Frequently Asked Questions

We have grantor and grantee names, instrument numbers, and book and page information for recorded deeds, filed by legal description, in our transfer books going back to about 1860. Please come by the office between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM and we will gladly assist you. The office is located at: 900 Sixth St. Nevada, IA 50201 For copies of recorded deeds and surveys, contact the Recorder at (515) 382-7231. For assessment questions, contact the Assessor at (515) 382-7320 (contact the Ames Assessor for Ames properties). For current tax information, contact the Treasurer at (515) 382-7331.

A parcel number is a unique 10-digit number assigned by Story County (Ames parcel numbers are assigned by the Ames assessor following the same numbering convention) to each tax parcel. It may also be referred to as a geo or map reference number or parcel ID number (PIN).
Sample layout: XX-XX-XXX-XXX = Township-Section-Block-Parcel
These numbers are different from the Section Township and Range numbers assigned by the United States Geological Survey.
Parcel numbers can be determined by searching by address on the GIS Property website or by calling the Auditor's Office and supplying us with the property address or owner's name. Parcel numbers are also printed on tax statements and assessment notifications.

Please fill out a Request to Change Mailing Address for Story County Property Records and mail it to our office. You may also fill out the same form in our office. We cannot change this information over the phone.

If the misspelling is a data entry error, we will fix it based on the recorded document. However, if the error comes from the recorded document, a corrected document needs to be recorded in order for us to make the change.

Please call us at 382-7210 for information on a particular property. For more information on credits and exemptions, go to the Iowa Department of Revenue Property Tax Credits and Exemptions page or the Assessor's Credits and Exemptions page. Most applications for credits and exemptions are filed with the Assessor (Ames Assessor for Ames properties). Story County residents, except those residing in the City of Ames, may now apply online for homestead credit and military exemptions.

Under many circumstances, we cannot remove a name without a recorded document (affidavit, change of title, court officer deed). In the case of a life estate, we can remove the life estate if there is proof that a person is deceased (recorded death certificate). Many estates are not filed with the clerk of court because spouses will own everything jointly. In the case of property held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship solely with the surviving spouse, an affidavit of surviving spouse may be recorded if the decedent died on or after January 1, 1988 (Iowa Code Section 558.66). For deaths occurring before 1988, we can remove a name based on a recorded death certificate. For questions about deeds, please call 515-382-7214.

We do not maintain records of cemetery deeds in the Auditor's Office; they are handled directly by the cemeteries. The Story County IAGenWeb website lists cemeteries by township and also maintains many other links of genealogical interest, including cemetery records.

We have tax descriptions in the Auditor's Office. For a legal description, we can supply the Book & Page or instrument number for the deed and you can contact the Recorder's Office for the recorded deed. You may also register (it's free) at Iowa Land Records where you can search online for recorded documents, including deeds.

Story County's E911 committee periodically updates its countywide map. These are available, free of charge, in most county offices on a first-come, first-serve basis. You can get photocopies of the Auditor's plat maps for 25 cents a page (50 cents per fax page). Custom maps from the county's GIS software, in printed and digital format, can also be ordered based on the county MAPS price list.