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Legal Information: Iowa

State Gun Laws

Laws current as of August 5, 2024

Is a permit required to own or carry a gun in Iowa?

After a 2021 law change, no state permit is required to legally own or carry a “dangerous weapon,” including a loaded firearm.1 You can read the legal definition of a dangerous weapon in Iowa Code § 702.7 on our Selected Iowa Statutes page.2

If you are an Iowa resident, you can still get these permits, but they are optional.3

Even though a permit to carry a gun is optional in Iowa, a person can carry a gun only if they meet the permit requirements.4 To learn more about these requirements, go to the question Is it legal for an abuser to carry a gun?

1 See Iowa Code §§ 724.15(1); 724.5; see also Giffords Law Center, Licensing in Iowa
2 Iowa Code § 702.7
3 Iowa Code § 724.5; see also Iowa Department of Public Safety website
4 Iowa Code § 724.8B

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