The first Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Iowa created the Office of the Iowa County Recorder in 1839. Overall, county recorders are responsible for the maintenance and management of any official property and real estate documents in the state. On top of this, every single vital record passes through their offices. Their responsibilities have grown exponentially over the years to also include issuing recreational vehicle registrations, handling vital records, and issuing hunting and fishing licenses.

By integrating with Iowa Land Records, county recorders are able to archive property records electronically. This statewide database for county land records is readily accessible at any time. Since the creation of this service, county recorders have recorded over one million documents online.