Iowa Gun Laws
Gun Laws Overview
RIFLES & SHOTGUNS | HANDGUNS | |
---|---|---|
Permit to Purchase | No | No* |
Registration of Firearms | No | No |
Licensing of Owners | No | No |
Permit to Carry | No | No* |
* The law requiring a "permit to acquire" for handguns and a permit to carry has been amended effective July 1, 2021, to remove permits to acquire and to allow permitless carrying by qualified persons. The list and map below are included as a tool to assist you in validating your information. We have made every effort to report the information correctly, however reciprocity and recognition agreements are subject to frequent change. The information is not intended as legal advice or a restatement of law and does not include: restrictions that may be placed on non-resident permits, individuals under the age of 21, qualifying permit classes, and/or any other factor which may limit reciprocity and/or recognition. For any particular situation, a licensed local attorney must be consulted for an accurate interpretation. YOU MUST ABIDE WITH ALL LAWS: STATE, FEDERAL AND LOCAL. RECIPROCITY NOTES: Nebraska will only honor the Iowa NON-PROFESSIONAL permit (not the Iowa Professional permit); Colorado, Florida, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania recognize an Iowa RESIDENT permit ONLY. Iowa does not publish a list of states that recognize their permit, so it is up to the individual permit holder to verify what states offer reciprocity for an Iowa permit. |
STATE STATUS | |
---|---|
Castle Doctrine | No Law |
No-Net Loss | No Legislation |
Right to Carry Confidentiality | Provisions Enacted |
Right to Carry in Restaurants | Legal |
Right To Carry Laws | No Permit Required |
Right To Carry Reciprocity and Recognition | Outright Recognition |
Right to Keep & Bear Arms State Constitutional Provisions | No Provisions |
Laws on Purchase, Possession and Carrying of Firearms
Antiques and Replicas
An antique firearm is any firearm (including any firearm with a matchlock, flintlock, percussion cap, or similar type of ignition system) manufactured in or before 1898 or a replica of an antique firearm if the replica is not designed or redesigned to use conventional rimfire or centerfire ammunition, or if the replica uses only rimfire or centerfire fixed ammunition which is no longer manufactured in the United States and which is not readily available in the ordinary channels of commercial trade. Iowa Code § 724.25(2) (see also § 724.1(2)(a)). MORE |
Possession
No state permit is required to possess a rifle, shotgun, or handgun. MORE |
Purchase
No state permit is required to purchase a rifle or shotgun. A “permit to acquire” is needed to purchase a handgun, but this state law is repealed and replaced with a new Iowa Code § 724.15 effective July 1, 2021. MORE |
Carrying
Iowa’s law on carrying was amended by HF 756 (2021) to allow for permitless carry. MORE |
Machine Guns, Magazines, Ammunition, etc.
State law defines “machine guns” as “offensive weapons.” (A "machine gun" is a firearm which shoots or is designed to shoot more than one shot, without reloading, by a single function of the trigger, and includes any part or combination of parts either designed or intended to be used to assemble or convert any device into a machine gun, except magazines or other parts, ammunition, or ammunition components used in common with lawful sporting firearms or parts including but not limited to barrels suitable for refitting to sporting firearms.) Iowa Code § 724.1(1)(a), (e). MORE |
Miscellaneous
Effective July 1, 2021, HF 756 added new Iowa Code §§ 562A.11 and 562B.11, on tenant protections and prohibited clauses in certain residential rental agreements. MORE |
Restoration of Rights
Iowa has a restoration of rights procedure for persons under a mental health-based firearm disability. Gun rights lost due to a criminal conviction may be restored by pardon or “Special Restoration of Citizenship Rights (Firearms).” MORE |
Preemption
A political subdivision of the state – a city, county, or township – is prohibited from enacting an ordinance regulating the ownership, possession, carrying, legal transfer, lawful transportation, registration, or licensing of firearms when the ownership, possession, transfer, or transportation is otherwise lawful under state law. Iowa Code § 724.28. MORE |
Range Protection
A person who acquires title to or who owns real property adversely affected by the use of property with a permanently located and improved range shall not maintain a nuisance action against the person who owns the range... MORE |
SOURCES: Iowa Code Sections 483A.35, 483A.36, 724.1 through 724.30 and 902.7 and Chapter 571-51(481A) and 571-61.5(461A) of the Iowa Administrative Code. Internet sources: http://www.dps.state.ia.us/asd/weapon_permits.shtml |
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
On February 11th, a subcommittee of the Iowa state Senate Judiciary Committee voted 2-1 to pass Senate Fill ...
Saturday, February 9, 2019
On February 11th, a subcommittee of the Iowa state Senate Judiciary Committee will be hearing Senate File 165 to ...
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
On February 6th, The Family Defense Act, House File 259, was introduced to improve the ability of law-abiding ...
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
A yearslong, Republican-led effort in Iowa to add gun rights to the state constitution must start over because ...
Monday, January 14, 2019
Due to an oversight by the office of the Secretary of State, our efforts to amend Iowa’s Constitution ...
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund Chairman Chris W. Cox issued the following statement congratulating Gov. Kim Reynolds on ...
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
While Congressional elections will likely get the lion’s share of media coverage leading up to November 6, gun ...
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
On behalf of our nearly six million members across the country, the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) today endorsed Kim ...
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
On May 5th, the Iowa General Assembly adjourned sine die from the 2018 Legislative Session. During this session, ...
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
On May 10th at 9:30AM, the Iowa state Natural Resource Commission will be voting on potential rule changes to Chapter ...