Iowa Courts Online (ICO) is a web-based application that provides access to electronic docket information.  What information is available depends on physical location, case type, and type of registration. 


View docket events for public cases 

Anyone with internet access can use Case Search to view information about public cases for free. No registration is required. However, documents cannot be viewed. Includes:

  1. Criminal, Traffic, Civil, Probate, and Appellate Court records.
  2. Records dating back to 1997.
  3. Cases entered before the end of the previous business day.
  4. Case summary, filings, criminal charges & disposition, financial summary, and bonds information.
Note: Information about confidential cases is not available, such as child in need of assistance or mental health cases.

Make payments

Anyone with access to the internet can use Payment Search to make online payments against cases. This service is free and no registration is required. Payments can also be made over the phone between 8 AM and 4:30 PM at 515.348-4788.


City parking violations cannot be paid on Iowa Courts Online. 


Note: Costs and fees are not posted immediately to Iowa Courts Online. See the Payment Search page for more information.


View more information

Anyone can use Advanced Case Search to view more information at the public access terminals at the courthouse for free OR over the internet for a monthly fee.  

Advanced Case Search includes all information available in Case Search, plus:

  1. More docket information, such as details on some parties, lis pendens, judgment/liens, exhibit lists, complete financial information, service returns, and traffic.
  2. Case information as soon as it is entered by the clerk of court.
  3. Ability to search by case type, lis pendens, judgment/lien, and scheduling.
  4. Ability to find cases in real time.


Generally, Advanced Case Search does not provide access to documents, nor does it provide access to confidential case information. 


Free access to public case documents only at clerk of court offices

Anyone can view public documents at the public access terminals in the county clerk of court offices for records located in that county. No registration is required.


For example, if you are using the public PC in the Polk County Courthouse, and logged in as the Polk’s user ID, you can see public documents filed in Polk County.


State and Federal agencies

State and Federal agency access may differ slightly from the description in this article.