How to Get a Protective Order in Iowa
Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team · Iowa · Last updated September 17, 2026
In Iowa, a domestic abuse protective order is a civil court order issued under Iowa Code chapter 236 that directs an abuser to stop the abuse, stay away from you, and cease contact. You can seek one when a spouse, former partner, household member, or someone you have had an intimate relationship with has committed domestic abuse against you. You start by filing a verified Petition for Relief from Domestic Abuse in the district court in the county where you or the other party lives (Iowa Code 236.3). The filing fee and court costs are waived for the plaintiff (Iowa Code 236.3). A judge can enter a temporary protective order the same day, without the other person present, upon good cause shown in an ex parte proceeding (Iowa Code 236.4). A hearing is then held not less than five and not more than fifteen days after you commence the case, where you must prove the abuse by a preponderance of the evidence (Iowa Code 236.4). If the court finds domestic abuse, it can issue a final protective order for a fixed period not to exceed one year, and that order can be extended (Iowa Code 236.5). If the court is closed, a judge can grant an emergency order that expires seventy-two hours after issuance (Iowa Code 236.6). If you are in immediate danger, call 911; the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available at 1-800-799-7233. Attorney review of your petition is available through DocDraft.
Find out where you stand in Iowa
Where are you in getting a restraining order?
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How do I get a protective order in Iowa?
File a verified Petition for Relief from Domestic Abuse in the district court where you or the other party lives. The filing fee and court costs are waived for the plaintiff (Iowa Code 236.3). A judge can enter a temporary order the same day, and a hearing is held within fifteen days.
How long does it take to get a protective order in Iowa?
A judge can enter a temporary protective order the same day you file, without the other person present, upon good cause shown in an ex parte proceeding (Iowa Code 236.4). If the court is closed, a judge can grant an emergency order that expires seventy-two hours after issuance (Iowa Code 236.6).
How long does a protective order last in Iowa?
A final protective order is issued for a fixed period of time not to exceed one year (Iowa Code 236.5). Before it expires, either party can petition to amend or extend it after notice and a hearing, and the number of extensions the court can grant is not limited.
Which court handles protective orders in Iowa?
You file in the district court, in the county where you live or where the person you want protection from lives, since venue lies where either party resides (Iowa Code 236.3). The clerk of the district court furnishes the standard pro se forms you need to file (Iowa Code 236.3A).
Iowa protective order law at a glance
In Iowa, a domestic abuse protective order under Iowa Code chapter 236 directs a spouse, former partner, or household member to stop the abuse, stay away, and cease contact. You ask for one by filing a verified Petition for Relief from Domestic Abuse in the district court, and the filing fee and court costs are waived for the plaintiff (Iowa Code 236.3). A judge can enter a temporary order the same day upon good cause in an ex parte proceeding, then a hearing is held not less than five and not more than fifteen days after you commence the case (Iowa Code 236.4). A final protective order lasts a fixed period not to exceed one year and can be extended after notice and a hearing (Iowa Code 236.5). If the court is closed, an emergency order expires seventy-two hours after issuance (Iowa Code 236.6).
Getting an Iowa protective order after threats from a former partner
Your ex-husband in Iowa keeps showing up at your workplace and flooding your phone with threats. You complete a verified Petition for Relief from Domestic Abuse and file it with the clerk of the district court, paying nothing because the filing fee and court costs are waived for the plaintiff (Iowa Code 236.3). The same day, a judge enters a temporary protective order upon good cause shown in an ex parte proceeding (Iowa Code 236.4). A sheriff's deputy serves your former partner with the petition and the notice of hearing. At the hearing, held within fifteen days, you show the messages and prove the abuse by a preponderance of the evidence. The court issues a final protective order for one year, and you calendar its expiration so you can petition to extend it before it ends. Attorney review of your petition is available through DocDraft.
Relevant Laws
Iowa Code 236.4 (hearings and temporary orders)
Requires that a hearing be held not less than five and not more than fifteen days after commencing a proceeding, and lets the court enter a temporary order to protect the plaintiff before the hearing upon good cause shown in an ex parte proceeding.
Iowa Code 236.5 (disposition, duration, and extension)
Authorizes the court to grant a protective order upon a finding of domestic abuse, sets its duration at a fixed period of time not to exceed one year, and allows the court to amend or extend the order after notice and hearing, with no limit on the number of extensions.
Iowa Code 236.3 (commencement and fee waiver)
Provides that a person may seek relief from domestic abuse by filing a verified petition in the district court where either party resides, and that the filing fee and court costs for an order for protection are waived for the plaintiff.
Iowa Code 236.6 (emergency orders)
Lets a district judge grant emergency relief when the court is otherwise unavailable, upon good cause shown in an ex parte proceeding, and provides that the emergency order expires seventy-two hours after issuance.
Regional Variances
Iowa protective order rules at a glance
Order name
Domestic abuse protective order, issued under Iowa Code chapter 236. It is started by a verified Petition for Relief from Domestic Abuse. Chapter 236A covers elder abuse and chapter 664A covers criminal no-contact orders.
Where to file
The district court, in the county where you live or where the other party lives, since venue lies where either party resides (Iowa Code 236.3). The filing fee and court costs are waived for the plaintiff.
Emergency and temporary orders
When the court is closed, a district judge can grant an emergency order that expires seventy-two hours after issuance (Iowa Code 236.6). A judge can enter a temporary order the same day you file, upon good cause in an ex parte proceeding, lasting until the hearing (Iowa Code 236.4).
Final order duration
After a hearing, a final protective order lasts a fixed period of time not to exceed one year, and either party can petition to extend it after notice and a hearing, with no limit on the number of extensions (Iowa Code 236.5).
Main form
The verified Petition for Relief from Domestic Abuse. Iowa prescribes standard pro se forms, and the clerk of the district court furnishes them to people seeking protective orders at no charge (Iowa Code 236.3A).
Suggested Compliance Checklist
Complete the Petition for Relief from Domestic Abuse
As soon as possible after the abuse days after startingFill out the verified Petition for Relief from Domestic Abuse, describing the abuse, your relationship, and specific dates. Use the free Iowa pro se forms furnished by the clerk of the district court (Iowa Code 236.3A). Attorney review of your petition is available through DocDraft.
File your petition with the district court
Same day you finish the petition days after startingFile the petition with the clerk of the district court in the county where you live or where the other party lives (Iowa Code 236.3). The filing fee and court costs are waived for the plaintiff. Ask the clerk when the judge will decide on your temporary order.
Get and carry the temporary protective order
Same day the judge signs it days after startingIf the judge enters a temporary protective order upon good cause in an ex parte proceeding (Iowa Code 236.4), keep a copy with you. It protects you until the hearing. Note your hearing date, which is set within fifteen days of commencing the case.
Arrange service on the other party
Before the hearing days after startingThe sheriff or other law enforcement serves the other party with your petition and notice of hearing, without charge to you (Iowa Code 236.3). Service is required so the court can enter a final protective order at the hearing. Confirm the return of service is filed.
Attend the hearing with your evidence
Within fifteen days of filing days after startingGo to the hearing, held not less than five and not more than fifteen days after you commence the case (Iowa Code 236.4). Bring photos, messages, and witnesses. You must prove the domestic abuse by a preponderance of the evidence. If you miss it, your temporary order can lapse.
Track the expiration and petition to extend
Before the order expires (within one year) days after startingA final protective order lasts a fixed period not to exceed one year (Iowa Code 236.5). Calendar the expiration and file to amend or extend it before it ends. The court can extend the order if the defendant still poses a threat, with no limit on extensions.
| Task | Description | Document | Days after starting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complete the Petition for Relief from Domestic Abuse | Fill out the verified Petition for Relief from Domestic Abuse, describing the abuse, your relationship, and specific dates. Use the free Iowa pro se forms furnished by the clerk of the district court (Iowa Code 236.3A). Attorney review of your petition is available through DocDraft. | - | As soon as possible after the abuse |
| File your petition with the district court | File the petition with the clerk of the district court in the county where you live or where the other party lives (Iowa Code 236.3). The filing fee and court costs are waived for the plaintiff. Ask the clerk when the judge will decide on your temporary order. | - | Same day you finish the petition |
| Get and carry the temporary protective order | If the judge enters a temporary protective order upon good cause in an ex parte proceeding (Iowa Code 236.4), keep a copy with you. It protects you until the hearing. Note your hearing date, which is set within fifteen days of commencing the case. | - | Same day the judge signs it |
| Arrange service on the other party | The sheriff or other law enforcement serves the other party with your petition and notice of hearing, without charge to you (Iowa Code 236.3). Service is required so the court can enter a final protective order at the hearing. Confirm the return of service is filed. | - | Before the hearing |
| Attend the hearing with your evidence | Go to the hearing, held not less than five and not more than fifteen days after you commence the case (Iowa Code 236.4). Bring photos, messages, and witnesses. You must prove the domestic abuse by a preponderance of the evidence. If you miss it, your temporary order can lapse. | - | Within fifteen days of filing |
| Track the expiration and petition to extend | A final protective order lasts a fixed period not to exceed one year (Iowa Code 236.5). Calendar the expiration and file to amend or extend it before it ends. The court can extend the order if the defendant still poses a threat, with no limit on extensions. | - | Before the order expires (within one year) |
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Iowa Code 236.3 provides that the filing fee and court costs for an order for protection are waived for the plaintiff. Law enforcement also serves the petition without charge to you. When the court enters an order, it can direct the defendant to pay those fees and service costs.
When the court is unavailable at the end of the day or week, a petition can be filed before a district judge who may grant emergency relief upon good cause shown in an ex parte proceeding. That emergency order expires seventy-two hours after issuance, after which you seek a temporary order (Iowa Code 236.6).
You can seek relief if the person who abused you is a spouse or former spouse, a household member or former household member, or someone you have had an intimate relationship with. A parent or guardian can file a verified petition on behalf of an unemancipated minor (Iowa Code 236.3).
You file a verified Petition for Relief from Domestic Abuse. Iowa law requires the state to prescribe standard forms for plaintiffs proceeding on their own, and the clerk of the district court furnishes these pro se forms to people seeking protective orders at no charge (Iowa Code 236.3A).
A hearing is held not less than five and not more than fifteen days after you commence the case, upon notice to the other party (Iowa Code 236.4). Both sides can appear. You must prove the allegation of domestic abuse by a preponderance of the evidence, and the judge then decides whether to issue a protective order.
Yes. A final protective order lasts a fixed period not to exceed one year, but either party can petition to amend or extend it after notice and a hearing (Iowa Code 236.5). The court can extend the order if the defendant still poses a threat, and the number of extensions is not limited.
A protective order states whether a person is to be taken into custody by a peace officer for violating its terms (Iowa Code 236.5). Call the police and keep a copy of your order with you. The court can also hold the person in contempt for disobeying the order.
No. Iowa provides standard forms for people who file on their own, and the clerk of the district court furnishes them at no charge (Iowa Code 236.3A). Many people file without a lawyer. Legal help can be useful if the case is contested or the other party has an attorney.
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