Iowa City, IA

Iowa City regulates home based childcare through zoning, not just state licensing. Homes caring for up to 8 children are allowed by right in any residential zone under section…

A home-based business in Iowa City may put up exactly one sign, and it cannot be lit or bigger than one square foot. The zoning code otherwise bars any outward sign of the business…

Iowa City caps client and customer visits to a home-based business at ten people per day. The zoning code treats a busier home occupation as a substantial traffic increase that…

Iowa City sorts home businesses into three types under zoning code section 14-4C-2M. Type A (no employees or customers on site) and type B (customers or an employee, but no on-street…

Iowa Code Chapter 137D exempts cottage food, non-time/temperature-controlled foods made at home, from licensing and inspection. Refrigerated or TCS foods instead require a home food…

Iowa is one of the few states that lets a home cook sell meals prepared to order. Iowa Code section 137D.1(4)(b)(2) puts made-to-order food, regularly prepared and promptly served or…

Iowa City bans new pigeon and dove lofts outright under City Code section 8-4-6(C). Anyone who owned or operated a loft before July 1, 1997 may keep it running, but the exemption is…

Iowa City requires a permit for any pet shop, defined in City Code section 8-4-1 as a commercial establishment buying, selling, or exchanging animals, but the ordinance does not…

Iowa City bans letting any animal run at large at any time under City Code section 8-4-6(D). A leash under section 8-4-1 can run no more than ten feet, or up to twenty five feet if it…

Iowa City bans keeping prohibited or restricted wild species like raccoons, foxes, or bats, but City Code section 8-4-6 exempts indigenous wildlife rehabilitators who hold the required…

Iowa City households can keep up to three dogs or five cats over four months old before City Code section 8-4-1 reclassifies the household as a regulated 'dog group' or 'cat group.' A…

Iowa City has no blanket spay or neuter law for pets, but once the Chief of Police or a court formally labels an animal dangerous, the clock starts. The owner must have it surgically…

Iowa City does not make microchipping mandatory for pets generally, but once an animal is declared dangerous, the owner has five days to get it implanted with a microchip by a trained…

Iowa City addresses exotic and dangerous animals through Title 8 (animal services) nuisance and dangerous-animal provisions and Title 14 (zoning) which does not list exotic species as…

Anyone who cuts, trims, brushes, or bathes dogs or cats for payment in Iowa City, from a storefront groomer to a mobile van, meets the 'GROOMER' definition in City Code section 8-4-1…

Iowa City has no banned-breed list. City Code section 8-4-7 instead declares an animal 'dangerous' based only on documented conduct, such as killing, biting, or fighting, then requires…

Iowa City classifies veterinary clinics as a "General" Animal Related Commercial use under the zoning code. In the CN-1, CO-1, CC-2, CB-2 and CB-5 commercial zones, and with added…

Iowa City bans putting out grain, salt licks, produce, hay, or other food within five feet of the ground where it could attract deer, under section 8-4-10(H). The code also lets the…

Iowa City lets an unowned, sterilized, vaccinated, and ear-tipped cat roam freely as a legally recognized community cat under section 8-4-13, instead of being treated as a stray. Feral…

Keeping chickens in Iowa City requires an urban chicken permit from the Police Chief, good for three years and non-transferable. Other livestock, from goats to pigs, count as…

Anyone moving honeybee colonies, packages, or used equipment with combs into Iowa must apply to the state apiarist for a written entry permit at least sixty days before entry, backed…

Iowa sets no statewide ban on backyard wildlife feeding, but Natural Resource Commission rule 571, 106.7(6) makes it unlawful to hunt deer with the aid of bait, grain, salt, mineral…

Iowa City's zoning performance standards flatly prohibit bulk storage of liquefied petroleum gas in every zone except CI-1, I-1, I-2, RDP and ORP, under City Code section 14-5H-8(F)…

Iowa City allows campfires, outdoor cooking fires and portable outdoor fireplaces without a burning permit, but only inside an approved container built of steel, brick or masonry. Any…

Iowa City bans open fires citywide under code section 6-6-1, with fire department permits available only for narrow uses like ceremonial bonfires, prairie burns and disaster rubbish…

Iowa City requires smoke detectors approved by the Fire Marshal in every dwelling unit and rooming unit, placed on each floor level, in every bedroom, and in hallways serving bedrooms…

Iowa City Code Section 8-5-12 bans the use or explosion of consumer or display fireworks within city limits despite Iowa Code Section 727.2 legalizing consumer fireworks statewide in…

The state fire marshal may prohibit open burning across any designated area of Iowa during extremely dry conditions that make fire a danger to life or property. Violating an active…

Iowa City bans playing a car stereo loud enough to be heard 50 feet away, or across a property line, for more than 30 continuous seconds. A separate rule bans using a truck's engine…

Construction equipment cannot run in Iowa City before 7:00 a.m. or after 10:00 p.m. without a permit from the city engineer, per code section 6-4-2G, with a matching…

Iowa City declares a noisy animal a public nuisance under City Code section 8-4-5(B): no owner may let an animal in their care emit noise that annoys, disturbs, or unreasonably…

Iowa City bars noise disturbances at all hours, not just at night. City code 6-4-2 makes it unlawful to cause plainly audible noise across a property line, or fifty feet from a…

Amplified sound in Iowa City's City Plaza requires a title 10 permit, and amplified sound anywhere else that keeps disturbing neighbors can be prosecuted as keeping a disorderly house…

Johnson County's zoning code sets numeric decibel caps only for specific conditional uses, not general residential noise. Battery energy storage systems are capped at 60 dBA and…

Iowa City designates certain city lots, ramps, and on-street spaces as permit-only under City Code 9-5-4(F). Only permit holders may park in areas signed for exclusive permit use, and…

Iowa City bans street parking of motor vehicles over 7 feet tall, 8 feet wide or 20 feet long in residential districts, and bars trailers and non-motorized vehicles from residential…

Iowa City bars parking in front of any driveway, within 15 feet of an intersection, on sidewalks, or within 10 feet of a fire hydrant, and vehicles violating these spots can be…

No vehicle may sit in the same spot on an Iowa City street, alley or public ground for more than 48 hours. To beat the clock, the owner must move it at least 20 feet within that…

Iowa City requires every parking space, drive and aisle to be surfaced in asphalt, concrete or manufactured pavers such as brick before a certificate of occupancy issues. Gravel, dirt…

When Iowa City's city manager declares a snow emergency, parking flips to odd/even alternate-side rules by street number after 8:00 AM, the ban runs at least 48 hours, and vehicles…

Iowa City defines an abandoned vehicle under Code 9-1-1 and authorizes towing under 9-9-1 after a 72-hour posted notice on public property, or immediately without notice for vehicles…

Iowa City caps passenger loading zone stops at three minutes and property loading zone stops at fifteen minutes, with commercial-vehicle loading zones allowing up to thirty minutes…

Every commercial, industrial, and manufactured-housing Site Plan filed in unincorporated Johnson County must be built EV-ready: the electrical switchgear must have spare capacity for…

Iowa City permits one accessory dwelling unit per single-family lot under Zoning Code section 14-4C-2A. The ADU must share ownership with the principal home, function as a complete…

A detached shed in Iowa City can sit as close as 5 feet from a side or rear lot line, or 3 feet if it is set back 60 feet from the street pavement, but the combined footprint of all…

Johnson County's Unified Development Ordinance allows one auxiliary dwelling unit per property in the A, AR, SF, RS, RM, RC, and AG-T districts, capped at 1,300 square feet or half the…

Iowa City requires trees and plant materials on public or private property abutting a street or public place to be trimmed high enough for free passage of pedestrians and vehicles, per…

Iowa City requires city approval before anyone clears a woodland of two acres or more, disturbs a grove of trees, or grades near one. City Code section 14-5I-2 folds this sensitive…

Iowa City has no standing lawn-watering schedule, but City Code section 16-3C-11 lets the City Manager declare a water conservation emergency and impose outdoor irrigation limits in…

Iowa City exempts backyard compost piles from its solid-waste nuisance ban, but only if they meet exact size and placement limits. City Code section 6-1-1 caps a compliant pile at 25…

Iowa City caps weeds and grass at 10 inches on any lot, developed or undeveloped. City Code section 6-3-2(B) makes every owner responsible for mowing the lot, adjacent parking strip…

Iowa City lets a property owner apply to have land designated a natural or conservation area, exempting it from the 10-inch mowing rule. City Code section 6-3-3 allows the land to be…

Iowa City treats a short-term rental, a house or unit let for 30 days or less, as a rental property that needs a City rental permit, and that permit states a maximum occupancy figure…

Iowa City tracks repeat code violations at a rental property and can downgrade, suspend, or revoke the rental permit itself, and these sanctions apply to short-term rental permits too…

Iowa City requires anyone offering a short-term rental, a stay of 30 days or less in a house, condo, cooperative, timeshare, or owner-occupied home, to hold a valid rental permit…

Iowa City lets a resident run a bed and breakfast inside any home under zoning code section 14-4C-2D, but two conditions apply: no guest may stay more than 30 consecutive days, and the…

Short-term stays in Johnson County owe Iowa's 5% state hotel/motel excise tax plus the local hotel/motel tax, which is 7% in Iowa City and Coralville, for a 12% total. Platforms…

Johnson County allows an auxiliary dwelling unit to be rented as a short-term rental only if the property's legal owner lives on site. UDO Section 8:1.24(E)(5) ties that host-presence…

State law lets cities regulate short-term rentals for noise and nuisance even though they cannot ban them. Iowa City's noise and disorderly house rules apply to STR guests, and repeat…

Iowa City does not impose a short-term-rental-only insurance mandate, because state law bars STR-specific requirements and permit fees. Hosts should still carry liability coverage…

A short-term rental in unincorporated Johnson County must supply off-street parking under the county's standard residential table: one space per dwelling unit for a single-family…

A private pool in Iowa City must clear at least 10 feet from side and rear lot lines, and cannot go in the front yard unless it sits at least 40 feet back from the front property line…

Any Iowa City pool 18 inches deep or more, with an edge under 4 feet above grade, must be fully enclosed by a fence at least 4 feet high with no gap wide enough for a 5-inch sphere to…

Iowa City limits solid fences and walls to 8 feet anywhere over 10 percent solid, and cuts that to 4 feet inside a front setback on residential property, or on any lot within 50 feet…

Iowa City bans electric fences citywide, except to enclose livestock on an allowed agricultural use, under zoning code section 14-4C-2L. Barbed wire is likewise barred from residential…

Iowa City requires a fence permit for any retaining wall over 4 feet tall, measured from the top of the footing to the top of the wall, under zoning code section 14-4C-2L1. A retaining…

Iowa City requires a building permit before building an electric fence, a barbed wire fence, or any fence or wall taller than 6 feet. The application goes to the department of housing…

Iowa City's zoning code (14-4C-2L) does not require neighbor consent for a boundary fence, but Iowa is unusual in having a strong statewide partition-fence statute - Iowa Code Chapter…

Iowa City caps residential building height at 35 feet in its RR-1, RS-5, RS-8 and RS-12 single-family zones under Zoning Code section 14-2A-4C and Table 2A-2, but limits the RNS-12…

Iowa City's Zoning Code caps how much of a single-family lot can be covered by buildings, and separately caps paving inside the front setback. Under Code section 14-2A-4.D and Table…

Iowa City sets minimum front, side and rear yard setbacks for every residential zone in Table 2A-2 of the zoning code. Lots on arterial streets platted after December 31, 1983 face a…

Iowa City bans loading, unloading or handling boxes, crates and garbage cans near residential property between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., and dumpster handling until 7:00 a.m., under…

Smoking in Iowa City is governed mostly by the Iowa Smokefree Air Act (Iowa Code chapter 142D), which bans smoking in nearly all enclosed public places and certain outdoor areas. State…

Iowa City makes it unlawful to urinate or defecate on any street, alley or public place, or anywhere else open to public view. City Code section 8-5-13 exempts restrooms and public…

Iowa City Code 9-6-2 requires pedestrians crossing outside a marked or unmarked crosswalk to yield to vehicles, bars crossing outside crosswalks entirely in commercial zones, and…

Iowa City bans standing, loafing or loitering that blocks a street, sidewalk, bridge or trail, or that obstructs the entrance to any public building, store or office. City Code section…

Iowa City bars skateboards, roller skates, in-line skates, and other nonmotorized vehicles from streets and sidewalks in the central downtown business district and from every arterial…

Iowa City makes it unlawful to drink or possess an open container of alcohol on any public street, sidewalk, alley, right of way, or in a city park or building, under City Code section…

Iowa City bars anyone from renting out a dwelling unit, duplex, rooming unit, or type III unit without both a certificate of structure compliance and a rental permit issued in the…

Iowa City has no just-cause eviction ordinance. Termination of residential tenancies is governed by the Iowa Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law (Iowa Code chapter 562A), which…

Iowa City security deposits follow the Iowa URLTA. Iowa Code 562A.12 caps the deposit at two months' rent, requires return or written itemized deductions within 30 days of tenancy…

Iowa City's Housing Code sets numeric habitability minimums for every dwelling and rental unit: heat capable of reaching 68 degrees Fahrenheit, hot water of at least 110 degrees, at…

Iowa City has no rent-control ordinance and cannot adopt one. Iowa Code section 364.3(9) bars any city ordinance imposing any limitation on the amount of rent charged for leasing…

Iowa Code Sec. 562A.27(2) lets a landlord terminate after 3 days' written notice for nonpayment of rent. For other material lease breaches, Sec. 562A.27(1) requires a 7-day notice with…

Under Iowa Code Sec. 562A.19, a landlord must give the tenant at least 24 hours' notice before entering and may enter only at reasonable times, except in an emergency. Tenants may not…

Iowa Code Sec. 562A.9(4) caps late fees by rent amount. If monthly rent is $700 or less, a lease may not charge over $12 per day or $60 per month total. If rent is more than $700, the…

Iowa Code Sec. 562A.34 lets either party end a month-to-month tenancy with at least 30 days' written notice before the periodic rental date, a week-to-week tenancy with at least 10…

Iowa requires 10 years of open, hostile, exclusive, and continuous possession under a claim of right or color of title to claim title by adverse possession, drawing on the 10-year…

Lead paint in pre-1978 Iowa City housing is governed by the Iowa Lead-Based Paint Act at Iowa Code Section 135.100 et seq., the federal EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule…

Iowa City has adopted the 2024 International Building Code and 2024 International Residential Code, with local amendments, as the Iowa City Building Code. Most construction…

Every dwelling unit and rooming unit in Iowa City must have a deadbolt lock that can be operated from inside and locked from outside. The code defines a deadbolt as a bolt that moves…

Iowa City requires a permit before any plumbing work under Title 17 of the City Code, which adopts the Iowa State Plumbing Code (Iowa Code section 105.4(1)(a)) as its governing…

Iowa City requires carbon monoxide alarms in any rental dwelling unit that has a fuel-fired appliance, such as a gas furnace or water heater, or an attached garage with an opening into…

Iowa City requires a permit before electrical work begins, adopting the Iowa State Electrical Code under Iowa Code section 103.6(1)(a) as part of its Building Code. Before any…

Iowa City's building code amendment lets a home daycare serving 8 or fewer children stay classified as a residential (Group R-3) occupancy instead of triggering commercial building…

Rental buildings in unincorporated Johnson County that are required to have an automatic sprinkler system must have it tested every two years by a qualified sprinkler technician who…

Iowa City requires a parade/public assembly permit under Code 10-1-2 for any gathering of more than 25 people or 100 in a park, filed at least 3 working days ahead, before closing…

Iowa City requires a parade/public assembly permit for any march of more than 25 people or a gathering of more than 25 in the right-of-way (100 in a park). Applications go to the city…

Reserving a ball field, tennis court, shelter, or the Riverside Festival Stage in an Iowa City park requires an application filed with the Parks and Recreation Director under City Code…

Selling goods or services at an Iowa City parade or public assembly is banned by default under section 10-1-2(E), unless the event expects more than 500 people or fills a substantial…

Iowa City Code 10-3-3 limits sidewalk cafes without an alcohol license to the CB-2, CB-5, CB-10, and riverfront crossings zones, requires a public right of way easement agreement, and…

Iowa City requires street trees along every lot's public right-of-way frontage: one large tree per 40 linear feet or one small tree per 30 linear feet, minimum one per lot. Trees go on…

A legally nonconforming sign within 1,000 feet of an interstate highway right-of-way in Iowa City can swap or replace its sign face without losing its nonconforming status, but only on…

Cities and the county regulate signs through zoning codes, not a countywide rule. Since Reed v. Town of Gilbert (2015), those codes must stay content-neutral: Iowa City or Coralville…

Iowa City sets tiered nighttime curfew hours by age: 10 PM for minors 13 and under, 11 PM for ages 14 to 15, and midnight for ages 16 to 17, unless a responsible adult accompanies the…

City parks in Iowa City close from dusk, defined as 30 minutes after sunset, until dawn, 30 minutes before sunrise, under City Code section 10-9-2(I). Chauncey Swan Park and College…

Iowa City Code 9-11-1 bars the city from using automatic traffic surveillance, license plate recognition, or drone systems to enforce traffic law unless a peace officer is present…

Iowa City Code 9-8-4 bars motor vehicles from driving or parking in a bicycle path, lane, or parking area, and bars motorized bicycles, motor bicycles, and mopeds from bicycle parking…

Iowa City's traffic code does not sort e-bikes into three numbered classes; it defines a single "electric assist bicycle" covering pedal-assist motors capped at 28 mph and…

Iowa Code section 321.247 gives no statewide right to drive a golf cart on the road. Incorporated areas may, upon approval of their governing body, allow golf carts on city streets…

Operating a food truck on Iowa City's public right of way requires a city-issued food truck permit, insurance set by the city's risk manager, and a signed indemnification agreement…

Iowa City food trucks can't set up inside the mapped downtown zone, within 150 feet of a restaurant entrance, in a residential zone, or in a loading zone. Trucks can use two adjoining…

Iowa City caps sidewalk food-cart vending to six permits city-wide, all issued for City Plaza except up to two allowed on Iowa Avenue's 100-300 blocks. Carts can't exceed 4 feet wide…

New buildings in Iowa City's CB-2, CB-5 and CB-10 downtown zones must clear the Central Business Site Development Standards at City Code 14-2C-8 during site plan review. The rule fixes…

Iowa City lets detached single-family and zero lot line homes build at higher density in the RS-5, RS-8, RS-12, and RNS-12 zones when garage and parking access comes off an alley or…

Iowa City has no local right-to-farm ordinance, but its zoning code protects agricultural land use through the interim development (ID) zone, the default classification for all…

Iowa Code 657.11 protects qualifying animal feeding operations and farms from most nuisance suits unless plaintiffs prove specified statutory exceptions.

Iowa City requires owners of any vacant or abandoned building to register it with the City within 30 days, pay an annual fee, and allow yearly inspections. City Code section 6-1-5…

Owners, tenants and anyone in possession of an Iowa City property have 24 hours to clear snow and ice off the abutting public sidewalk. Miss the window and the city can remove it and…

Iowa City bans refuse, junk and salvage material from accumulating on any lot, whether vacant or occupied. City Code section 6-1-2(A) also reaches vacant land through its…

Iowa City requires every massage business to employ only state-licensed massage therapists and to produce a City Business Information Form on demand. City Code sections 5-3-1 through…

Iowa City tobacco retailers must hold a Retail Tobacco, Alternative Nicotine, or Vapor Product Permit issued by the City Clerk under Iowa Code §453A.13, plus state-level reporting…

Iowa City flatly prohibits vehicle repair or assembly as a home occupation under zoning code section 14-4C-2M5i. The ban covers repair or assembly of anything with an internal…

A private landowner in Iowa City can't just call a wrecker to remove a trespassing vehicle. The property owner must first sign a written authorization letting the police department act…

Iowa City's zoning code flatly bans illumination on billboards and other off-premises signs. Under Table 5B-6 of the sign ordinance, billboards get no permit requirement but zero…

Iowa City requires most outdoor bulbs over 2,000 lumens to be fully shielded, bans floodlighting for parking and display areas, and outlaws laser lights, searchlights, and mercury…

Iowa City caps how much light can cross a property line under zoning code section 14-5G-4C: no more than 0.5 initial horizontal foot-candle and 2.0 initial maximum foot-candles at any…

Iowa City requires a construction site runoff (CSR) permit, on top of any state NPDES permit, for earth-disturbing work of an acre or more. City Code section 17-8-15 mandates an…

Iowa City requires a floodplain development permit from the building official before any development begins on land in a mapped flood hazard area, per City Code section 14-5J-6. New or…

Iowa City requires one foot of freeboard above the flood hazard elevation for new and substantially improved buildings in flood hazard areas. The lowest floor, including basement, must…

Iowa City runs every developed parcel through a citywide stormwater utility. Owners pay a monthly charge based on an equivalent residential unit (ERU) of 3,129 square feet of…

Coastal rules do not apply in Johnson County. This is landlocked eastern Iowa. Work near water here follows Iowa DNR floodway permits, local floodplain ordinances, and Army Corps rules…

The property owner next to a public sidewalk in Iowa City, not the city, is responsible for keeping it safe, in good repair and free of defects, and can be held liable for damages if…

Nobody may build, place or maintain anything in or over Iowa City's public right of way without authorization. Short encroachments of 14 days or fewer just need a permit from the…

Iowa City declares it a public nuisance to obstruct or encumber a public sidewalk, street, alley, or common with a fence, building, structure, or sign, or to block pedestrian or…

The City of Iowa City collects residential refuse once a week on a fixed route and bills each responsible party for the service. Private trash collection for residences is prohibited…

Iowa City bans yard waste from the regular trash bound for the landfill. Grass, leaves, brush and garden residue must be set out separately for city collection or recycled at the…

Iowa City splits recycling duty by property size. Small-scale residences of four or fewer dwellings fronting a public street get free weekly recycling pickup bundled with city refuse…

Iowa City bans throwing or depositing litter anywhere in the city outside a proper receptacle, on public property or private property alike. The ordinance also targets trucks that…

Every dwelling in Iowa City that fronts a public street gets weekly curbside recycling collected the same way as trash, for $8.50 a month. Bigger residential complexes and properties…

Commercial dumpsters in Iowa City must sit on private property, stay off the strip between a building and the street, and be screened if they land within 50 feet of a street right of…

Iowa City will only haul away bulky solid waste, like couches, appliances and tires, if you call ahead and get approval first. Curbside dumping without a request is not covered, and…

Iowa City sets a strict window for curbside collection: containers cannot go out before 3:00 PM the day before pickup and must be at the curb by 7:00 AM on collection day. Every waste…

Iowa City does not force every household onto a food-scrap program, but it does regulate food waste once it enters the collection system. City Code allows food waste to be collected on…

In Iowa City's regulated wetlands and required natural buffers, City Code section 14-5I-6(F)(5) bars planting any foreign or invasive species, including aggressive native varieties…

Beyond complaint-driven checks, Iowa City runs a program of regular rental inspections that the city council sets by resolution, and a rental permit will not issue or renew unless the…

Iowa City's housing inspector only enters an owner-occupied, single-family dwelling on request or complaint, and the same complaint-driven process governs entry generally. If entry is…

Hotels and other transient lodging in Iowa City must collect the Iowa state 5% hotel and motel tax under Iowa Code §423A.3 plus the Iowa City 7% local hotel and motel tax authorized by…

Property owners in Iowa City must maintain their own water service lines and promptly repair or replace any leak, under City Code section 16-3C-3(C). If repairs aren't made promptly…

Iowa City designates local historic landmarks by ordinance through the historic district overlay (OHD) zone. Any building, structure, object, area of land or landscape element with…

Iowa City's sign code excludes seasonal decorations entirely, so a lit lawn display never needs a sign permit. The outdoor lighting code goes further: decorations up between…

Iowa City treats vermin infestations, and any condition that harbors breeding rats, mice or other pests, as a public nuisance. City Code section 6-1-2(F) lets the city manager or…

Iowa City lets residents run outdoor smokers, grills and cooking fires without any fire permit, as long as the fire sits in an approved container of steel, brick or masonry, under code…

Iowa City bans sitting or lying on public sidewalks, elevated planters, or public amenities in the downtown and Zone 1 of City Plaza under section 8-5-10. Exceptions cover medical…

Suspected zoning violations, unpermitted construction, or land-use complaints in unincorporated Johnson County go to the Zoning Administrator in the Planning, Development and…

Rooftop solar is welcome across Johnson County, and Iowa City actively encourages it. A homeowner needs a building and electrical permit plus a net-metering interconnection with the…

Iowa has no statute that voids a homeowners association covenant banning solar panels. The only covenant provision in Iowa's solar chapter, Iowa Code section 564A.8, does nothing more…

Cryptocurrency mining is a permitted primary use only in the MH Heavy Industrial Zoning District under UDO Section 8:1.19(A)(3), added by Ordinance 10-10-24-01 in October 2024. Every…

Iowa Code 124E and Iowa Admin Code 641 chapter 154 control medical cannabidiol dispensary licensing, location count, and operations. Only state-licensed dispensaries may sell…

Recreational drone use in Iowa is governed primarily by FAA Part 107 and the Recreational Flyers exception, with state limits in Iowa Code 808.15 on government surveillance. Iowa…

Iowa Code 331.301(6) preempts counties and cities from adopting minimum wage rates that exceed the Iowa state minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

Iowa has allowed permitless concealed carry for adults 21 and older since July 2021, while still issuing optional non-professional permits for reciprocity.

Iowa Code 724.28 broadly preempts cities and counties from regulating firearms, ammunition, components, and accessories more strictly than state law.

Iowa permits open carry of handguns by qualifying adults statewide, though local preemption under Iowa Code 724.28 prevents stricter city rules.

Iowa Code 99F.7 gives the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission sole authority to decide the number, location, and type of licensed gambling structures and excursion gambling boats…

Iowa Code chapter 99B bars any nonprofit from running bingo, raffles, games of skill or chance, or a game night until the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing issues a…

Iowa Code § 99B.45 lets individuals gamble against each other in card and parlor games, including poker, without a state gambling license, but caps it hard: no one may win or lose more…

Iowa restricts sports wagering licenses to operators already licensed to run gambling games at a pari-mutuel racetrack enclosure or an excursion gambling boat. Under Iowa Code section…

Iowa has no general HOA assessment statute, so a planned-community HOA's lien rights come from its recorded declaration plus contract law. For condominiums under the Horizontal…

Iowa's records law for homeowners associations is Iowa Code chapter 499C, added by 2023 Acts, chapter 137. It gives a unit owner or the owner's authorized agent five categories of…

Iowa sets no dollar cap on a homeowners association fine and requires no notice, cure period or hearing before one is imposed. The amount and the process come from your declaration and…

Iowa gives an association a statutory assessment lien only where the community is a condominium under the Horizontal Property Act or a multiple housing cooperative under chapter 499A…

Iowa gives its police an express roadblock statute, chapter 321K, and then confines it. A routine vehicle roadblock may be run only as provided in that section, and the section lists…

Iowa has no statute granting an express right to film police, but it does not need one: Iowa Code section 727.8(3)(a) exempts from the eavesdropping offence any recording made by a…

Iowa is not a stop and identify state. No provision of the Iowa Code requires a person detained on suspicion to give a name, and the closest section, Iowa Code 719.1A, criminalizes…

Iowa has never legalized adult-use cannabis, and it has no statute about consenting to a vehicle search. The one search-limiting provision in the Iowa Code is section 124E.12(9), which…

Iowa Code 364.3(3)(c) (cities) and 331.301(6) (counties) preempt local governments from regulating consumer merchandise containers, including plastic bags, foam containers, cups, and…

Iowa Code 453A.6 sets the minimum age to purchase or possess tobacco, alternative nicotine, and vapor products at 21 in alignment with federal law.

Iowa answers add-on lighting with numbers rather than generalities. Iowa Code section 321.403 allows no more than three auxiliary driving lamps, mounted on the front between 12 and 42…

Iowa never enumerates what may be stuck to a windshield. Chapter 321 mentions the windshield in only four places, and none of them is a list of permitted items, so a dash cam is judged…

Iowa Code section 321.275(4) does four things in one paragraph. It bans a motorcycle or motorized bicycle from being operated between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows…

Iowa Code section 321.37(3) makes it unlawful for a vehicle owner to place any frame around or over the registration plate which does not permit full view of all numerals and letters…

The word detector does not appear anywhere in Iowa Code chapter 321. What Iowa outlaws is the speed detection jamming device, defined in Iowa Code section 321.232(4)(a) as equipment…

Iowa Code section 321.442 starts from a flat ban: no tire moved on a highway may carry a block, stud, flange, cleat or spike of any material other than rubber projecting beyond the…

Iowa Code section 321.438(2) bans operating a vehicle whose front windshield, front side windows or front sidewings are excessively dark or reflective, and it leaves the number to the…