Run a Free Iowa Probation Search Through Official Sources

Conduct a free Iowa probation search right away with the options laid out in this streamlined resource.

Probation is sometimes granted instead of incarceration and refers to supervision within the community. Parole, on the other hand, is an early release from prison due to good behavior and also entails being under the watch of a supervising officer.

This resource supports the freedom granted to citizens of the United States to access public records by providing guidance, helpful links, and searchable databases to anyone interested in finding details about probationers in Iowa. This article also provides information on performing a parole search at no cost.

How To Perform a Free Iowa Probation Search

Chapter 22 of the Iowa Code is part of the state’s sunshine laws.¹ These laws ensure the government is transparent and accountable to the public.

The sunshine laws are in place to require government agencies to disclose all their activities to the public. The laws aim to preserve transparency and protect civil liberties, maintain ethical standards and promote public trust. Use this Iowa offender search to find information on offenders including whether they are on probation.²

The Iowa Department of Corrections (IDOC) also offers a free probation search that includes records from prisons, parole and probation departments and work release information. No fees are charged if the processing time for the requests remains under 30 minutes. The IDOC records request form provides the following fields:³

• Request description (required)
• Department to search (required)
• Inquirer’s email
• Name (required)
• Phone
• Address

If no other information except the required fields is submitted, the next page displays a request number, but without entering an email, the user will not have a way to check on the request. It’s advisable to enter as much information as possible, and registration allows inquirers to return to the platform and check on their requests. Users must register for an account to sign up for notifications of changes to an offender’s parole or probation status.

Another free option to conduct a probation search is the Victim Information & Notification Everyday (VINE) website. VINE assists victims in keeping track of offenders and allows them to sign up for notifications for any changes in offender status. The VINE search form only requires registration if users want to view the person’s date of birth and ID number. The form’s input fields include:

• Type of search
• Located in
• First name
• Last name

There’s an option to search for a partial name by entering the first two characters in both the first and last name fields. Users can also choose to include a photo in their results.

Once the results page appears, searchers can click on the record details link for additional information. If probation or parole data is not included, the inquiry is still helpful in obtaining an individual’s ID number (registered users only).

This resource does not cover county or city-based fugitive lists, although the information will be coming shortly.

Find Probation Information Through County & Municipal Agencies in Iowa

Performing a probation search at the city and county levels can be requested by contacting the proper agency. All municipalities have some form of public record requests through their clerk of court, FOIA information or police department. Some cities may not have an open records division, and if so, the county link is provided in the table below:

How To Look Up Probation Violations & Supervising Officer Contact Details Iowa

A probation search through the state’s online offender search returns parole information, including the Parole Board’s most recent board decision type, decision date and effective date. The search form includes the following fields:

• First name
• Middle name
• Last name
• Birthdate date range
• Offender number
• Sex
• Location includes a choice of districts and facilities
• Offense
• County of commitment
• Name Search type includes starts with, matches and sounds like

Users can leave all the fields blank and click search, which results in thousands of records. At least one letter in the first or last name fields returns all names beginning with the letter entered. The more information fields are completed, the narrower the search results will be.

Once the probation search in Iowa results are returned, the table includes columns with the headings name, offender number, birth date and sex. Data can be sorted by clicking the up or down arrows in each column heading.

When the offender’s case ID is selected, a page appears with their case record details. To click on additional links, users must register and pay $25 for one month of searches, limited to 1,000 per day.

Iowa Department of Corrections Central Office
510 East 12th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319

Phone: 515-725-5701

There is a specific search page to find information on sex offenders who have either absconded or are non-compliant with their probation status.⁶

The state also offers an Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation criminal history record check.⁷ The form includes instructions and payment information.

A fee of $15 is charged for each criminal history request and can be paid using a prepaid DCI account, money order, cash, check or a credit or debit card. Businesses can send an email requesting a DCI account to [email protected].

Requests can be made using the online submission form or by printing the form after completing it online and emailing, mailing or faxing it to the division.⁸

Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation
Support Operations Bureau, 1st Floor
215 East 7th Street
Des Moines IA 50319

Fax: 515-725-6080
Email: [email protected]

How To Access Information on Iowa Parolees (Free)

The Department of Corrections Open Data Platform offers a database of Iowa Probation Admissions listed in a table with searchable columns.⁹ The records start from April 15, 2019, and are updated regularly. The listing is extensive but can be downloaded or opened in alternative software to find the exact parolee a searcher is looking for.

Some of the columns include:

• Record ID
• Offender Number
• Record Date
• Fiscal Year Revoked
• Revocation Type
• Status

The platform offers additional datasets, such as the Offenders Released from Prisons throughout the state. Users can use this dataset to determine whether an offender is on parole. They complete a data request form if they still need further information not included in the datasets.

The state website provides an Iowa Offender Search Tool to search for offenders within the state with as little as the last name field completed. Results will be numerous unless the user completes additional information to narrow them. The results page includes offender details, including offender number, date of birth, offense, parole board decision, effective date and supervision discharge date.

Offender records are public information according to Section 904.601(1) Iowa Code 904.601 Records of Inmates (1999), requiring all records about any person committed to any department’s institution.¹⁰ The right to access public records, granted to all citizens, allows searchers to do an Iowa probation search and find the necessary information they seek.