Iowa does not have a red flag law. There is no Iowa statute that authorizes an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) or similar civil mechanism by which...
Reviewed by Will Luker, Founder of CCW Hub. USCCA Training Counselor, USCCA Certified Instructor, NRA Certified Instructor, Law Enforcement.
Iowa does not have a red flag law. There is no Iowa statute that authorizes an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) or similar civil mechanism by which a court may order the temporary removal of firearms from a person believed to pose a danger. Iowa is among the majority of states that have not enacted such a law.
A red flag law allows family members, household members, law enforcement, and sometimes others to petition a court for an order temporarily prohibiting a named person from possessing firearms and requiring surrender of any firearms in the person's possession. The order is typically based on a finding of imminent risk of harm to self or others. As of 2025, approximately 21 states and the District of Columbia have enacted some form of red flag law. Iowa is not among them.
Although Iowa lacks an ERPO statute, several existing Iowa procedures can result in a firearms disability:
A protective order issued under Iowa Code Chapter 236 that meets the federal definition in 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g)(8) creates an automatic federal firearms prohibition for the duration of the order. The Iowa court may also order the respondent to surrender firearms under federal Lautenberg principles, and Iowa Code provides procedures for safekeeping during the order's term.
A person involuntarily committed under Iowa Code Chapter 229 for mental health treatment becomes a federal firearms-prohibited person under 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g)(4). Iowa reports these adjudications to the NICS Index. The disability may be removable through the relief-from-disabilities procedure if available under federal law and Iowa Code Section 724.31.
A criminal no-contact order issued in connection with a domestic-abuse, harassment, or stalking prosecution may include a firearms-surrender provision and trigger federal Lautenberg prohibitions where applicable.
Iowa Code Section 724.26 prohibits any of the following persons from possessing or acquiring a firearm:
These categorical prohibitions function differently from a red-flag order: they are triggered by an adjudicated event (conviction, commitment, protective order), not by a discretionary risk assessment.
The Iowa General Assembly has, in recent years, considered ERPO bills, but no such measure has been enacted. Opposition has focused on due-process concerns, the possibility of false petitions, and Iowa's broader policy of preempting local firearms regulation (Iowa Code Section 724.28). The Iowa Right to Keep and Bear Arms amendment (Iowa Const. art. I, Section 1A, 2022) imposes strict scrutiny on firearm restrictions, which may further raise the constitutional bar for any future ERPO legislation.
Even without an Iowa red-flag law, federal law (18 U.S.C. Section 922(g)) continues to prohibit firearm possession by:
These prohibitions are enforced in Iowa through federal prosecution and state revocation of any Iowa Permit to Carry Weapons.
Iowa General Assembly proposals related to ERPOs may be introduced from session to session. Any future Iowa red-flag legislation would face the strict-scrutiny standard of Iowa Const. art. I, Section 1A. Monitor the Iowa legislature's published bill tracker (https://www.legis.iowa.gov) for the current status.
This page covers one part of our Iowa concealed carry guide.
Read the complete Iowa guideBrowse local instructors offering state-approved training in your area. Book online, complete your training, and get one step closer to your concealed carry permit.