Gun laws in Iowa

Gun laws in Iowa regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition in the state of Iowa in the United States.

Article I, Section 1A of the Constitution of Iowa states:

"Right to keep and bear arms – The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. The sovereign state of Iowa affirms and recognizes this right to be a fundamental individual right. Any and all restrictions of this right shall be subject to strict scrutiny."

In November 2022, Iowa adopted Constitutional Amendment 1, The Right to Keep and Bear Arms, including the requirement of "strict scrutiny for any alleged violations of the right brought before a court".

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 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 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.