A mechanic’s lien is a legal tool that ensures payment for contractors, subcontractors, or laborers who have worked on a structure, project, or property. Despite the name, this is not a lien that is placed on vehicles or cars. That is a lien handled by an office other than ours; you may wish to speak with the Iowa Department of Transportation for more information regarding vehicle liens.
The Secretary of State's Office does not alter in any manner documents filed electronically by a filer. If a document is "Posted By" the "Administrator" it has been data entered by staff of the Secretary of State's Office from information filed on paper and may contain a data entry error. The original paper filings are posted on the Web site to assist users of the MNLR. If a data entry error is detected, please notify the Secretary of State's Office immediately.
Note: The Secretary of State's Office is a filing repository and does not determine the authority of a filer to make a submission. It is the responsibility of authorized filers to frequently check the status of filings on the Web site to ensure protection against submissions by an unauthorized party. If you determine that a submission was not authorized, it is your responsibility to seek legal action to protect your status
You can perform a free search for lien information on our website by clicking on the Search MNLR button below.
If you are planning to post a lien, you can create an account by clicking the button below, or sign into your account if you have already registered!
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Liability Statement: The office of the Secretary of State is not responsible for the accuracy of documents filed on this Web site by outside persons except as provided by law. Reliance on the information contained on this site, is solely at your own risk or as otherwise provided by law. The content of this website is not legal advice by the office of the Secretary of State. Seek outside legal counsel for specific legal advice.
General Contractors
In order to preserve a mechanic's lien rights on a residential construction project, a general contractor must follow the two requirements found in Iowa Code sections 572.13 and 572.13A, that are outlined below.
1. Post a notice of commencement on the Mechanic's Notice and Lien Registry (MNLR)
A notice of commencement of work must be posted to the MNLR within ten days of commencement of work on the property. This notice may be posted electronically, faxed, or sent by United States mail to the Secretary of State.
To post a document on the MNLR you must have a user account. Select the option to "create account" from the menu in the center of the homepage. Your user account will contain a complete listing of all notices that you have posted through your MNLR account.
After you have created a user account or signed in as an existing user, you may post a document electronically by selecting, “Post a document” from either the homepage or the link provided above. Next, select “Notice of Commencement” from the menu page. Once the form has been completed, submit it along with the required posting fee of $7, that may be paid by credit card or Secretary of State charge account. A notice of commencement may also be printed and submitted by fax or United States mail (cost of paper-filing is $10).
2. Provide a written notice to the property owners
General contractors must also provide a written notice to the property owner in either the construction contract or a separate written notice. The following language must be included in either the construction contract or a separate notice in a minimum font size of ten points:
Persons or companies furnishing labor or materials for the improvement of real property may enforce a lien upon the improved property if they are not paid for their contributions, even if the parties have no direct contractual relationship with the owner. The mechanics’ notice and lien registry provides a listing of all persons or companies furnishing labor or materials who have posted a lien or who may post a lien upon the improved property.
The owner notice shall include the MNLR Internet Web site address (sos.iowa.gov/MNLR) and MNLR toll-free telephone number (1-888-767-8683).
The requirements of Iowa Code chapter 572 which are outlined on this page apply only to residential construction projects. Commercial construction projects file only a lien.
Subcontractors/Suppliers
In order to preserve a mechanic's lien rights on a residential construction project, a subcontractor must post a preliminary notice on the Mechanic's Notice and Lien Registry (MNLR) prior to the balance due is paid to the general contractor or the owner-builder.
In accordance with Iowa Code chapter 572.13B, a preliminary notice posted before the balance due is paid to the general contractor or the owner-builder is effective as to all labor, service, equipment, and material furnished to the property by the subcontractor.
Steps for posting a preliminary notice:
- To post a document on the MNLR you must have a user account. Select the option to "create account" from the menu in the center of the homepage. Your user account will contain a complete listing of all notices that you have posted through your MNLR account.
- After you have created a user account or signed in as an existing user, you may select "Post a document" and enter the complete MNLR number in the field for "Preliminary Notice."
- Obtain the MNLR number from the project's general contractor or owner builder. This number is assigned once the notice of commencement has been posted. If you are not sure if a notice has been posted, select the search option from the menu above and search the project database to find the project and obtain the MNLR number. The number can be found on the top right corner of the notice of commencement document.
If a notice of commencement has not been posted to the registry, a subcontractor may post the notice of commencement for the project. A subcontractor who posts a notice of commencement on behalf of the general contractor or owner builder, or in lieu of the general contractor or owner builder must also post a preliminary notice.
- A preliminary notice may be completed and submitted electronically along with the required posting fee of $7 which may be paid by credit card or Secretary of State charge account. A preliminary notice may also be printed and submitted by fax or United States mail (cost of paper-filing is $10).
The requirements of Iowa Code chapter 572 that are outlined on this page apply only to residential construction projects.
Property Owners
What is a mechanic's lien?
A mechanic's lien is a lien that may be created by a general contractor or subcontractor that attaches to real property. Persons or companies furnishing labor or materials for the improvement of real property may enforce a lien upon the improved property if they are not paid for their contributions, even if the parties have no direct contractual relationship with the property owner.
In order to have a valid mechanic's lien for residential construction projects, notice must be posted to the Mechanic's Notice and Lien Registry (MNLR) before the balance due is paid to the general contractor or owner-builder. If the person or company has posted its notice or lien to the MNLR, you may be required to pay the person or company even if you have paid the general contractor the full amount due.
The MNLR provides a listing of all persons or companies furnishing labor or materials who have posted a lien or who may post a lien upon the improved property.
How to protect against mechanics' liens
Check the MNLR internet Web site for information concerning the property including persons or companies furnishing labor or materials before paying your general contractor. To view a project record, select "Search" from the MNLR homepage, or the link above. Once in the search screen you may search by a number of fields including the property address or property owner names. A list of search results will allow you to select the appropriate property. Once the appropriate property has been selected a results summary page will provide a complete listing of all the notices that have been posted for the project.
In addition to checking the registry, when making payment to your general contractor it is important to obtain lien waivers from your general contractor and from persons or companies furnishing labor or materials to your property. You can check activity on your property, including whether notices or waivers were filed by selecting the tab at the top of the results summary page, entitled "General Contractors/Subcontractors." This screen will show the names and addresses of persons or businesses who have posted notices or liens. Waivers or releases that have been posted will also be listed.
Please contact the Secretary of State if you have questions about how to find information related to your property. The information on this page applies to residential construction projects in accordance with the requirements of Iowa Code chapter 572.
Real Estate Professionals
Changes to Iowa mechanic's lien law
Iowa Code chapter 572 now contains a notice requirement for residential construction projects. You should review the law and consult with an attorney to determine if you should be utilizing the MNLR system. A general contractor or subcontractor may still post a lien on the MNLR within 90 days of supplying labor or materials to a residential construction project. However, in order to have a valid lien, the notice must have been posted in accordance with the requirements under Iowa Code chapter 572.
What this means for real estate professionals
Real estate professionals should check the MNLR prior to closing to be sure that lien waivers have been collected. To view a project record, select “Search” from the MNLR homepage, or the link above. Once in the search screen you may search by a number of fields including owner name, general contractor name, MNLR number, property address, legal description, and tax parcel identification number. Once the appropriate property has been selected a results summary page will provide a complete listing of all the notices and liens that have been posted for the project. By selecting the tab at the top of the results summary page, entitled “General Contractors/Subcontractors” the names and addresses of persons or businesses who have posted notices or liens will be shown. Corresponding waivers or releases that have been posted to the MNLR will also be listed. This particular section of the MNLR assists real estate professionals when gathering the necessary documentation for closings and distribution of funds.
Information obtained from search results
The search summary page provides a variety of information about a specific residential construction project in a single location. Owner name, general contractor name, MNLR number, property address, legal description, or tax parcel identification number are all contained within each project record. In addition, contractor and subcontractor activity is clearly shown. Each project record summary page may assist a real estate professional by providing information necessary to protect the parties in a residential construction transaction.
The information contained on this page applies to residential construction projects.
