Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or place entered in a search tool is sent directly to the outside provider that operates that tool. The provider processes the query and supplies its own results. We do not keep or log those search terms on our systems.
Messages and Contact Submissions
When you email us, we retain the message as needed to respond. It remains within our organization unless disclosure is required by a valid legal obligation.
Data We Gather Automatically
Our servers receive basic technical details whenever a visitor loads a page:
- Page-view dates and times
- Visited pages and approximate time spent on them
- Browser name and version
- Device category and operating system
- Your device's assigned IP address
- The referring website, when available
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files saved on a device. We use them with analytics services to understand site traffic, including popular pages and common exit points. Browser controls can block cookies, although some site functions may then work differently.
What We Do With This Data
- Routing a search request to the selected outside service
- Maintaining site availability and page speed
- Finding and resolving technical problems
- Measuring which resources visitors use
- Displaying advertising that may reflect visitor interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
Cerro Gordo County Criminal History does not maintain, assemble, or sell a database of personal criminal records. It provides general directions to Cerro Gordo County Sheriff Records, Iowa District Court, the Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Iowa Sex Offender Registry. We are not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and visitor data is not compiled into consumer reports or third-party criminal files.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies operate the search boxes. Information submitted there is governed by the selected provider's privacy policy rather than this policy. Each provider controls its own retention, processing, and disclosure practices, so review those terms before running a query.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to sheriff pages, court systems, Iowa agencies, legal-aid resources, or outside search services. Once you leave this site, the destination's policy governs the visit. Review it before providing personal information.
Some advertising providers may measure activity across websites to select ads. That processing occurs through the provider's systems and policies.
Who Might See Your Data
We do not sell personal information. Data may be disclosed to:
- Analytics providers that measure traffic and performance
- Advertising networks that serve ads on the pages
- Search providers that process queries submitted to their tools
- Government or law-enforcement bodies acting under a valid legal order
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable security practices are used to protect collected information. No internet service can guarantee perfect protection, so we cannot promise that a breach or unauthorized access will never occur.
Users Under 18
This resource is intended for adults, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone younger than 18. If we learn that a minor supplied such data, we will remove it.
Your Data Rights
Rights depend on the law that applies to you. The Iowa Open Records Law, Iowa Code chapter 22, governs access to public records held by government bodies, not ordinary private-site analytics. Iowa Code chapter 692, including §692.5, separately gives the subject of an Iowa DCI criminal-history record rights to access and challenge that state record. For personal information held by us, you may:
- Request access to personal information we retain about you
- Ask that inaccurate information be corrected
- Seek deletion where applicable law permits it
- Opt out of processing when a governing law provides that choice
Updates to This Policy
This policy may be revised as practices or legal duties change. A revised policy will appear here with a new effective date.
Effective date: July 23, 2026