The department shall record, in a suitable book or books kept for that purpose, true copies of all deeds issued by the department for tax homestead lands under the laws of this state providing for the disposal of tax homestead lands, and these copies of deeds issued and deeds which may hereafter be issued are legal records. These legal records, or a transcript of the records, duly certified by the department or other officer having custody of the records, may be read in evidence in all courts of this state, with the same force and effect as the original tax homestead deed.

     The registers of deeds in the several counties of this state shall receive and record all copies of tax homestead deeds, duly certified to by the department or other officer having the custody of the records, and the record of the certified copy has the same force and effect as the record of the original deed.

     The department or other officer having charge of the records described in this subpart shall, upon application from any person, make a certified copy of any tax homestead deed, as provided in this subpart, upon the payment by the applicant of $1.50 for each certified copy. As a condition precedent to the recording of a copy of the deed, there shall be attached to the certified copy a sworn statement of the grantee named in the deed, or his or her assign, heir, trustee, or grantee, that the original deed has been lost or is not available for record, and any person swearing falsely under this subpart is subject to the penalties of perjury.