Iowa Code

Iowa Code § 22.1 (2026)

Definitions

✓ current as of July 2026

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As used in this chapter: 1. “Government body” means this state, or any county, city, township, school corporation, political subdivision, tax-supported district, nonprofit corporation other than a fair conducting a fair event as provided in chapter 174, whose facilities or indebtedness are supported in whole or in part with property tax revenue and which is licensed to conduct pari-mutuel wagering pursuant to chapter 99D; the governing body of a drainage or levee district as provided in chapter 468, including a board as defined in section 468.3, regardless of how the district is organized; or other entity of this state, or any branch, department, board, bureau, commission, council, committee, official, or officer of any of the foregoing or any employee delegated the responsibility for implementing the requirements of this chapter. 2. “Lawful custodian” means the government body currently in physical possession of the public record. The custodian of a public record in the physical possession of persons outside a government body is the government body owning that record. The records relating to the investment of public funds are the property of the public body responsible for the public funds. Each government body shall delegate to particular officials or employees of that government body the responsibility for implementing the requirements of this chapter and shall publicly announce the particular officials or employees to whom responsibility for implementing the requirements of this chapter has been delegated. “Lawful custodian” does not mean an automated data processing unit of a public body if the data processing unit holds the records solely as the agent of another public body, nor does it mean a unit which holds the records of other public bodies solely for storage. 3. a. “Public records” includes all records, documents, tape, or other information, stored or preserved in any medium, of or belonging to this state or any county, city, township, school corporation, political subdivision, nonprofit corporation other than a fair conducting a fair event as provided in chapter 174, whose facilities or indebtedness are supported in whole or in part with property tax revenue and which is licensed to conduct pari-mutuel wagering pursuant to chapter 99D, or tax-supported district in this state, or any branch, department, board, bureau, commission, council, or committee of any of the foregoing. b. “Public records” also includes all records relating to the investment of public funds

Tue Dec 09 22:32:25 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 22 (47, 1) §22.1, EXAMINATION OF PUBLIC RECORDS (OPEN RECORDS) 2\n\nincluding but not limited to investment policies, instructions, trading orders, or contracts, whether in the custody of the public body responsible for the public funds or a fiduciary or other third party. [C71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §68A.1] 84 Acts, ch 1145, §1; 84 Acts, ch 1185, §1 C85, §22.1 90 Acts, ch 1271, §702; 91 Acts, ch 258, §27; 92 Acts, ch 1156, §6, 7; 2004 Acts, ch 1019, §2; 2005 Acts, ch 19, §15, 126; 2009 Acts, ch 132, §2; 2009 Acts, ch 179, §32; 2010 Acts, ch 1061, §180; 2017 Acts, ch 29, §20 Referred to in §8A.101, 23.2, 204A.5, 455B.117, 521J.1, 543E.5, 618.8, 618.11, 618.18, 618.19, 721.1

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 40 cases (11 in the last 5 years), 1973–2026 · leading case: Des Moines Register & Tribune Co. v. Dwyer, 542 N.W.2d 491 (Iowa 1996).

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Des Moines Register & Tribune Co. v. Dwyer, 542 N.W.2d 491 (Iowa 1996). · cites it 12× “" In section 22.1(1) the legislature carefully defined the term "governmental body" to include state government.”

State of Iowa v. Deantay Darelle Williams, 895 N.W.2d 856 (Iowa 2017). · cites it 2× “Shambie Singer, Statutes and Statutory Construction § 22.1, at 245–47 (7th ed. 2009). 4 4The majority cites a cryptic passage from an article written by Professor Yeager and Professor Carlson suggesting they intended no significant changes of the speedy indictment provisions in…”

State v. Truesdell, 679 N.W.2d 611 (Iowa 2004). · cites it 2× “Singer, Statutes and Statutory Construction § 22.1, at 240-41 (6th ed.2002). The existence of this presumption is enhanced "when the amendment follows a contrary.”

Press-Citizen Co., Inc. v. Univ. of Iowa, 817 N.W.2d 480 (Iowa 2012). · cites it 4× “Iowa Code §§ 22.1 (3), .2(1); see also City of Riverdale v.”

Est. of Michael G. Cox II by Executors, Joleen Cox & Michael G. Cox Sr., & Joleen Cox, Individually & Michael G. Cox Sr., Individually. v. Dunakey & Klatt, P.C. N/K/A Klatt, Odekirk, Augustine, Sayer, Treinen & Rastede, P.C., 893 N.W.2d 295 (Iowa 2017). · cites it 2× “Next, the Coxes contend the district court abused its discretion in sealing portions of the court record relating to the mediation and follow-up settlement negotiations.”

KMEG Television, Inc. v. Iowa State Bd. of Regents, 440 N.W.2d 382 (Iowa 1989). · cites it 6× “Iowa Code section 22.1 defines “public records” to include all records .”

Gannon v. Bd. of Regents, 692 N.W.2d 31 (Iowa 2005). · cites it 2× ““Public records ” also includes all records relating to the investment of public funds including but not limited to investment policies, instructions, trading orders, or contracts, whether in the custody of the public body responsible for the public funds or a fiduciary or other…”

Jud. Branch & State Court Adm'r v. Iowa Dist. Court for Linn Cnty., 800 N.W.2d 569 (Iowa 2011). · cites it 2× “See Iowa Code § 22.1 (3) (Supp.2009) (defining “public records” to include “all records, documents, tape, or other information, stored or preserved in any medium, of or belonging to this state .”

Dr. Allen Diercks & Patricia Lane v. Craig Malin, Davenport City Adm'r, City of Davenport, Iowa, an Iowa Mun. Corp., & Jackie E. Holecek, Davenport City Deputy Clerk, 894 N.W.2d 12 (Iowa Ct. App. 2016). · cites it 4× “public records, and whether the City “refused” to make them available to the plaintiffs.”

Smith v. Iowa Bd. of Med. Examiners, 729 N.W.2d 822 (Iowa 2007). · cites it 2× “The district court stated the Board’s arguments as follows: [The Board] argues that the original Notice of Denial was a public record under Iowa Code § 22.1 (2003), that states that all information in the State’s possession is a public record unless exempt under Iowa Code § 22.”

US West Commc'ns, Inc. v. Off. of Consum. Advocate, 498 N.W.2d 711 (Iowa 1993). · cites it 2× “The definition of public records is found in Iowa Code section 22.1 and includes “all records, documents stored or preserved in any medium, of or belonging to this state.”

Iowa Film Prod. Servs. Mississippi Films, Inc. Polynation Pictures, Inc. Field of Screams, LLC Underground Films, Inc. Ticket Out Prods. Tricoast Iowa Prods., LLC Gpx Dev., LLC September Prods. LLC Lucky Mp, LLC & Recess Film Prod., LLC v. Iowa Dep't of Econ. Dev., 818 N.W.2d 207 (Iowa 2012). · cites it 2× “See Iowa Code §§ 22.1 (3), .2(1). “The purpose of the statute is ‘to open the doors of government to public scrutiny [and] to prevent government from secreting its decision-making activities from the public, on whose behalf it is its duty to act.”

Show all 40 citing cases →

— Iowa Code § 22.1(1) — 3 cases

Des Moines Register & Tribune Co. v. Dwyer, 542 N.W.2d 491 (Iowa 1996). “" In section 22.1(1) the legislature carefully defined the term "governmental body" to include state government.”

Dr. Allen Diercks v. The City of Bettendorf, Iowa, & Kristine Stone (Iowa Ct. App. 2019).

Jeremy Chedester & Chedester Props., LLC v. City of Newton, Iowa (Iowa Ct. App. 2026).

— Iowa Code § 22.1(2) — 8 cases

Dr. Allen Diercks & Patricia Lane v. Craig Malin, Davenport City Adm'r, City of Davenport, Iowa, an Iowa Mun. Corp., & Jackie E. Holecek, Davenport City Deputy Clerk, 894 N.W.2d 12 (Iowa Ct. App. 2016). “public records, and whether the City “refused” to make them available to the plaintiffs.”

Jeremy Chedester & Chedester Props., LLC v. City of Newton, Iowa (Iowa Ct. App. 2026).

Dr. Allen Diercks v. The City of Bettendorf, Iowa, & Kristine Stone (Iowa Ct. App. 2019).

Polly Carver-Kimm v. Kim Reynolds, Pat Garrett, & State of Iowa & Gerd Clabaugh, Sarah Reisetter, & Susan Dixon (Iowa 2023).

— Iowa Code § 22.1(3) — 7 cases

Des Moines Register & Tribune Co. v. Dwyer, 542 N.W.2d 491 (Iowa 1996). “" In section 22.1(1) the legislature carefully defined the term "governmental body" to include state government.”

DeLaMater v. Marion Civil Serv. Comm'n, 554 N.W.2d 875 (Iowa 1996).

Rathmann v. Bd. of Directors of the Davenport Cmty. Sch. Dist., 580 N.W.2d 773 (Iowa 1998).

State v. Barnholtz, 613 N.W.2d 218 (Iowa 2000).

Dr. Allen Diercks v. The City of Bettendorf, Iowa, & Kristine Stone (Iowa Ct. App. 2019).

— Iowa Code § 22.1(3)(a) — 5 cases

Dr. Allen Diercks v. The City of Bettendorf, Iowa, & Kristine Stone (Iowa Ct. App. 2019).

Laura Belin, Bleeding Heartland LLC, Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch, Randy Evans, & Iowa Freedom of Info. Council v. Governor Kim Reynolds, Michael Boal, Pat Garrett, Alex Murphy, & Off. of The Governor of the State of Iowa (Iowa 2023).

Kirkwood Inst., Inc. v. Iowa Auditor of State Rob Sand, John McCormally, & Off. of the Auditor of State (Iowa 2024).

Hendrik Christiaan Van Pelt v. Iowa Pub. Info. Bd. (Iowa Ct. App. 2026).

— Iowa Code § 22.1(3)(b) — 2 cases

Dr. Allen Diercks & Patricia Lane v. Craig Malin, Davenport City Adm'r, City of Davenport, Iowa, an Iowa Mun. Corp., & Jackie E. Holecek, Davenport City Deputy Clerk, 894 N.W.2d 12 (Iowa Ct. App. 2016). “public records, and whether the City “refused” to make them available to the plaintiffs.”

Dr. Allen Diercks v. The City of Bettendorf, Iowa, & Kristine Stone (Iowa Ct. App. 2019).

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