Polk County arrest records and inmate search
Search a name across the Polk County Jail roster, Iowa court records and Iowa prisons, plus federal custody. The county seat is Des Moines.
Polk County’s own roster: polkinmates.polkcountyiowa.gov. Checking the registry instead? Polk County sex offender registry
Polk County inmate search: who is in the Polk County jail. One name search reaches the Polk County Jail roster and every other record type below.
Polk County is home to about 505,255 people (US Census Bureau, 2023 estimate), up 2.6% since the 2020 census: 16% of Iowa’s residents, the most populous of its 99 counties. People arrested here are booked into the Polk County Jail, and Polk County publishes who is held there on its own roster at polkinmates.polkcountyiowa.gov. A search here checks that roster together with the records below, so one search answers whether a person is in the Polk County jail, in a Iowa state prison or in federal custody.
- Polk County jail bookingsThe Polk County Jail roster: who was booked, when, and on what charges
- Iowa court recordsthe statewide court source: case, charge and disposition
- Iowa warrantsthe statewide warrant system
- Iowa prison recordsthe Department of Corrections: people serving a state sentence
- Iowa sex offender registryregistration, offense and address; one of the 58 registries in the search
- Federal custodyFederal Bureau of Prisons inmates
Polk County jail roster: what a booking record shows.
A booking record is made when someone is taken into custody at the Polk County Jail. It is an arrest-stage record: it says the person was booked on a date, on the charges written down at booking, and whether bond was set. It never says the person was convicted.
Most official rosters list only the people held now, so an entry usually comes down after release. Polk County’s roster at polkinmates.polkcountyiowa.gov is the place to confirm current custody.
What a Polk County booking record shows
Polk County arrest records: arrest, charge and outcome. Three records, three places.
Booking at the Polk County Jail
Shows that someone was arrested in Polk County and what they were booked on. Searchable here through the Polk County Jail roster.
Filed in the District Court
Prosecutors decide what to charge. A felony goes to the District Court, which hears misdemeanors too. The charge filed can differ from the charge at booking.
Disposition in the court file
Conviction, dismissal or acquittal is in the court record, kept by the Clerk of District Court. Iowa court records in the search carry it where the court publishes it.
An arrest record alone never proves a crime. Read the guide to arrest records for how bookings, charges and dispositions differ, and why a dismissed charge can still appear.
Polk County arrest records by city. Des Moines, Ankeny and West Des Moines and 6 more.
Polk County has 9 cities and towns of 10,000 people or more. Someone arrested by a city police department in Des Moines or Ankeny is usually booked into the Polk County Jail, unless the city runs a jail of its own, so a search of the Polk County Jail roster covers arrests across the county.
City populations: US Census Bureau, 2023 estimates. Linked cities have a sex offender page with a map and a search by address.
Polk County court records: finding a case and its outcome.
In Iowa, felony cases from Polk County are heard in the District Court, which also hears misdemeanors. The Clerk of District Court keeps the case files, which is where a disposition, a sentence and later sealing or expungement orders are recorded.
Iowa’s statewide court source is part of a name search here, so a result can show how a case ended, not only that it began.
Finding a Polk County case yourself
- Get the full name and a date of birth; a case number, if you have one, is faster still.
- Search Iowa Courts Online Search: iowacourts.state.ia.us.
- For a certified copy of a judgment, ask the Clerk of District Court; certified copies usually carry a small fee.
Polk County warrant search: Iowa warrant lookup.
Iowa publishes a statewide warrant system, and a name search here includes it, so a warrant entered there for someone in Polk County shows with the person’s other records. Not every local warrant reaches a published list. A search that finds nothing is not proof that no warrant exists; to be certain, ask the Polk County sheriff’s office or the Clerk of District Court.
Polk County mugshots: where booking photos are published.
A booking photo is taken at the Polk County Jail when someone is booked. Where Polk County publishes it, it appears on the official roster at polkinmates.polkcountyiowa.gov, usually only while the person is held.
OffenderSearch does not show or sell booking photos, and never charges to remove anything. A photo on a commercial mugshot site is not a conviction, and several states restrict sites that charge to take one down.
Polk County sex offender registry. About 1,041 on our index have an address in Polk County.
The registry is a separate public record from arrests and court cases: it lists people required to register after a sex offense conviction, usually with an address. The count near an address is free.
Sex offenders in Polk County cities
Polk County criminal background check: search by name.
- Type a first and last name, and add an age or date of birth so the right person rises to the top.
- Tick “Also check criminal records” on the look-up page to add criminal records to the registry check (it uses 2 searches).
- 25 searches are free with a personal account. No card.
Not a consumer report. Hiring or renting? Use an FCRA-regulated check; see what an employer’s check shows.
Polk County criminal records FAQ
How do I find out if someone is in the Polk County jail?
Polk County publishes its own jail roster at polkinmates.polkcountyiowa.gov. To search the Polk County Jail together with Iowa prisons and federal custody in one step, search the person's name here; add an age or date of birth to tell people with the same name apart.
Where are Polk County court records kept?
Felony cases from Polk County are heard in the District Court, and the Clerk of District Court keeps the case files. The same court hears misdemeanors. Iowa's judiciary also runs a public case search, Iowa Courts Online Search.
Can I search Polk County warrants online?
Iowa publishes a statewide warrant system, and a name search here includes it. Not every local warrant reaches that system, so to be certain, ask the Polk County sheriff's office or the Clerk of District Court.
Is an arrest in Polk County the same as a conviction?
No. A booking at the Polk County Jail records an arrest and the charges at that moment. Whether the person was convicted is decided in the District Court, and only the court record shows the outcome. Court records in the search carry that outcome where the court publishes it.
Does OffenderSearch show Polk County mugshots?
No. Booking photos are not shown or sold here. Where Polk County publishes a photo, it is on the official roster at polkinmates.polkcountyiowa.gov. No law requires anyone to pay a website to remove a booking photo, and several states restrict sites that charge for it.
How many registered sex offenders live in Polk County?
About 1,041 on our index have an address in Polk County. The Polk County sex offender registry page has the count, a map and a search by address.
Can I use a Polk County criminal record search to hire someone or rent to them?
No. A search here is not a consumer report. A hiring, tenant, credit or insurance decision needs an FCRA-regulated report from a consumer reporting agency, with the person's written consent.