Crime Statistics
The Linn County Sheriff's Office compiles crime data and crime statistics for the county. The Linn County 2016 index of crime as recorded by the Iowa Department of Public Safety reported a total of 6,679 incidents with Larceny accounting for more than 65% of the total crimes making it the most popular, followed by burglary at 20%. Rape and motor vehicle theft recorded a spike from 0.75% and 5.4% in 2015 to 1.4% and 6.6% respectively. However, arson and murder held steady at 0.5% combined, putting total violent crime rate at a fair 226.8 per 100,000 compared to the US average of 386.3 and property crime at 2791.7 compared to the US average of 2,450.7. The Linn county crime map is available for public use.
Criminal Records
Full criminal history records of persons resident in Linn county may be obtained from the Criminal Division of the Linn County Sheriff's Office or the Criminal Investigation Division of the Iowa Department of Public Safety. While the former provides criminal history information limited to arrest, misdemeanor charges and convictions within its jurisdiction, the Iowa Department of Public Safety performs state-wide criminal history checks which includes information regarding traffic violations and felony convictions.
How to Get Criminal Records
Criminal history and background checks are conducted by the Criminal Division of the Linn County Sheriff's Office. Interested persons may request records or checks by contacting the Sheriff's Office in person or via phone/fax during business hours at:
310 2nd Avenue SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Phone: (319) 892-6250
Fax: (319) 892-6242
State-wide check requests may be directed to the Iowa Department of Public Safety. The Criminal History Record Dissemination Unit provides full criminal history records provided the requestor can present a signed waiver from the subject along with suitable identification documentation. Requestors with no waivers may still access criminal history information releasable by law. However, non-waiver requests are processed by the Division of Criminal Investigation.
Interested persons with notarized waivers may request full records by completing a Criminal History Record Check Request form along with a Criminal History Record Check Billing Form and submitting both alongside the waiver, stated fees and a copy of the requestor's ID to:
Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation
215 East 7th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319
Non-waiver requests are processed on the Division of Criminal Investigation website. Requestors are required to know and provide the last name and/or fingerprints of the subject, after which they may view search results on the site. Each last name or set of fingerprints searched requires the payment of a $15 fee. The Linn County Sheriff's Office provides fingerprinting services.
How to Find the Sex Offender Registry and Other Sex Offender Information
The Linn County Sheriff's Office maintains a registry of sex offenders residing within the county. Interested persons may inquire about persons on the registry by completion a sex offender registry request and submitting it to the Sheriff's office at:
P.O. Box 669
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Phone: (319) 892-6250
Fax: (319) 892-6242
Alternatively, interested parties may sex offenders by name or by county on the Iowa Sex Offense Website.
How to Find Inmate and Jail information
The Sheriffs Office is charged with maintaining information regarding the Linn County Correctional Center, which houses all Linn county inmates and overflow inmates arrested in other counties. Interested persons may obtain information about current and recently booked adult inmates by searching the Linn County Inmate Index by inmate name or age.
Court Records
Where and How to Get Court Records
The Linn County Clerk of Courts is the chief custodian of court records of all criminal, civil, traffic, and juvenile cases filed within the county. Eligible persons may view or copy non-confidential records by making phone or mail requests at:
Third Avenue Bridge,
P.O. Box 1468
Cedar Rapid, IA 52406
Phone: (319) 398-3411
Criminal & Traffic Division: (319) 398-3411
Civil Division: (319) 398-3411
Alternatively, interested parties may view documents electronically in the county courthouse using the public terminal. Requestors are required to register on the Iowa Courts Online Case Portal. Users may perform a case search by county, or an advanced case search for up-to-the-minute information entered by the County Clerk of Court.
Location of All Courts in County
Below is the location and contact information of the only court currently in Linn County, Iowa:
Linn County District Court
Third Avenue Bridge,
P.O. Box 1468,
Cedar Rapid, IA 52406
(319) 398-3411
Where and How to Get Bankruptcy and Property Records
The office of the Linn County Recorder maintains real property documents recorded by the Recorder's Office. All documents including copies of deeds, D-O-V statements, real estate transfer statements, taxation records and verified trade statements may be obtained by persons with sufficient information regarding the property. Interested persons may retrieve copies by querying the Recorder's office in-person or via mail at:
935 2nd Street SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
P.O. Box 1406
Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-1406
Phone: (319) 892-5420
Fax: (319) 892-5459
Records may also be searched and obtained on the Linn Recorders Website by file name, date range, certified dates or parcel number.
On the other hand, the Northern District of Iowa US Bankruptcy Court processes Linn county bankruptcy petitions and maintains relevant records to that effect. The Court Clerk manages and provides public access to all records. Interested persons may obtain records electronically using Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER). Retrieval typically requires user registration which may require a credit card as access to the portal system attracts a $0.10 per page fee. Registered users may then search for record information using the PACER case locator and relevant bankruptcy information.
Vital Records
Linn County Vital Records are managed and issued by the County Recorder's Office, and the Clerk of Courts Office at the county level, and Bureau of Health Statistics of the Iowa Department of Public Health at the state level. Records might be obtained by eligible persons from either office. However, requestors will be required to provide specific identification documentation.
Where and How to Get Divorce Records
Records of divorces granted in Linn County can be obtained by querying the Linn County Clerk of Court. Requests for records typically require relevant information about the divorcees including the place and date of the divorce. Queries can be made by sending a written request via mail or making over-the-phone queries to:
Third Avenue Bridge,
P.O. Box 1468
Cedar Rapid, IA 52406
Civil Division: (319) 398-3411
Alternatively, interested persons may view divorce records electronically by using the public terminals available in the county courthouse. Requestors may be required to register on the Iowa Courts Online Case Portal.
Where and How to Get Marriage Records
Marriage records are maintained and disseminated by the County Recorder's Office. However, only records of marriages that took place after July 1, 1880, are available on file and can be retrieved
Registrants and persons who can prove their relationship (to the registrants) are eligible to obtain marriage records. Applicants are required to complete a vital record application form which must be signed and notarized, and submit the completed application along with a payment of $15 and a copy of the requestors government-issued photo ID to:
935 2nd Street SW
P.O. Box 1406
Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-1406
Phone: (319) 892-5420
Fax: (319) 892-5459
Where and How to Get Birth and Death Records
All birth and death records from the years 1880 to 1920 and 1942 to current are maintained and issued by the County Recorder's Office. Records for the years 1921 to 1941 are managed by the Vital Records section of the Iowa Department of Public Health. Also, prior to July 1, 1995 records of births to unwed mothers were only stored in the Department of Public Health and are still only available at the state level.
Birth records are only available to persons with entitlement which include adult registrants, their mother or father (if named on record), spouses, brothers or sisters (who can show proof of relationship) and grandparents.
On the other hand, access to death records does not require meeting any eligibility requirements.
Requestors must complete, sign and notarize a vital record application form, and submit the completed application along with a payment of $15 and a copy of the requestors government-issued photo ID to:
935 2nd Street SW
P.O. Box 1406
Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-1406
Phone: (319) 892-5420
Fax: (319) 892-5459
In addition to government agencies, county public records may also be obtained from third-party websites. These non-government platforms come with intuitive tools that allow for expansive searches. Record seekers may either opt to use these tools to search for a specific record or multiple records. Users are able to search third-party websites remotely for multiple records at a time with just the name of the record subject and their last known location, including the city, county, or state. Third-party sites are not sponsored by government agencies. Because of this, record availability and results may vary.
Are Property Records Open to the Public in Linn County?
Per the Iowa Open Records Law, property records in Linn County are public records. Under the law, requestors seeking Linn County property records may submit official applications to the county's record keeper. For informational purposes, desired records may also be available online as provided by the Assessor's and Recorder's offices.
Where and How to Find Property Records in Linn County
The Linn County Recorder's Office maintains details of all recorded properties in the county and makes them available to the public. Document copies cost $1 per page plus $5 for each certified document. Requestors are charged $6 for each certificate showing a federal tax lien and $5 for a copy of the lien.
Interested persons may visit the Recorder's Office or send mail requests. The mail request should contain the requestor's personal contact information and all known details of the requested record. All requests should be submitted using the following details:
Physical Address:
Linn County Recorder's Office
935 2nd Street SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Phone: (319) 892-5420
Fax: (319) 892-5459
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday
Mailing Address:
Linn County Recorder's Office
P.O. Box 1406
Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-1406
The Linn County Auditor's Office also keeps property records, making property ownership information available to members of the general public. Persons seeking property records from the Recorder's Office may submit requests at the address below:
Linn County Auditor's Office
935 2nd Street SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Phone: (319) 892-5300
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday
How to Look Up Linn County Property Records
The Linn County Assessor's Office maintains an online repository of property records. Record seekers may use the Assessor's Parcel Search by providing information such as parcel numbers (PIN), house numbers, street names, and legal descriptions. Available details include deed information, tax details, valuation and assessment figures, property images, and downloadable property reports. Requestors looking for online records of properties located within the City of Cedar Rapids should use the Cedar Rapids City Assessor's page. The Recorder's Office also allows the public to search real estate records online. Users may search by property information, parcel number, file number, date range, book and page number, or name. Available property records include deeds, mortgage information, UCC, and other related miscellaneous documents.
Location of Linn County Property Assessors
Linn County Assessor's Office
935 2nd Street SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Phone: (319) 892-5220
Fax: (319) 892-5239
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Email: assessor@linncounty.org
