Des Moines County Recorder's Office

Passport acceptance in Des Moines County is handled by the Recorder's Office, located in the courthouse at 513 N Main Street in downtown Burlington. It is a common mix-up to look for the Clerk of Court, but here it is the Recorder who executes DS-11 applications, checks your supporting documents, and forwards the sealed packet to the U.S. Department of State. Staff can process adults and children applying for the first time, as well as replacements that require an in-person visit.

Because this is a busy county department, the office recommends calling 319-753-8221 to confirm a clerk is available before you come in. It sits just one block up Main Street from the downtown post office, so the two Burlington options are easy to compare. Fee amounts and the what-to-bring list stay uniform statewide, and both are summarized on our Iowa passport page.

The Recorder's Office keeps regular weekday courthouse hours, but calling ahead is smart because a passport agent needs to be free to witness your application. The execution fee can be paid by cash, check, money order, or card, but the State Department application fee must be a separate check or money order. If the courthouse timing does not suit you, the nearby post office is the other Burlington choice.