How to File a Workers' Compensation Claim in Iowa
Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team · Iowa · Last updated 2026-09-07
A workers' compensation claim is how an employee who is injured on the job, or made ill by work, obtains medical care and wage-replacement benefits from the employer's insurer, without having to prove the employer was at fault. In Iowa, the system is administered by the Iowa Division of Workers' Compensation, a division of the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL), and contested cases are decided by the workers' compensation commissioner. Two deadlines are critical. You must give your employer notice of the injury within 90 days of the date you knew or should have known it was work-related (Iowa Code 85.23), and you generally have two years from the date of injury to file your claim (Iowa Code 85.26). After you report the injury, your employer or its insurer investigates and pays benefits or denies the claim, and the employer files a First Report of Injury with the Division. If the claim is denied or disputed, you commence a contested case by filing an Original Notice and Petition (Form 100) with the Division through the Workers' Compensation Electronic System (WCES). Attorney review of your claim is available through DocDraft.
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Where are you after your work injury?
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How do I file a workers' compensation claim in Iowa?
First, report your injury to your employer within 90 days of learning it was work-related (Iowa Code 85.23). Your employer or its insurer then investigates and pays benefits or denies the claim. If it is denied or disputed, you file an Original Notice and Petition with the Iowa Division of Workers' Compensation.
How long do I have to file a workers' compensation claim in Iowa?
Two deadlines matter. You must notify your employer of the injury within 90 days (Iowa Code 85.23). Separately, you generally have two years from the date of injury to file your petition with the Iowa Division of Workers' Compensation (Iowa Code 85.26). Missing either deadline can bar your benefits.
What form do I file for a workers' compensation claim in Iowa?
To dispute a denied or delayed claim, you file an Original Notice and Petition, known as Form 100, with the Iowa Division of Workers' Compensation. You file it electronically through the Workers' Compensation Electronic System (WCES). This commences a contested case, and a deputy workers' compensation commissioner then hears it.
Who handles workers' compensation claims in Iowa?
Iowa's workers' compensation system is administered by the Iowa Division of Workers' Compensation, part of the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL). Day to day, your employer's insurer decides your claim. If a dispute arises, a deputy workers' compensation commissioner adjudicates it after you file a petition.
Iowa workers' compensation claim law at a glance
In Iowa, workers' compensation gives an employee who is injured on the job medical care and wage-replacement benefits from the employer's insurer, regardless of fault. The system is run by the Iowa Division of Workers' Compensation, part of the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL), and contested cases are decided by the workers' compensation commissioner. You must give your employer notice of the injury within 90 days of the date you knew or should have known it was work-related (Iowa Code 85.23). The employer or its insurer then investigates and pays or denies benefits. If the claim is denied or disputed, you generally have two years from the date of injury to file an Original Notice and Petition with the Division to commence a contested case (Iowa Code 85.26).
Filing an Iowa workers' compensation claim after a warehouse back injury
Suppose you hurt your back lifting boxes at an Iowa warehouse. You tell your supervisor and, that same week, give written notice of the injury, staying well inside the 90-day reporting deadline (Iowa Code 85.23). Your employer reports the injury to its insurer, which begins paying for medical treatment but later disputes how much wage-replacement you are owed. Because you must act within two years of the injury (Iowa Code 85.26), you file an Original Notice and Petition, Form 100, with the Iowa Division of Workers' Compensation through the WCES system to commence a contested case. A deputy commissioner then hears it. Attorney review of your claim is available through DocDraft.
Relevant Laws
Iowa Code 85.23 (90-day notice of injury to employer)
Provides that unless the employer has actual knowledge of the injury within 90 days, or the employee gives the employer notice within 90 days from the date of the occurrence of the injury, no compensation shall be allowed. For this section, the date of occurrence means the date the employee knew or should have known the injury was work-related.
Iowa Code 85.26 (two-year limitation to commence a proceeding)
Provides that an original proceeding for benefits shall not be maintained unless commenced within two years from the date of the occurrence of the injury, or, if weekly compensation benefits are paid, within three years from the date of the last payment. Filing the original notice or petition with the workers' compensation commissioner is the only act that commences the proceeding.
Iowa Division of Workers' Compensation (DIAL), injured-worker information
The Iowa Division of Workers' Compensation, part of the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL), administers the workers' compensation system, publishes time-limitation guidance for injured workers, and provides the forms and the Workers' Compensation Electronic System (WCES) used to file an Original Notice and Petition.
Regional Variances
Iowa workers' compensation claim rules at a glance
Reporting deadline
90 days to give your employer notice of the injury, under Iowa Code 85.23. The period runs from the date you knew or should have known the injury was work-related. Late notice can cost you your right to benefits.
Claim form
The Original Notice and Petition (Form 100), which the injured worker files to commence a contested case. Iowa has no employer-supplied first claim form; instead you preserve the claim by giving the employer notice of the injury.
Filing deadline
Generally two years from the date of injury to file your petition (Iowa Code 85.26). If weekly compensation benefits have been paid, the deadline extends to three years from the last payment of those benefits.
Who administers it
The Iowa Division of Workers' Compensation, part of the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL). Contested cases are heard by a deputy workers' compensation commissioner, with appeal to the commissioner and then the Iowa district court.
How disputes are filed
By filing an Original Notice and Petition (Form 100) electronically through the Workers' Compensation Electronic System (WCES) when the insurer denies, delays, or underpays the claim. This must occur within the two-year period under Iowa Code 85.26.
Suggested Compliance Checklist
Report the injury to your employer
Within 90 days of the injury days after startingGive your employer notice of the injury within 90 days of the date you knew or should have known it was work-related (Iowa Code 85.23). Put it in writing, keep a dated copy, and report as early as possible because late notice can cost you your benefits.
Get medical care and keep records
Ongoing after the injury days after startingSeek treatment and keep every medical record, bill, and letter from the insurer. In Iowa, your employer or its insurer generally directs your care. Documenting the diagnosis, treatment dates, and any work restrictions supports your claim if the insurer later disputes benefits.
Confirm the employer files the First Report of Injury
After you report the injury days after startingYour employer reports the injury to its insurer and files a First Report of Injury with the Iowa Division of Workers' Compensation. Track the date you reported, note who you told, and keep copies of every decision letter the insurer sends you.
Track the insurer's decision and deadlines
While the claim is pending days after startingThe insurer will accept, delay, or deny your claim. Calendar any deadline the insurer sets for information, keep proof of what you sent, and note the date of injury so you can protect the two-year filing window under Iowa Code 85.26.
File an Original Notice and Petition if disputed
Within two years of the date of injury days after startingIf the claim is denied, delayed, or underpaid, commence a contested case by filing an Original Notice and Petition (Form 100) with the Division through WCES, within two years of the injury (Iowa Code 85.26). Attorney review of your claim is available through DocDraft.
Prepare for the contested-case hearing
After filing the petition days after startingOnce your petition is filed, the employer and insurer answer, and both sides exchange evidence. A deputy workers' compensation commissioner holds a hearing and issues a written decision that either side may appeal to the commissioner and then to district court.
| Task | Description | Document | Days after starting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Report the injury to your employer | Give your employer notice of the injury within 90 days of the date you knew or should have known it was work-related (Iowa Code 85.23). Put it in writing, keep a dated copy, and report as early as possible because late notice can cost you your benefits. | - | Within 90 days of the injury |
| Get medical care and keep records | Seek treatment and keep every medical record, bill, and letter from the insurer. In Iowa, your employer or its insurer generally directs your care. Documenting the diagnosis, treatment dates, and any work restrictions supports your claim if the insurer later disputes benefits. | - | Ongoing after the injury |
| Confirm the employer files the First Report of Injury | Your employer reports the injury to its insurer and files a First Report of Injury with the Iowa Division of Workers' Compensation. Track the date you reported, note who you told, and keep copies of every decision letter the insurer sends you. | - | After you report the injury |
| Track the insurer's decision and deadlines | The insurer will accept, delay, or deny your claim. Calendar any deadline the insurer sets for information, keep proof of what you sent, and note the date of injury so you can protect the two-year filing window under Iowa Code 85.26. | - | While the claim is pending |
| File an Original Notice and Petition if disputed | If the claim is denied, delayed, or underpaid, commence a contested case by filing an Original Notice and Petition (Form 100) with the Division through WCES, within two years of the injury (Iowa Code 85.26). Attorney review of your claim is available through DocDraft. | - | Within two years of the date of injury |
| Prepare for the contested-case hearing | Once your petition is filed, the employer and insurer answer, and both sides exchange evidence. A deputy workers' compensation commissioner holds a hearing and issues a written decision that either side may appeal to the commissioner and then to district court. | - | After filing the petition |
Frequently Asked Questions
A workers' compensation claim is how an employee injured on the job, or made sick by work, obtains medical care and wage-replacement benefits from the employer's insurer, without proving fault. In Iowa, you preserve the claim by reporting the injury to your employer, and disputes are decided by the workers' compensation commissioner.
Reporting means giving your employer notice of the injury, which you must do within 90 days (Iowa Code 85.23). Filing the claim is the separate step of submitting an Original Notice and Petition to the Iowa Division of Workers' Compensation if the claim is disputed. Reporting comes first; filing the petition follows.
You have 90 days to give your employer notice of the injury (Iowa Code 85.23). The 90-day period runs from the date you knew or should have known the injury was work-related, not necessarily the accident date. Report promptly, because late notice can cost you your benefits.
Generally, you have two years from the date of injury to file your petition with the Iowa Division of Workers' Compensation (Iowa Code 85.26). If weekly compensation benefits have already been paid, the deadline extends to three years from the last payment. Missing the deadline can bar your claim.
Missing the 90-day notice deadline can defeat your claim. Iowa Code 85.23 says no compensation shall be allowed unless the employer has actual knowledge of the injury, or receives notice, within 90 days. The clock runs from when you knew the injury was work-related, so report as soon as you can.
Day to day, your employer's insurer decides whether to accept, delay, or deny your claim. If you disagree, you file an Original Notice and Petition with the Iowa Division of Workers' Compensation. A deputy workers' compensation commissioner then holds a hearing and issues a decision, which either side may appeal.
No. Iowa workers' compensation is a no-fault system, so you do not have to prove your employer did anything wrong to receive benefits. You generally need to show the injury arose out of and in the course of your employment. In exchange, benefits are set by statute.
If the insurer denies or delays your claim, you can take it to the Iowa Division of Workers' Compensation by filing an Original Notice and Petition (Form 100) through the WCES system. You generally must do so within two years of the injury (Iowa Code 85.26). Attorney review is available through DocDraft.
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