Find Audit Reports, Records and the Right Office
Use the Iowa Auditor of State to locate published financial audits, special investigations, performance work, recommendations and reports involving state agencies, cities, counties, schools and other public entities.
This guide explains how to search, read and request records; how to prepare a public-fund misuse report; what the office can legally withhold; and when a county assessor, treasurer, recorder or another state agency is the correct destination.
Quick answer: what can this office help with?
Use the Iowa Auditor of State for published government audit reports, certain financial filings, audit-related public records, performance reviews and suspected misuse of public money. Use the record-owning agency or local county office for property, tax, deed, election or programme-specific records.
State Capitol Building, Des Moines, IA 50319
8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday.
Rob Sand
Current as of August 5, 2026; verify after an election or transition.
To search reports, begin with the complete government entity name and then narrow by year or report type. The Auditor’s report search is the primary tool; the Iowa Legislature publication page is a useful official second search.
Choose the task you need to complete
The article is arranged around user actions rather than a directory of unexplained links.
Is the Iowa Auditor of State the correct office?
What you need |
Usually contact |
Why |
|---|---|---|
Audit of a state agency, city, county or school |
Iowa Auditor of State |
The office publishes financial audits, special investigations, recommendations and other oversight reports. |
Underlying Auditor work papers or correspondence |
Iowa Auditor of State |
The office determines whether the requested records are public, confidential or part of preliminary work. |
Property assessment or valuation |
County or city assessor |
The State Auditor does not appraise individual real property. |
Property-tax payment or delinquency |
County treasurer |
Treasurers collect and post property-tax payments. |
Deed, mortgage, lien or land record |
County recorder |
Recorded real-estate instruments are maintained locally. |
Voter registration or local election administration |
County auditor or Iowa Secretary of State |
County auditors have election-related duties that are separate from the State Auditor. |
A state programme’s case or licensing record |
The programme agency |
The agency that created and maintains the record is normally the custodian. |
Help with an open-records dispute |
Iowa Public Information Board |
IPIB provides Chapter 21 and Chapter 22 guidance and handles qualifying complaints. |
Find an Iowa government audit report
Search examples
Search the entity name first, such as “City of ___” or “___ County.”
Try the complete independent or community school district name and then a shorter city-based version.
Search both the full department name and its commonly used acronym.
After preparing the entity name and time period, use the official Auditor search. Use the Legislature publication page as an official alternative listing rather than a third-party document host.
Understand what kind of report you found
Report type |
Main purpose |
What readers should examine |
|---|---|---|
Financial audit |
Examines financial statements, records and applicable compliance for a defined period. |
Opinion, statements, notes, internal-control findings and compliance findings. |
Agreed-upon procedures |
Performs specific procedures agreed with the requesting parties rather than a complete financial-statement audit. |
The procedures performed, factual results and stated limitations. |
Periodic examination |
Reviews selected transactions, processes and compliance for certain smaller governmental entities. |
Scope, exceptions, recommendations and entity responses. |
Special investigation |
Examines suspected misuse, missing funds, improper disbursements or other defined concerns. |
Background, methodology, identified transactions, conclusions and referrals. |
Reaudit |
Performs additional examination after concerns with prior work, findings or circumstances. |
Reason for the reaudit, expanded procedures and changes from earlier conclusions. |
Recommendations report |
Communicates internal-control, compliance or operational recommendations. |
Each recommendation, management response and whether the issue was repeated. |
Performance audit or review |
Evaluates efficiency, effectiveness, economy or defined programme outcomes. |
Objectives, criteria, evidence, findings and recommended corrective actions. |
Read findings without taking them out of context
Term |
Plain-language meaning |
Reader caution |
|---|---|---|
Unmodified opinion |
Financial statements were presented fairly in accordance with the stated framework, in all material respects. |
The report can still contain control or compliance findings. |
Modified opinion |
The opinion contains a qualification, adverse conclusion or disclaimer affecting the financial statements. |
Read the basis paragraph to understand the exact issue. |
Material weakness |
A serious internal-control deficiency creates a reasonable possibility that a material error may not be prevented or detected promptly. |
It does not by itself prove theft occurred. |
Significant deficiency |
A control problem important enough to merit attention but less severe than a material weakness. |
Review the affected process and corrective response. |
Noncompliance |
An action or condition did not meet an applicable law, rule, grant term, contract or policy. |
Severity depends on the requirement and facts. |
Recommendation |
A proposed corrective or preventive action. |
Check whether management accepted and later implemented it. |
No report found? Follow this order
Prepare this before calling
Request public records from the Auditor of State
Search published audit reports first. A public-record request is most useful when you need an identifiable existing record that is not already available online.
Prepare a narrow, answerable request
Submission path
Iowa administrative rules direct requests to the Auditor of State at the State Capitol Building in Des Moines. Because a dedicated current records-request email or online form was not confirmed, call the main office first to verify the preferred electronic submission method.
State Capitol Building
Des Moines, IA 50319
Confirm custodian and electronic-delivery instructions.
8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday.
Timing and fees
A request may require search, legal review, redaction or consultation. Iowa Public Information Board guidance explains that good-faith reasonable delay can occur, but lengthy unexplained delay may be challenged.
Reasonable actual costs can include retrieval, review, supervision, copying and delivery. Request an estimate before work begins.
Read the Iowa Public Information Board guide after preparing the request. It explains Chapter 22 access, request methods, reasonable fees, response timing and the complaint process.
Why some audit-related records may be withheld
Published audit reports are open to public inspection. That does not mean every underlying record, draft, tip, work paper or investigation detail must be released.
Record category |
Why access may be restricted |
What to ask for instead |
|---|---|---|
Preliminary audit information |
Disclosure before completion or entity notification may interfere with audit procedures or statutory duties. |
Ask for the published final report and release date. |
Active investigation material |
Confidentiality, investigative integrity, privacy or another legal exemption may apply. |
Ask whether a public final report or referral has been issued. |
Personal or protected information |
Iowa Code section 22.7 or another law may protect the material. |
Request a redacted version or segregable public portions. |
Internal audit criteria or procedures |
Disclosure could enable circumvention or evasion of audit tests. |
Request the published scope, objectives and methodology. |
Records held by the audited entity |
The Auditor may not be the custodian of every underlying agency document. |
Submit a separate request to the entity that maintains the record. |
Report suspected misuse of Iowa public funds
The Auditor’s performance-investigation work can include suspected embezzlement, improper public transactions and special studies. A useful report provides verifiable facts rather than conclusions alone.
Prepare the facts before reporting
Open the official Auditor website and use its waste, fraud or abuse reporting option. When the correct route is unclear, call the office and describe the public entity involved without sending sensitive records to an unverified address.
File local-government audits and examinations
This section is for Iowa governmental subdivisions and CPA firms completing required audit or examination work. Members of the public generally do not pay these filing fees.
The official Iowa Administrative Code PDF contains the Auditor’s current organisation, public-record, filing and fee rules. Review the applicable chapters before preparing a professional submission.
Annual audit and periodic-examination fees
Annual audit filing fee
Budgeted expenditures |
Published filing fee |
Preparation note |
|---|---|---|
Less than $1 million |
$100 |
Confirm the expenditure calculation and current remittance method. |
$1 million to less than $3 million |
$175 |
Retain the budget support used to select the tier. |
$3 million to less than $5 million |
$250 |
Verify whether all applicable funds and activities are included. |
$5 million to less than $10 million |
$425 |
Use the current Auditor filing instructions. |
$10 million to less than $25 million |
$625 |
Keep payment and filing confirmation together. |
$25 million or more |
$850 |
Confirm current rules before final submission. |
Periodic-examination fee
Budgeted expenditures |
Published fee |
Published due-date note |
|---|---|---|
Less than $100,000 |
$200 |
Fee is published as due by March 31. |
$100,000 to less than $250,000 |
$550 |
Confirm the applicable examination cycle. |
$250,000 to less than $500,000 |
$800 |
Retain the expenditure-tier calculation. |
$500,000 to less than $750,000 |
$1,200 |
Verify payment instructions before mailing. |
$750,000 or more |
$1,500 |
Confirm current requirements with the Auditor. |
Contact the Iowa Auditor of State
Contact |
Published detail |
Use it for |
|---|---|---|
Main office |
Report location, public-record routing, filings and general office questions. |
|
Current Auditor |
Official directory contact; routine matters may be routed to office staff. |
|
Office address |
State Capitol Building, Des Moines, IA 50319 |
Mail, public-record submissions and scheduled office visits. |
Published hours |
8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday |
Call before visiting and verify state holiday closures. |
Official directory |
Iowa Legislature department directory |
Verify the current officeholder and official contact details after a transition. |
Information to have ready
Use the Iowa Legislature directory after an election or administrative transition to confirm the current officeholder and contact details.
Important legal and accuracy limits
- Understand a defined financial period
- Identify reported control or compliance concerns
- Review recommendations and management responses
- Locate special-investigation findings
- Compare repeated issues across reports
- Criminal guilt
- Final civil liability
- Current conditions after the report period
- That every transaction was tested
- That every recommendation remains unresolved
Iowa Auditor of State FAQs
Who is the Iowa Auditor of State?
As of August 5, 2026, the official Iowa government directory identifies Rob Sand as the Iowa Auditor of State. Because elected offices can change, verify the current officeholder on the official Auditor or Iowa Legislature directory.
Where can I search Iowa state audit reports?
Use the official Auditor of State Audit Reports search. The Iowa Legislature also maintains an official audit-report publication page that can help locate state agency, local government, school and special-investigation reports.
How do I find an audit for an Iowa city, county or school district?
Search the entity’s complete legal name first. Try shortened versions, prior names and a broader entity type if no result appears. Verify both the audit period and report release date before relying on the document.
What should I do if an Iowa audit report does not appear online?
Check spelling, search the official Auditor and Legislature report pages, confirm whether the audit is complete, and call the Auditor of State at 515-281-5834 with the entity name and fiscal period.
How do I request public records from the Iowa Auditor of State?
Describe the existing record, entity, date range and preferred format as specifically as possible. Contact the Auditor of State at the State Capitol Building in Des Moines and call 515-281-5834 to confirm the current electronic submission method.
How long can an Iowa public-record request take?
Timing depends on scope, legal review, confidentiality and record location. Iowa Public Information Board guidance says a good-faith reasonable delay may occur, but a delay exceeding 10 business days is ordinarily not reasonable, subject to applicable legal circumstances and a possible 20-calendar-day period.
Can the Iowa Auditor charge for public records?
Reasonable fees may be charged for actual costs such as retrieval, review, supervision, copying or delivery. Ask for an estimate before work begins and narrow the request when necessary.
How do I report suspected misuse of Iowa public funds?
Prepare the public entity, people involved, dates, amounts, conduct and supporting records. Contact the Iowa Auditor of State or use the official reporting option on its website. Do not confront the subject or alter original evidence.
Does the Iowa State Auditor handle property assessments and tax bills?
No. Property assessment questions generally go to the county assessor, payments to the county treasurer, deeds to the county recorder and many election matters to the county auditor or Iowa Secretary of State.
What is the Iowa Auditor of State phone number and address?
The main office phone is 515-281-5834. The office is located in the State Capitol Building, Des Moines, Iowa 50319. Published office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Khushboo Bobade is the editor and digital publisher of CountyAuditors.org. She oversees the research and editorial process for the website, ensuring that information about county auditor offices, property records, and government resources is accurate, verified, and easy for visitors to understand.
10 Ohio Property Tax Calculators & Auditor Tools
Built specifically for Ohio's 35% assessment ratio, current DTE forms, and 2026 Homestead, Owner-Occupancy, CAUV, Conveyance Fee, and Board of Revision rules. Every number reflects verified Ohio Department of Taxation amounts.
Annual Tax Bill Estimator
OHIOApplies Ohio's 35% assessment ratio plus your county's effective millage tier — the actual math your auditor uses.
Homestead Reduction Calculator
DTE 105A2026 Ohio Homestead: $29,000 general or $58,000 enhanced (100% disabled vet, KIA spouse). OAGI under $41,000 required for non-veteran applicants.
Owner-Occupancy & Non-Business Credits
DTE 105CEvery Ohio owner-occupied home qualifies for the 2.5% Owner-Occupancy Credit plus the automatic 10% Non-Business Credit. Most owners don't realize these stack.
Conveyance Fee Calculator
ORC 322When you sell or transfer Ohio property, the auditor collects $1 state + up to $3 county per $1,000, plus $0.50 per parcel. Counties choose their rate.
CAUV Agricultural Savings
DTE 109Ohio's Current Agricultural Use Value cuts taxable value dramatically for farmland (10+ acres, or smaller with $2,500+ annual gross income).
Mill Rate Converter
Ohio tax rates appear three ways on auditor sites: mills, percent, or dollars per $1,000. Convert between them instantly.
Parcel Number Cleaner
Ohio's 88 counties each format parcels differently — Franklin uses 010-123456-00, Cuyahoga uses 001-23-456, Hamilton uses 100-0001-0001-00. Auto-detects.
35% Ratio Sanity Check
Ohio law sets taxable value at 35% of market value. If yours is significantly higher, you're a strong BOR appeal candidate.
BOR Appeal Savings
DTE 1A successful Board of Revision complaint typically cuts your value 10–20%. Filing is free and stays in effect until the next reappraisal.
BOR Deadline Countdown
MAR 31Ohio's statutory Board of Revision filing deadline is March 31 for the prior tax year. Miss it and you wait until next year — no extensions.
Verify with the official Ohio source
These calculators use the verified 2026 Ohio Department of Taxation amounts and statutory rules. For your exact bill, exemption status, and county-specific deadlines, always confirm with your county auditor and the Ohio Revised Code:
Estimates use Ohio's 35% statutory assessment ratio and effective tax rate tiers averaged across major Ohio counties. Your actual bill depends on local school levies, voted millage, inside vs. outside millage splits, House Bill 920 reduction factors (HB 920), and special assessments. The 2026 Homestead general amount ($29,000) and enhanced amount ($58,000) reflect HB 187 inflation indexing — your county auditor's office may show slightly different transitional figures. Nothing here is legal or tax advice. CountyAuditors.org is an independent informational directory, not affiliated with any county government.