Certified Translation Services in Des Moines, Iowa
Apostille Authentications provides certified translations for Des Moines, Iowa residents, from $65 per page with a signed certificate of accuracy. Most are finished in 1 to 2 business days. We are based in the Portland, Oregon area and have no Des Moines office, so everything is handled remotely: upload the document through our quote form and get the translation back electronically or by mail. Below are the Des Moines offices and rules that matter once the translation is in your hands.
Upload your document below as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file, or call (971) 514-3743 for a quote.
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Des Moines is where Iowa apostilles are issued
Des Moines is the state capital, and the Iowa Secretary of State’s apostille counter is in the Lucas Building, First Floor, 321 E. 12th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319. For someone in the city that means you do not have to mail anything: the office offers same-day walk-in service from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except observed holidays.
Bring the Apostille or Certification Request Form and the document. The fee is $5.00 per apostille or certification, payable by check or by Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover. The office certifies only documents signed by Iowa notaries or elected officials, and it sends federal documents to the U.S. Department of State.
A translation normally qualifies through a notarized translator’s statement. When a translation needs to be notarized for Iowa, we hire a notary commissioned in Iowa to notarize the translator’s statement. Mail and the Fast Track Filing upload are also open to you; those requests are processed in date order.
Birth, death and marriage records in Polk County
Des Moines is in Polk County, and you have two sources for certified vital records within the city. The Polk County Recorder issues birth, death and marriage certificates. It asks for a photo ID with signature, takes cash, check or money order payable to Polk County Recorder, and says you must be in the office by 3:30 p.m. for same-day service. Mail requests need a notarized signature and a photocopy of your ID. The Recorder’s phone is 515-286-3781.
The state office is also in town: Iowa HHS, Bureau of Health Statistics, Lucas State Office Building, 1st Floor, 321 E. 12th Street, the same building as the apostille counter. The state charges $20.00 per record search and holds records back to July 1, 1880. Divorce records are a court matter; the Recorder refers those to the Clerk of Court at 515-286-3772.
Courts serving Des Moines
State trial court cases are heard by the Iowa District Court for Polk County, part of the Fifth Judicial District. Federal cases go to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa.
| Polk County Clerk of Court | 500 Mulberry Street, Room 212, Des Moines, IA 50309; 515-561-5718 |
|---|---|
| Polk County Historic Courthouse | 5th and Mulberry Street; public entrance on the west side on 6th Avenue |
| Criminal Courts Building | 110 6th Avenue, Des Moines |
| Juvenile Court Office | 222 5th Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50309 |
| U.S. District Courthouse | 111 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309 |
Translations for a Polk County case
Iowa Court Rules chapter 47 governs court interpreters and translators statewide. For written translations the rules give first preference to a translator certified by the American Translators Association or NAJIT, then to a Class A certified court interpreter. Interpreters for hearings are located and scheduled by court personnel, a duty the rules say cannot be handed to an attorney or party. Before ordering a translation for a filing, confirm with the clerk or your attorney what the judge expects.
Drake University and foreign transcripts
Drake University’s international admission page says all documents must be submitted in English, that translated records should be an exact translation, not interpretive, and that they must be accompanied by the official original-language document. It also says records certified only by a notary or a translator are not accepted as official, and that the admission committee may request a credential evaluation.
Drake Law School requires JD applicants with work from institutions outside the U.S., its territories and Canada to send their credentials to LSAC for evaluation. In practice that means the school or LSAC must receive the official record itself; a translation supports it and does not replace it.
Languages in Des Moines
Census Bureau QuickFacts puts the share of Des Moines residents age 5 and older who speak a language other than English at home at 21.9% for 2020 to 2024, against 9.1% for Iowa as a whole. 14.2% of city residents were born outside the United States.
Our most requested languages are Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic and Czech, out of 100 offered. If yours is not listed, ask when you request a quote.
Ordering from Des Moines
USCIS filings follow 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3): a full English translation, certified complete and accurate, with the translator’s statement of competence. Our certificate of accuracy is written to that rule, though acceptance is always the agency’s call.
- Upload. Send a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file through the quote form.
- Quote. We confirm the price, from $65 per page, and the delivery date.
- Delivery. Electronic copy, or paper by mail on request.
- Questions. Call (971) 514-3743 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Related services for Des Moines
- Iowa document translation services: the statewide rules for courts, notaries, vital records and driver licensing
- Iowa apostille service
- All document translation services
Des Moines translation questions
Apostille Authentications serves Des Moines remotely from the Portland, Oregon area. You upload the document online and receive a certified translation with a signed certificate of accuracy, from $65 per page.
The Iowa Secretary of State issues apostilles at the Lucas Building, First Floor, 321 E. 12th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319. Walk-in service is same day, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The Iowa Secretary of State charges $5.00 per apostille or certification. You submit the Apostille or Certification Request Form with the document.
From the Polk County Recorder, or from the Iowa HHS Bureau of Health Statistics in the Lucas State Office Building at 321 E. 12th Street. The state office charges $20.00 per record search.
Drake says translated records must be exact translations and must be accompanied by the official original-language document. Records certified only by a notary or translator are not treated as official.
Most certified translations from Apostille Authentications are ready in 1 to 2 business days and are returned electronically or by mail.
Sources
The local details on this page come from these official sources.
- Iowa Secretary of State: Apostilles and Certifications
- Apostille or Certification Request Form
- Polk County Recorder: Vital Records
- Iowa HHS: Vital Records
- Iowa Judicial Branch: Polk County
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Iowa: Court Locations
- Iowa Court Rules chapter 47
- Drake University: International Admission
- Drake Law School: International Students
- Census Bureau QuickFacts: Des Moines
- 8 CFR 103.2 (eCFR)
Get your Des Moines translation started
Upload your document for a quote, or call (971) 514-3743 and tell us where the translation is going. We confirm the level of certification you need before any work begins.