Crime Numbers
As the central repository for crime statistics in the State of Iowa, the Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) provides the crime data for Johnson County. Its latest crime data for the county shows that local law enforcement agencies recorded 416 violent crimes and 2,775 property crimes in 2016. Compared to the 2012 crime statistics for the county, violent crime rate increased by 22.4% while property crime rate fell 5.7% in 2016.
A breakdown of the 2016 crime figures shows that Johnson County recorded no murder, 107 rapes, 70 robberies, 239 aggravated assaults, 480 burglaries, 2,164 larcenies, 123 motor vehicle thefts, and 8 arsons. The most recent five-year crime trend for Johnson County indicates that rape (143.2%), robbery (45.8%), and motor vehicle theft (29.5%) rates went up between 2012 and 2016. In the same period, murder (100%), aggravated assault (3.2%), burglary (17.5%), larceny (4%), and arson (33.3%) rates declined.
Criminal Records
The Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) of the Iowa DPS provides criminal history records for all counties in the state through its Criminal History Record Dissemination Unit. Each criminal background check costs $15 and can be requested online, by mail, by fax, or in person. Criminal history reports provided following online requests are not certified. To obtain certified criminal records, requesters must also submit signed waivers from the subjects of the criminal record checks. To request a certified record, complete the criminal history request form and send it by mail or fax to:
Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Support Operations Bureau,
1st Floor
215 East 7th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 725-6066
(515) 725-6080 (Fax)
The requester must also complete a billing form and enclose a money order or check for the appropriate fee. Mailed and faxed requests take up to five business days to fulfill. Alternatively, visit the office at the address provided above to request criminal history records in person. Normal business hours are from Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m.
All requests must be accompanied by a copy of a valid photo I.D. Cash and card payments are accepted for walk-in requests. For further inquiries about obtaining Johnson County criminal history records, call (515) 725-6072 or email the DCI office.
The Johnson County Sheriff's Office provides local background checks for the county based on jail information. This check costs $5 and can be requested in person or by mail sent to:
The Records Division
511 S Capitol Street
P.O. Box 2540
Iowa City, IA 52240
(319) 356-6020
Include a self-addressed stamped envelope in the mail request. For walk-in requests, visit the Records Division anytime from Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Incident and accident reports for the county are also available from the Records Division of the Johnson County Sheriff's Office. Each of these police reports cost $5 when requested in person or by mail at the address listed above. For reports detailing incidents and accidents in the county where the Sheriff’s Office is not the investigating agency, contact the police department in the city, borough, or town where the events occurred. For example, police reports for the City of Iowa, the county seat and largest community in the county, are provided by the Iowa City Police Department. To obtain a report, visit the Department anytime from Monday through Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. at the following address:
410 E. Washington Street
Iowa City, IA
(319) 356-5275
Pursuant to the Iowa Code Chapter 692A, the Iowa DPS maintains a Sex Offender Registry to aid the public in identifying and locating sex offenders registered in the State. To find registered sex offenders in Johnson County, visit the Sex Offender Registry website and search for offenders by name. Alternatively, use the map search option on the site to locate all registered sex offenders living nearby. The search result returns a list of offenders residing within a 10-mile radius of the provided local address or zip code.
Jail Information
The Johnson County Jail is the main detention facility in the county. The jail is located on the 2nd floor of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office (address above). Family and friends can deposit funds into inmates’ accounts either at the jail (cash or money orders only) or through the US Mail (money orders only). For further inquiries, call (319) 356-6025.
Court Records
In line with the Iowa judicial system, Johnson County has a unified trial court system with only a District Court. The Johnson County District Court is part of the 6th Judicial District of Iowa and has general jurisdiction over all cases. The District Court has separate divisions for juvenile, probate, and small claims cases. The court sits for sessions at:
Johnson County District Court
417 South Clinton Street
Iowa City, IA 52240
(319) 356-6060
All Johnson County court records are maintained by the Clerk of Court. The Clerk also provides a public access terminal at the courthouse for the general public to view all non-confidential court records. Similarly, these records are available online at the Iowa State case search webpage. Note, only registered users on the site can access up-to-date information and registration requires a monthly subscription fee of $25. To obtain certified copies of any court record, contact the Clerk’s office at the courthouse.
Vital Records
Johnson County divorce records are available with the District Court Clerk’s Office. To obtain a certified copy, contact the Clerk’s Office at the county’s courthouse.
The Iowa Department of Public Health maintains Johnson County birth, death, and marriage records beginning from July 1, 1880 to the present. Each certified copy of these vital records costs $15. To request a certified copy, print and complete an Application for Copy of Vital Record Certificate form. Include a photocopy of a valid ID and a check or money order for copy fee and then mail the request to:
Iowa Department of Public Health
Bureau of Health Statistics
Lucas State Office Building, 1st Floor
321 East 12th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319-0075
Notarize the application form before sending it. The Bureau also accepts walk-in requests at its office between 7:00 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. from Monday through Friday. For further inquiries, call the Bureau at (515) 281-7689.
The Johnson County Recorder also issues certified copies of birth, death, and marriage records. Birth records from 1990 to the present, as well as death and marriage records from 1954 to the present, are available at the Recorder’s office. The form, fee, and requirements for requesting certified copies at the office of the Recorder are the same as described above for the Bureau of Health Statistics. Submit the requests to:
Johnson County Recorder
Attn: Vital Records
913 S Dubuque Street
Iowa City, IA 52240-4273
(319) 356-6093
Are Property Records Open to the Public in Johnson County
Johnson County property records are open to the public. Under the Iowa Freedom of Information Act, every person has the right to examine and copy a public record. Hence, interested parties can access copies of Johnson County property records from record custodians in charge of the public documents.
Where and How to Find Property Records in Johnson County
All property records in the county are under the Johnson County Assessor's jurisdiction. The office is primarily responsible for assessing different types of properties, such as agricultural, industrial, residential, and commercial property within the county. In addition, it maintains online and offline repositories of property documents. Record seekers may access Johnson County property records in person at the address provided below:
Johnson County Administration Building
913 South Dubuque Street
Suite 205
Iowa City, IA 52240.
Phone: (319) 356-6078
The Johnson County Assessor's Office attends to in-person requests for property records on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Furthermore, record seekers can find and view information on properties within the county via the GIS searchable map. The searchable map interface enables record seekers to obtain property information using the parcel number or property address.
How to Look Up Johnson County Property Records
As an alternative option, record seekers may also access Johnson County property records via the custodian agency's searchable platform. As the custodian of Johnson County property records, the Assessor's Office maintains an online repository of all property information documented within the county. Record seekers can obtain property information using the following search options:
- Parcel search option.
- Building search
- Property sales search option.
To use the Parcel search option, record seekers must fill out these details.
- Parcel number (PIN).
- Doing Business as (DBA).
- House number
- Street name
- Legal description
- Lot area in acres.
Furthermore, record seekers may find information on property sales using the Sales search option. To option features search criteria, such as sales date range, sales amount address, total living area, Parcel number, and the year when the property was built.
Location of Johnson County Property Assessors
Johnson County Administration Building
913 South Dubuque Street
Suite 205
Iowa City, IA 52240.
Phone: (319) 356-6078
