City guide · Cedar Rapids, Iowa · Details last checked Oct 30, 2026

Cedar Rapids, Iowa document errands: printing, fax, notary, passports and certified copies (2026)

Where to print, fax, notarize, apply for a passport and get certified copies in Cedar Rapids, using only official and provider pages. Each fact links to its source. Some facts are statewide or national rather than local. We label those.

Printing, copying, scanning and fax

Cedar Rapids Public Library

• Prints: $.10 for black and white and $.50 for color, in the library's print and copy areas. You can also print from your own device, remotely or in the library, and pick up during regular library hours ^[3]. The FAQ says the library also offers curbside printing pickup ^[9].
• Computers: free with a library card; time limits may apply. Laptops can be checked out for use inside the library, one per cardholder 18 or older, with photo ID ^[3].
• Scanning: the library lists reservable photo and archival scanners (an Epson Perfection V600 and a Plustek ePhoto Z300) that also scan everyday documents ^[10]. We didn't find a price.
• Fax: we didn't find a public fax service on the library pages we checked.

• The UPS Store: it lists 2 locations in Cedar Rapids: 5001 1st Ave SE, Ste. 105, (319) 373-9899; and 3315 Williams Blvd SW, Ste. 2, (319) 365-2112. Its city page says they offer packing, shipping, printing, shredding, notarizing, faxing and mailbox services ^[11]. We didn't find prices on the store pages; The UPS Store's site says products, services, prices and hours may vary by location ^[12].

See printing prices and fax prices.

Notary in Cedar Rapids

• Cedar Rapids Public Library (free, by appointment): free notary public services by appointment, booked with the library's online form; a notary confirms by email. Service is only during library hours, must be confirmed by staff, and can't be booked less than 24 hours ahead. Questions: (319) 261-7323 ^[4].
• Linn County Recorder: its marriage page says that if you apply at the counter, staff can typically notarize the marriage application signatures ^[8]. We didn't find a general notary service on the Recorder pages we checked.
• The UPS Store: its Cedar Rapids page lists notarizing ^[11].
• Fees (statewide): the Iowa Secretary of State's notary handbook says "A notary in Iowa may charge a reasonable fee for the notary's services," and that a notary "cannot refuse to perform a service because a person is not a client/customer" ^[13]. We didn't find a per-act maximum fee in the handbook, so ask what a notary charges before you go. The $30 on the Secretary of State's fee page is what a notary pays for a commission, not what you pay for a notarization ^[14].
• ID and remote notarization (statewide): the handbook says signers must personally appear (or appear by approved audio-video technology for a remote online notarization) and lists acceptable ID as a passport, driver's license or government-issued nonoperator ID that is current or expired not more than three years. Iowa notaries may notarize only within Iowa; a remote online notary must be in Iowa but may notarize for a signer elsewhere in the U.S. (or abroad, if certain conditions are met). The handbook also says Iowa doesn't require a notary bond ^[13].

Passports in Cedar Rapids

The U.S. Department of State's Passport Acceptance Facility Locator data lists 2 facilities with a Cedar Rapids address, and lists 1 of them as taking photos on site ^[5]:

• Post office: the locator says to schedule a passport appointment or check other acceptance times at usps.com ^[5].
• Linn County Recorder (no appointment): open 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday–Friday except holidays; arrive by 4 p.m. for same-day service. No appointment is needed. Questions: 319-892-5420 ^[6]. The locator and the county both say the office opens at 10 a.m. on the second Wednesday of the month ^[5][6].
• Fees and photos: the Recorder's $35 execution fee can be paid by check, money order, cash or credit card; the State Department's portion must be a check or money order. Staff can take your photo for $15 ^[6].
• Post office fees (national): a $35.00 acceptance fee and a $15.00 photo fee "if needed" ^[15].
• Faster service (national): the State Department's 1–3 business day return delivery is $26.87, for passport books only ^[16].
• State Department fees (national): for a first passport or other in-person (DS-11) application, the application fee for an adult (16 and older) is $130 for a book, $30 for a card or $160 for both; for a child under 16 it is $100, $15 or $115. A $35 acceptance fee is paid separately to the acceptance facility, and expedited service is $60 more ^[16].

See the passport checklist and passport photo prices.

Birth, death, marriage, court and recorded-document copies

Birth, death and marriage certificates: Iowa HHS (statewide)

• Fee (statewide): "At both the county and state level, a fee of $20.00 is required for each record search conducted, with a copy issued if one is found." If no record is found you get a no-record letter and the fee isn't refunded ^[17]. County recorders can issue certified copies of births from 1986 on and of deaths and marriages from 1954 on; for earlier events, order from the county where the event happened (marriages: where the application was made) ^[18].
• Who can order (statewide): you must be the person named on the record or have "a lineal relationship" to that person, "such as a legal parent, grandparent, spouse, brother, sister, child, legal guardian, or legal representative." County requests must be in writing and state the purpose; the state also takes telephone requests paid by credit card. Bring a valid, current government-issued photo ID (a legible photocopy by mail). HHS notes that some county recorders "may only accept cash or money orders for in-person requests and money orders for mail-in requests" ^[17].
• State office (statewide): the Iowa HHS Bureau of Vital Statistics takes in-person requests at the Lucas State Office Building, 1st Floor, 321 E. 12th Street, Des Moines, 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday–Friday; requests received by 2:00 p.m. are processed in 2 hours. Mail applications must be notarized. VitalChek is its only authorized online and phone vendor and adds its own fee, starting at $14.00 an order online and $9.00 by phone. Questions: 515-281-4944 ^[18][17].

Birth, death and marriage certificates: Linn County Recorder

• Fee: $20 per certified copy, effective July 1, 2026 (up from $15). Cash, checks, money orders and credit cards are accepted ^[7].
• What to bring: Linn County says requests "must include a notarized application, a copy of your government-issued ID, and $20.00," and that you need entitlement as defined by Iowa HHS ^[7].
• Which records: Linn County births, deaths and marriages from 1880 to 1920 and 1942 on; July 1921 through June 1941 are at Iowa HHS. Statewide births, deaths and marriages are available in the office from Jan. 1, 1984 ^[7].
• How: in person (arrive by 4 p.m. for same-day pickup), by mail, or in the drop box at the front entrance of the Linn County Public Services Center, in an envelope marked Recorder's Office with your contact information ^[7].

Marriage licenses: Linn County Recorder

• Fee and application: $35. Both of you and a witness who is 18 or older and knows you both sign the application in front of a notary. The application isn't online; pick one up or ask the office to send one (319-892-5445). Return it with the required address return form and fee in person, by mail or in the drop box; mailed requests are completed within one to two business days ^[8].
• Waiting period: three days, beginning the day after the application is processed. A judge can approve a waiver applied for at the Clerk of Court (319-398-3411); an application with a waiver is $40 ^[8].
• Ceremonies: the Recorder doesn't perform marriages. The Clerk of Court performs ceremonies only on Mondays, by appointment ^[8].
• Fee and waiting period (statewide): Iowa Code § 331.605 sets the fee for filing a marriage license application at $35, which "includes payment for one certified copy" of the marriage certificate after it is filed ^[19]. Under § 595.4, a license "shall not become valid until the expiration of three days after the date of issuance," a judge can authorize early validation in an emergency, and an application is void if no license is issued within six months ^[20]. Early validation carries a separate $5 application fee ^[19].

Recorded documents: Linn County Recorder

• Recording: $5 a page plus a $2 per-transaction surcharge, so most documents are $7 for the first page and $5 for each additional page. Deeds, contracts and condemnations are $12 for the first page, which includes the $5 transfer fee for one parcel; each additional parcel is $5 more, up to $50. Non-standard documents carry a $10.00 fee ^[2].
• Copies: $1 a page; certification is $5 per document plus $1 a page ^[2].
• Recording fees (statewide): Iowa Code § 331.604 sets a $5 fee "for each page or fraction of a page" recorded, plus $1 per recorded transaction for records management and $1 per transaction for the county land record information system ^[21].

Court copy fees (statewide; sources differ)

• Iowa Judicial Branch: its Civil Court Fees page lists "Certification and seal of court document" at $50 under Iowa Code § 602.8105(2)(b), and copies at $0.50 a page, with the note "Court fees updated to reflect Iowa Legislature 2026 changes" ^[22].
• Iowa Code 2026 text: the Legislature's posted Iowa Code 2026 version of § 602.8105, dated Dec. 12, 2025, says the clerk collects "For a certificate and seal, thirty dollars" ^[23]. That file predates the 2026 session the Judicial Branch cites, so the $50 figure may reflect a later change. Confirm the amount with the clerk of district court before you pay.

Apostilles (statewide)

• Who: the Iowa Secretary of State issues apostilles and certifications confirming that the Iowa notary or elected official who signed a document was commissioned or serving at the time. Since 2025 it uses a single certificate format for every country, Hague member or not. It can certify only documents signed by Iowa notaries or Iowa officials; for a federal document such as a federal background check, it refers you to the U.S. Department of State ^[24].
• Fee: "$5.00 per apostille or certification," by check (payable to Iowa Secretary of State), Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover; "Do not mail cash" ^[25].
• How: same-day walk-in service 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday–Friday (except holidays) at the Lucas Building, First Floor, 321 E. 12th Street, Des Moines; or mail the request form and a copy of the document to that address; or upload one multi-page PDF through Fast Track Filing. You need one copy of the document for each certificate. Certificates come back by USPS unless you include a prepaid shipping label. Phone 515-281-5204 ^[24][25].
• Processing time: not posted for mail or uploads; uploads are "reviewed and issued in date order" ^[24].

More on certified copies: how to get a certified copy.

Money orders

USPS money order fees are national: $2.65 for $0.01 to $500.00, and $3.75 for $500.01 to $1,000.00. Pay with cash or a debit card, not a credit card. The limit is $1,000 per domestic money order ^[26]. Other sellers: money order guide.

Shredding

• Free events: we didn't find a free document shred event on the official Cedar Rapids or Linn County pages we checked. The city's CleanUpCR drop-off page lists household hazardous materials, appliances, tires, electronics and recyclables, not paper shredding ^[27].
• The UPS Store: its Cedar Rapids page lists shredding ^[11]. We didn't find prices.

For paid per-pound shredding, see where to shred documents.

Questions

Sources

Sources last checked Oct 29 or Oct 30, 2026, as marked on each, except the locator data file.

1. U.S. Census Bureau, "2020 Place by County relationship file, Iowa": www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/codes2020/place_by_cou/st19_ia_place_by_county2020.txt (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
2. Linn County, "Recorder": linncountyiowa.gov/149/Recorder (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
3. Cedar Rapids Public Library, "Computers, Printing, & WiFi": crlibrary.org/computers-wifi (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
4. Cedar Rapids Public Library, "Notary": crlibrary.org/notary (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
5. U.S. Department of State, Passport Acceptance Facility Locator (locator data file, downloaded Oct 28, 2026, filtered to Iowa): passportfacilitylocator.travel.state.gov (last checked Oct 28, 2026)
6. Linn County, "Passports": linncountyiowa.gov/387/Passports (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
7. Linn County, "Vital Records": linncountyiowa.gov/361/Vital-Records (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
8. Linn County, "Marriage License & Applying to Get Married": linncountyiowa.gov/1665/Marriage-License-Applying-to-Get-Married (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
9. Cedar Rapids Public Library, "FAQ": crlibrary.org/faq (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
10. Cedar Rapids Public Library, "Photo and Archival Scanners": crlibrary.org/reserve-room/photoarchival-scanner (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
11. The UPS Store, "The UPS Store Locations in Cedar Rapids, Iowa": locations.theupsstore.com/ia/cedar-rapids (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
12. The UPS Store, "Notary Services Nationwide": theupsstore.com/store-services/notary-services (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
13. Iowa Secretary of State, "Handbook for Iowa Notaries Public (2023, PDF)": sos.iowa.gov/sites/default/files/2025-03/notaryhandbook.pdf (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
14. Iowa Secretary of State, "Notary Forms and Fees": sos.iowa.gov/notaries/notary-forms-and-fees (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
15. USPS, "Passports": usps.com/international/passports.htm (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
16. U.S. Department of State, passport fees page (Last Updated March 19, 2026): travel.state.gov/en/passports/apply/help/fees.html (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
17. Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, "Vital Records": hhs.iowa.gov/family-community/vital-records (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
18. Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, "How to Request a Certified Record": hhs.iowa.gov/family-community/vital-records/how-request-certified-record (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
19. Iowa Legislature, "Iowa Code 2026, section 331.605, Other fees (PDF)": legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/2026/331.605.pdf (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
20. Iowa Legislature, "Iowa Code 2026, section 595.4, Age and qualification, verified application, waiting period (PDF)": legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/2026/595.4.pdf (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
21. Iowa Legislature, "Iowa Code 2026, section 331.604, Recording and filing fees (PDF)": legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/2026/331.604.pdf (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
22. Iowa Judicial Branch, "Civil Court Fees": iowacourts.gov/for-the-public/representing-yourself/civil-court-fees (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
23. Iowa Legislature, "Iowa Code 2026, section 602.8105, Fees for civil cases and other services (PDF)": legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/2026/602.8105.pdf (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
24. Iowa Secretary of State, "Apostilles and Certifications": sos.iowa.gov/notaries/apostilles-and-certifications (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
25. Iowa Secretary of State, "Apostille or Certification Request Form (Rev. 10/25, PDF)": sos.iowa.gov/business/pdf/APCERT.pdf (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
26. USPS, "Money Orders": usps.com/shop/money-orders.htm (last checked Oct 30, 2026)
27. City of Cedar Rapids, "CleanUpCR Drop-off Events": cedar-rapids.org/residents/resident_resources/drop_off_events.php (last checked Oct 30, 2026)

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• Where to get something notarized, and what it costs: banks, credit unions, libraries, AAA, The UPS Store and online notary, plus state fee limits.
• US passport application checklist: what to bring, fees, forms and photocopy rules from the State Department.
• How to get a certified copy: birth, death, marriage, property and court records from the offices that issue them.
• Free notary options
• Map of our city guides
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