iowa and federal laws, criminal records are public documents. Notwithstanding, the public cannot access Story arrest records and other criminal case documents relating to

• Juveniles
• Pre-sentence Investigations (PSI)
• Sealed or Expunged cases
• Records involving mental health evaluations
• Confidential victim information
• Protective orders and sensitive information
• Active judicial or law enforcement investigation
• Victim identity
• Deferred judgments.

Individuals seeking access to Story County arrest records and other criminal records documents in the possession of law enforcement should

• Log in to the Story County Sheriff's Office Current Inmate Roster webpage and view arrest information of persons incarcerated for various offenses.
• Download the City of Ames Arrest Report from the Central Iowa Police to Citizen Site, and look for information about individuals arrested within the city limits.
• Log in to the Story County Sheriff’s Office Daily News Releases Page and download a PDF of daily arrest incidents.
• Call, visit, email, or send a mail request to access arrest records and other criminal records in the possession of the Story County Sheriff's Office to

1315 South B Ave.
Nevada,
Iowa 50201
Phone: (515) 382-7462
Email: sheriffweb@storycountyiowa.gov

• Visit or call the Ames City Police Department Records Division at

515 Clark Avenue
Ames,
IA 50010
Phone: (515) 239-5135

• Visit local law enforcement agencies within Story County and request access to criminal records in their possession.

Get Story County Civil Court Records

Story County civil court records refer to documents relating to case files on non-criminal trials within the Story County District Court. These include but are not limited to documents on

• Family laws
• Probate adjudications
• Small claims
• Contract disagreements
• Personal injury claims
• Property-related disputes
• Consumer complaints.

Due to privacy laws, the public cannot access some Story County civil court records; these records are accessible to persons with tangible interests only, and accessing them requires eligibility.

Interested public seeking access to Story County civil court records should

• Visit the Iowa Courts Online Electronic Docket Record Search Page:
  • Click Case Search under the Appellate Court header to access the Search Portal, and use docket numbers, case titles, and party names to look for civil court records.

Alternatively, log in to the Advanced Case Search Page, click register, create an account, and use the credentials to log in and find up-to-the-minute information about Story County civil court records.

• Call or visit the Story County Courts & Clerk Court Office and request access to certified copies of Story County civil court records
• Search for Story County civil court records using third-party online resources. Some private online databases offer access to Iowa court records.
• Visit the Story County Courthouse and access the county's civil court records through Public Access Terminals.

Story County Marriage Records

Story County marriage records refer to official documents relating to marriages within Story County, IA. A Story County marriage records may include documents such as

• Marriage Application
• Marriage license
• Marriage certificate
• Affidavit of Eligibility (or Similar Document)
• The marriage officiant’s Report or Certificate of Solemnization
• Witness Statement (if required)
• Prenuptial Agreement (if applicable)
• Divorce Decree (in case of prior marriages)
• Name Change Documents (if applicable).

In Story County and the rest of Iowa, marriage records are public. Notwithstanding, custodian agencies may redact information whose public access breaches privacy laws.

Individuals seeking to access Story County marriage certificates should:

• Visit the Storey County Recorder Self-Service Webpage:
  • Click the Marriage Search link to access the Search Portal
  • Use party name, marriage date, document number, and book page to search for marriage records
• Log in to the Iowa Health & Human Services Vital Records Request Webpage, and order a Story marriage certificate through affiliate third-party links. Alternatively, download an Application for a Copy of Vital Record Certificate Form:
  • Complete and notarize the request form
  • Enclose a copy of a government-issued photo ID and a check/money order to cover the copy fees (each copy of Story County Vital Records costs $15.00)
  • Submit or mail the request to:

Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
Lucas State Office Building
1st Floor, 321 E. 12th Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0075

• Call the Story County Recorder's Office and request access to Story marriage certificates at (515) 382-7230 or make in-person visits to their office at

900 6th St,
Nevada,
IA 50201.

Note that a certified copy of a Story marriage certificate is obtainable by the couple, their immediate family, and legal representatives.

Story County Divorce Records

Story County divorce records are official documents on the separation of legal couples within Story County. In Story County, divorce records are public. However, information relating to financial accounts, Social Security, child custody, and domestic abuse is restricted from public exposure. Also, the public cannot access Story County divorce records sealed by a court or obtain certified copies if they are not authorized.

Individuals seeking Story County divorce records should

• Log in to the Iowa State Courts Online Electronic Docket and search for information on Story County divorces.
• Call or visit the Story County Clerk of District Court Office and request access to the county's divorce records (certified copies of documents are obtainable through the court clerk's office)
• Search online for Story County divorce records through third-party databases. Story County divorce records may be available through commercial websites.

Story Birth and Death Records

Story County birth and death records are documents relating to the births and deaths of individuals within Story County, IA. They document life-changing events in the lives of people living within Story County.

In Story County, access to birth and death records is restricted. Story County birth certificates and death records become public 75 years and 50 years after the birth or demise of their owners, respectively. Story County birth and death records are crucial documents for several reasons; they

• Serve as identification and administrative documents.
• Provide data for epidemiological research and government health policy formation.
• Are research materials for genealogical and historical research
• Serve as eligibility documents in cases relating to inheritance.

Story County birth certificates and death records are Story County Vital Records, and to access them, a requester must be

• The owner of the record (the owner must be 18 years or older)
• An immediate family member of the record owner
• A legal representative
• A person with a judicial order or an authorized genealogist.

To access a Story County birth certificate or death record

• Visit the Iowa Department of Public Health Vital Records Request Page and place an order through the affiliate third-party link. Alternatively, download an Application for a Copy of Vital Record Certificate Form:
  • Fill out the form
  • Enclose a photocopy of a valid ID and a check/money order to cover the copy fees and order the record through the Vital Records Office.
• Download an Application for a Copy of Vital Record Certificate Form
  • Complete and notarize the request form
  • Enclose identification documents and check /money to cover copy fees (it costs $15.00 to obtain a certified copy of Story County birth certificate or death decree)
  • Mail the order to

P.O. Box 55, Nevada
IA 5020

• Call or visit the Story County Recorder's Office at

900 6th St,
Nevada,
IA 50201
Phone: (515) 382-7230

Story County Probate Court Records

In Story County, probate court records are official documents relating to case trials within the Probate Division of the Story County District Court. These documents are case files on decedent persons’ estates.

Probate court records refer to documents on

• Will Probate
• Guardianship
• Trust Administration
• Conservatorship
• Escheat Proceedings
• Partition Actions.

Probate court records may include documents such as:

• Last Testament
• Petition for Probate
• Letters of Testamentary (or Letters of Administration)
• Inventory of Assets
• Notice to Creditors
• Creditor Claims
• Executor’s Accounting (Final Accounting)
• Petition for Final Distribution
• Order for Final Distribution
• Affidavit of Heirship (if applicable)
• Renunciation (or Waiver of Executor)
• Bond of Executor/Administrator
• Affidavit of Small Estate (if applicable).

Individuals seeking access to Story County probate court records should

• Visit the Iowa Court Online Search System and use online tools to look for information on the probate case of Story County.
• Call or visit the Story County Court Clerk's Office and request access to probate court records.
• Request Records through an Attorney handling the estate (attorneys often have direct access to records and may make copies available to people with legitimate interests in a specific probate case).

Story County Property Records

Story County property records are official documents on the county's real estate ownership and transactions. Property records encompass documents such as

• Deeds
• Property Titles
• Parcel Numbers
• Lien and Encumbrances
• Zoning information
• Building permits
• Plat Maps
• Property Sales History
• Tax Records
• Lease Agreements.

In Story County, the Recorder's Office is the custodian of property records. To access property records in Story County:

• Log in to Story County Recorder's Property Search Page, and use the address, parcel numbers, and township name to look for property records.
• Visit the Iowa Land Records Website:
  • Register to obtain login credentials
  • Click Search on the main page to access the search portal
  • Enter the account credentials into the search tools, login, and view electronic files on Story County real estate.

Story County Court Records Online

Record seekers may access Story County court records through third-party online resources. Such websites gather information from various sources and make them available to interested persons. For instance, iowacourtrecords.us offers individuals easy and convenient access to Iowa court records. Nonetheless, record seekers should be cautious when sourcing third-party official documents. Information from some non-government sources may not be complete or accurate.