Welcome to my library of historic Iowa statutory law!
The Iowa Legislature website has a good collection of historic session laws (Iowa Acts) and compiled laws (Iowa Code) online. The website takes practice to navigate, so I added pointers below.
I added links to topical compilations and related resources. Some are studies on legal topics and not the law itself. These studies can provide a better understanding of how the law influenced specific areas and lead to related statutes.
Also see the Iowa Law Journals page.
I wrote a blog post about the Iowa law pages.
Iowa Statutory Law and Related Resources |
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Year and Volume |
Title/Description |
Statutory Law Online |
| 1838–2020 | Iowa Acts | Iowa Legislature. 1) Under Search uncheck the “current only” box to include older years. 2) Under Search Within: Expand Iowa Laws and Rules, then Iowa Acts sections by clicking the drop-down arrows to reveal title years. 3) Check and search all years or the year of interest. Search by topic or name. Hint: Search by surname only for more results. Sort by year or title. |
| 1839–Present | Iowa Code Archive: Iowa Code, Iowa Code Supplement, and Tables and Indexes | Iowa Legislature, searchable volume downloads. |
| Current | Iowa Acts | Iowa Legislature. This page offers a topical index download and references topics to their location in 2021 Iowa Acts, chapters 1 – 187. |
| Use Quick Search if You Know the Citation | Quick Search | Iowa Legislature. This search requires the citation for the sought law. TIP: Use the Iowa Acts Quick Search drop down tool to locate a session or year. |
| Overview Page | Iowa Law & Rules | Iowa Legislature. General information. |
| Video Tutorial | Using the Iowa Legislature Website, Iowa Acts Quick Search video | YouTube, by Iowa Legislative Services and Drake University Law School. How to use the “Quick Search box to find an Iowa Act by its citation.” |
| Video Tutorial | Using the Iowa Legislature Website, Iowa Code Quick Search video | YouTube, by Iowa Legislative Services and Drake University Law School. How to use the “Quick Search box to find an Iowa Code chapter or section by its citation.” |
| 1851 | School Laws of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1853 | Laws of the State of Iowa in Relation to Corporations for Railroad Purposes and Articles of Incorporation of the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Company | Internet Archive |
| 1860 | Educational Laws of the State of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1866 | School Laws of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1872 | School Laws of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1874 | School Laws of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1876 | School Laws of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1878 | Highway Laws of the State of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1881 | Insurance Laws of the State of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1882 | Amendments to the School Laws of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1884 | Iowa School Laws | Internet Archive |
| 1886 | Highway Laws of the State of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1888 | School Laws of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1890 | Highway Laws of the State of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1892 | School Laws of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1894 | Highway Laws of the State of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1896 | Highway Laws of the State of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1897 | School Laws of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1898 | Dairy Laws of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1898 | Amendments to the School Laws of 1897 | Internet Archive |
| 1902 | School Laws of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1903 | Encyclopedia of Iowa Law: Being a Plain Statement of the Law of Iowa so Far as it Affects the People in Their Business, Domestic and Social Relations | Hathi Trust |
| 1906 | Iowa Election Laws | Google Books |
| 1907 | School Laws of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1907 | Primary Election and Election Expense Laws | Internet Archive |
| 1907 | The Pure Food Laws of the State of Iowa | Hathi Trust |
| 1909 | Laws of the State of Iowa Relating to Insurance Also to Corporations for Pecuniary Profit | Internet Archive |
| 1910 | History of Labor Legislation in Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1911 | The Pure Food and Weight Measure Laws of the State of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1911 | Revenue Laws of the State of Iowa | Hathi Trust |
| 1912 | School Laws of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1912 | History of Road Legislation in Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1912 | Corrupt Practices Legislation in Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1913 | Weight and Measure Laws of the State of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1913–1914 | Iowa Fish and Game Laws | Internet Archive |
| 1914 | History of Poor Relief Legislation in Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1914 | Workmen’s Compensation Laws of the State of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1914 | General Election and Primary Laws of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1915 | Iowa Fish and Game Laws | Internet Archive |
| 1915 | School Laws of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1915 | Iowa Law Relating to Inspection of Stocks, Bonds and Securities | Internet Archive |
| 1915 | History of Social Legislation in Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1916 | Iowa Laws Relating to Drainage | Internet Archive |
| 1917 | Iowa Laws Relating to Intoxicating Liquor | Internet Archive |
| 1917 | Iowa School Officers’ Manual of School Laws, 1917–1919 | Internet Archive |
| 1917 | State of Iowa Pharmacy Law | Hathi Trust |
| ca 1917 | Child Legislation in Iowa | Hathi Trust |
| 1918 | History of Economic Legislation in Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1918 | Legal and Political Status of Women in Iowa: An Historical Account of the Rights of Women in Iowa From 1838 to 1918 | Internet Archive |
| 1919 | School Laws of Iowa | Internet Archive |
| 1920 | Primary and General Election Laws | Internet Archive |
| 1920 | State of Iowa Dairy Law | Hathi Trust |
| 1921 | Iowa Laws Relating to Insurance Annotated | Internet Archive |
| 1921–1922 | Iowa Fish and Game Laws, Mussel Laws, Federal Migratory Bird Regulations and the Lacey Bird Law | Internet Archive |
| 1937 | The Iowa Income Tax Law | Hathi Trust |
| 1946 | Iowa Pharmacy Laws | Hathi Trust |
| 1976 | The Legal Status of Homemakers in Iowa | Hathi Trust |
