Iowa Gun Control Laws for Use, Possession, and Carrying

In Iowa most individuals may easily own and carry firearms. It is legal to possess and carry unloaded rifles and shotguns throughout the state. However, permits are required for purchase and carry of handguns.

Iowa Requirements for Purchase and Possession of Firearms

Handguns – Permit Required to Purchase

To purchase a handgun in Iowa, you must have a permit. You can apply for a permit with the sheriff of your county. The application requires a fee and a background check. If you lie on the application, it is a class D felony – punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $750 to $7,500. 

To qualify for a purchasing permit, you must be twenty-one years of age or older. Also, you must NOT: have been convicted of a felony; be addicted to the use of alcohol or a controlled substance; have a history of repeated acts of violence; have been convicted of a violent crime; determined by a court to be mentally incompetent.

A permit is not required for purchase if you are a federally licensed arms dealer; if the weapon is an antique firearm, a collector's item or doesn’t work and can’t be fixed; or if the transfer occurs between close relatives (father or grandfather to son) unless the recipient wouldn’t qualify for a permit – for example if he’s a felon.

Also, if you have a permit to carry, you don’t need a permit to purchase. (Iowa Code 724.15.) 

Handguns – Permit Required to Carry

To carry a handgun in Iowa, you must have a permit – regardless of whether the weapon is concealed. Apply for a permit with your county sheriff’s office. The application requires a fee, a background check, and you must have completed an approved weapons training course.

To qualify for the permit, you must be eighteen years of age or older, never been convicted of a felony, not addicted to the use of alcohol or any controlled substance, no history of repeated acts of violence, not determined by the sheriff to be a danger to any person, and never convicted of a violent crime.

If you acquire a permit to carry, you must keep the permit with you whenever you carry your weapon.

Penalties

Breaking weapons laws in Iowa results in serious penalties. Here are some examples:

• Reckless use of a firearm. Reckless use of a firearm if no one is hurt is a class D felony, punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $750-$7,500.  If an injury occurs, it is a Class C felony, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a fine of $1,000 to $10,000. 
• Possession by a felon. A felon who possesses or transports firearms is guilty of a class D felony, punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $750 to $7,500.
• Carrying a firearm without a permit. Carrying a firearm without a permit is an aggravated misdemeanor, punishable by up to two years in prison and a fine of $500 to $5,000.
• Providing firearms to a minor. Selling, giving, loaning or making available a rifle or shotgun to a minor is a serious misdemeanor for a first offense and a class D felony for second and subsequent offenses. A serious misdemeanor is punishable by up to one year in prison and a mandatory fine of $250 to $1,500. A class D felony is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $750 to $7,500. The same penalties apply for the crime of providing a handgun to a person under age 21.
• Trafficking stolen weapons. Transferring or facilitating the transfer of stolen firearms is a class D felony, punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $750 to $7,500. For subsequent offences, or if the weapon is used in a crime, it is a class C felony, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a fine of $1,000 to $10,000. 

Self-Defense in Iowa

In Iowa, shooting a firearm at another person is considered deadly force, even if the person shot does not die or if you did not intend the person to die. You may only use deadly force to protect yourself or someone else from harm. Therefore you can only use a firearm to protect yourself or another person --  you may not use a firearm to defend property or if you initiated the conflict. (Iowa Code Chapter 704.)

To learn more about your state's gun laws, read the WEAPONS chapter of the Iowa Code, starting at §724.1.

If you face gun charges in Iowa or anywhere else, seek the advice of an attorney.