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Iowa County
Scott County, Iowa
Davenport riverfront and Quad Cities - from the Mississippi River waterfront and Modern Woodmen Park (one of the oldest minor league ballparks in the country) to Scott County's position as the Iowa anchor of the Quad Cities metropolitan area (Davenport and Bettendorf share the Iowa side of the Quad Cities with Moline and Rock Island across the river in Illinois, forming one of the Midwest's major cross-state metro regions).
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Scott County Emergency Management – confirm current contact via scottcountyiowa.gov.
Sheriff: Scott County Sheriff’s Office – Headquarters at 3206 South 16th Avenue, Eldridge, IA; also serving via the Scott County Courthouse complex, Davenport; Sheriff Tim Lane.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-74 and I-80 serve Davenport, the county seat, part of the Quad Cities region (Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa; Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline, Illinois) along the Mississippi River. The Wapsipinicon River borders the county to the north.
Notes: Scott County was formed in 1837. Davenport, established in 1836 by Antoine Le Claire and named for his friend Colonel George Davenport, won a contested county seat election in 1840 after competing offers from rival towns Rockingham, Winfield, and “Sloperville.” Davenport is one of the few U.S. cities to retain its original “Charter City” designation, having been incorporated in 1838 – eight years before Iowa achieved statehood – giving it special governing powers under Iowa law.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Scott County Courthouse – Davenport, IA (built 1955-1956, renovated 1998-2009; part of the Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020; the third courthouse building in county history). The historic 1897 Scott County Jail building at 428 Ripley Street is separately listed on the National Register.
Notes: Davenport is genuinely notable as the birthplace of modern riverboat gambling in the United States, a distinction tied to its Mississippi River tourism identity. The city is Iowa’s third-largest and one of its oldest.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Scott County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via scottcountyiowa.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Davenport Public Library (Davenport) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Scott County Park, the Mississippi Valley Fair, and downtown Davenport’s historic riverfront district are the county’s premier heritage and recreational attractions.
Notes: The genuine distinction of Davenport as the birthplace of modern riverboat gambling, alongside its rare original Charter City status, are among the standout local facts covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Scott County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via scottcountyiowa.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Humane Society of Scott County – 2802 W. Central Park Avenue, Davenport, IA 52804 | (563) 388-6655 | Email: [email protected]. The only open-intake animal shelter in Scott County, serving the Quad Cities and surrounding areas; also issues City of Davenport dog/cat licenses.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Scott County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via scottcountyiowa.gov.
NOTES: Scott County is the eighty-sixth county in Iowa’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine distinction of Davenport as the birthplace of modern riverboat gambling, alongside its rare original Charter City status, are among the standout local facts covered in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Scott County
Scott County is Iowa’s third most populous county and the Iowa anchor of the Quad Cities – Davenport and Bettendorf form Iowa’s contribution to this Mississippi River metropolitan area that straddles the Iowa-Illinois border, supporting a diverse economy in manufacturing, healthcare, and financial services.
Davenport (the county seat, population ~101,000) is Iowa’s third-largest city and the cultural and governmental hub of Scott County, known for its Mississippi riverfront, vibrant arts scene, and as the birthplace of jazz legend Bix Beiderbecke.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Scott County Assessor at 600 W. 4th Street, Davenport, IA 52801, phone 563-326-8635. IA assessed at 100% market value with residential rollback.
Courts & Legal
Scott County District Court at 416 W. 4th Street, Davenport, IA 52801, phone 563-326-8783, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF DISTRICT COURT (Court Records, Marriage Licenses)
416 W. 4th St., Davenport, IA 52801
(563) 326-8783
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Scott County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District, home to the courthouse, is a significant local landmark.
Local societies
No dedicated Scott County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Scott County District Court, 7th Judicial District 400 West 4th Street, Davenport, IA 52801 (563) 326-8647
Scott County was created December 21, 1837, named for General Winfield Scott. It is Iowa’s 4th-most-populous county, home to Davenport, part of the Quad Cities metro area straddling the Mississippi River. The current 1955-1956 Scott County Courthouse (International Style) is the county’s third.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Iowa has its own comprehensive probate code (Iowa Code Chapter 633) and has not formally adopted the Uniform Probate Code. Iowa offers several tracks depending on estate size and complexity:
Distribution by Affidavit (“very small estates”) – for estates where the gross value of personal property is $50,000 or less and there is no real estate, available 40 days after death under Iowa Code § 633.356. A sworn affidavit is presented directly to banks and other institutions. No court filing is required.
Small Estate Administration – a simplified probate process under Iowa Code Chapter 635 for estates with a gross value of $200,000 or less, with reduced notice requirements and court costs compared to full administration.
Regular (Full) Probate – standard administration through the district court for larger or more complex estates, which can be independent (unsupervised) or supervised.
Supervised Administration – closer court oversight, typically used for contested estates.
Step 2: filing for formal probate
File a Petition for Probate of Will and Appointment of Executor (if there’s a will) or a Petition for Administration (if intestate) with the Scott County District Court.
The court admits the will (if any) and issues Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (intestate) appointing the personal representative.
Publish notice to creditors; under independent administration, creditors generally have 4 months from the date of first publication to file claims.
The personal representative inventories assets, pays valid debts and expenses, and – under independent administration – largely acts without ongoing court check-ins.
After the creditor period closes and debts are paid, the personal representative distributes assets to heirs or beneficiaries.
File a final accounting/final report; the court closes the estate upon approval.
What it costs
Personal representative fees are capped by statute at 3% of the gross value of the probate estate (excluding life insurance) unless services are itemized; attorney fees follow a similar framework.
Recording fees at the county recorder run about $7 for the first page of a document and $5 for each additional page.
Typical timelines: Distribution by Affidavit – a minimum 40-day wait; independent (unsupervised) probate typically closes in 6-12 months, with the 4-month creditor period as the primary timing constraint.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
400 W. 4th St., Davenport, IA 52801
(563) 326-8625
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY AUDITOR (Records, Elections, Finance)
600 W. 4th St., Davenport, IA 52801
(563) 326-8631
ELECTIONS (County Auditor)
600 W. 4th St., Davenport, IA 52801
(563) 326-8631
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Scott County Health Dept
(563) 326-8931
Iowa DHHS — Region 7
(800) 338-8366
Iowa Medicaid
(800) 338-8366
UnityPoint Health — Trinity (Davenport/Rock Island)
unitypoint.org/quadcities (Level I Trauma)
Genesis Health System (Davenport)
genesishealth.com
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Scott County Public Health – confirm current contact via scottcountyiowa.gov.
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