Gun laws in Iowa regulate the sale, possession, and use of

firearm A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...

s and

ammunition Ammunition (informally ammo) is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines) and the component parts of other weap ...

in the state of

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

in the United States. Iowans may now buy and carry handguns without first getting a permit, after a new law went int
effect on July 1, 2021

Iowans no longer need to have state permits to buy or carry firearms in most public places
Iowans may still opt to seek a state-issued permit completed by their local sheriff, which is valid for five years upon approval. Obtaining this permit proves useful
as the permit is valid in states with permit reciprocity
Prior law, which was changed: On January 1, 2011, Iowa became a "shall issue" state for a permit to carry weapons on one's person. This applies to both open carry and concealed carry. Applicants must successfully complete an approved training course. The permit is valid for 5 years. On July 1, 2021, Iowa became a

constitutional carry In the United States, the term constitutional carry, also called permitless carry, unrestricted carry, or Vermont carry, refers to the legal public carrying of a handgun, either openly or concealed, without a license or permit. The phrase does ...

state allowing for both open and concealed carry without a permit by both residents and non-residents. Iowa will honor any valid permit issued by any other state. Persons do not have to be a resident of the state from which the permit was issued. A Permit To Acquire (PTA), obtained from the sheriff of the county of the applicant's residence, is available to skip the

background check A background check is a process a person or company uses to verify that an individual is who they claim to be, and this provides an opportunity to check and confirm the validity of someone's criminal record, education, employment history, and oth ...

before purchasing firearms. A PTA shall be issued to qualified applicants aged 21 or older. The PTA becomes valid three days after the date of application, and is valid for five years. Starting July 1, 2021, a PTA is no longer required to purchase a handgun in the state of Iowa. They are still available, however, as they may be used to substitute a NICS background check. Iowa has enacted state preemption of firearms laws, so local units of government may not restrict firearms. Under Iowa law, private citizens may not possess

automatic firearm An automatic firearm is an auto-loading firearm that continuously chambers and fires rounds when the trigger mechanism is actuated. The action of an automatic firearm is capable of harvesting the excess energy released from a previous discharg ...

s, any firearm "other than a shotgun or muzzle loading rifle, cannon, pistol, revolver or musket" with a bore of more than 6/10 of an inch (unless it is an antique made in or before 1898), or any explosive, incendiary or poison gas destructive device., short-barreled rifles (barrels under 16 inches), and short-barreled shotguns (barrels under 18 inches) may be possessed if federally registered.

Summary table

Additional Iowa laws table

References

External links

Weapon Permits
at Iowa.gov
Chapter 724 Weapons
at Legis.Iowa.gov
Iowa House HF756
at Legis.Iowa.gov {{Gun laws in the United States (by state) Iowa law