How to Find and Access Iowa Arrest Records

Iowa criminal records include records of all arrests and consequent dispositions. Iowa arrest records are formed when there has been a crime committed. Iowa criminal records are stored in the state government’s databases like all other states in the U.S.

The arrest records and other criminal records are stored in the geographical location and jurisdiction where the crime took place. Particular communities may also have data of crimes that happened within that specific community only. The data which are stored in these databases are collected and sent to the state storage vaults of different government departments.

Iowa arrest records are maintained by the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Investigation, or DCI, and they are kept under the strict supervision at the Wallace State Office Building in Des Moines, Iowa.

Creation of Arrest Records

The State of Iowa has laws that provide guidelines to the sheriff and police department to submit fingerprint identification cards to the Department of Criminal Investigation of those offenders who have been arrested for any transgression. Iowa laws have another condition where the disposition forms are initiated through the system. The disposition forms are sent to the Department of Criminal Investigation when the case is over.

The information from the arrests will not be recorded if the DCI does not receive the disposition form along with the fingerprint card. Due to this reason, the DCI does not guarantee that the accused has been convicted in an Iowa court. The DCI files contain those which are solely exclusive to Iowa criminal records. Anyone can obtain Iowa criminal records from the DCI. To do so, you need to submit forms that are available at: http://www.dps.state.ia.us/DCI/supportoperations/crimhistory. You can also visit the office in person:

Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation
215 East 7th Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319

Arrest Record Search Fees

The fee for a surname-based search only is $13.00; if you would like it faxed, it is $15.00. The fax request can be paid for with a debit or credit card payment. This type of search is based on name and date of birth. However, without the fingerprint details a positive result cannot be assured. You can also request a copy of the form to do a record check by calling (515) 725-6066. It should be noted that you need to submit a billing form along with each record check request.

Police Department Arrest Records

One can also access the Iowa police department regarding Iowa arrest records. You can receive a copy of criminal arrest history records from the Iowa Department of Public Safety. This can be done by calling 515-281-4776. For other information regarding arrests made by the Iowa City Police Department you can call for records at 356-5285 or you can log on to http://www.icgov.org/.

Other places you can request copies of a record include the following:

The jail – 319-356-6025
The Sheriff's office – 319-356-6020
University Police – 319-335-5022
Coralville Police – 319-248-1800

Records in the Capital City of Des Moines

In the city of Des Moines, which is Iowa’s capital, the police department’s administrative services bureau provides valuable information to the public through its record section which holds all the public records. This section is open to the general public from 7am to 7pm and it can be reached by calling at (515) 283-4824. The records section processes more than 55,000 investigation reports and all of these reports are maintained by the Record Management System, or RMS. All of these records are stored in and retrieved from RMS.

The service through RMS is prompt, as your request can be processed on the same day. However, the verifications, photos and tape recordings can take more than five days to process. Here are some rate charts for different records processing:

Arrest records - $5.00 each
Police Case Report - $5.00 each
Accident Report - $5.00 each
Trip Log - $5.00 each
Fingerprint Fee- $10.00 per card
Dispatch Tape Recording - $15.00 each
In-Car Video Recording - $15.00 each
Photo CD - $15.00 each

The arrest records cannot be accessed if the records are legally destroyed or removed from the computer. These cases are basically those in which the person is wrongfully arrested without any specific evidence, or special cases in which the person is pardoned by the Governor.