Iowa Code » Chapter 232 — JUVENILE JUSTICE
Iowa Code

Iowa Code § 232.69 (2026)

Mandatory and permissive reporters — training required

✓ current as of July 2026
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1. The classes of persons enumerated in this subsection shall make a report within twenty-four hours and as provided in section 232.70, of cases of child abuse. In addition, the classes of persons enumerated in this subsection shall make a report of abuse of a child which would be defined as child abuse under section 232.68, subsection 2, paragraph “a”, subparagraph (3) or (5), except that the abuse resulted from the acts or omissions of a person other than a person responsible for the care of the child. a. Every health practitioner who in the scope of professional practice, examines, attends, or treats a child and who reasonably believes the child has been abused. Notwithstanding section 139A.30, this provision applies to a health practitioner who receives information confirming that a child is infected with a sexually transmitted disease. b. Any of the following persons who, in the scope of professional practice or in their employment responsibilities, examines, attends, counsels, or treats a child and reasonably believes a child has suffered abuse: (1) A social worker. (2) An employee or operator of a public or private health care facility as defined in section 135C.1. (3) A certified psychologist. (4) A licensed school employee, certified para-educator, holder of a coaching authorization issued under section 256.165, school employee who is eighteen years of age or older, or an instructor employed by a community college. (5) An employee or operator of a licensed child care center, registered child development home, head start program, family development and self-sufficiency grant program under section 216A.107, or healthy opportunities for parents to experience success – healthy families Iowa program under section 135.106. (6) An employee or operator of a substance use disorder program or facility licensed under chapter 125. (7) An employee of a department institution listed in section 218.1. (8) An employee or operator of a juvenile detention or juvenile shelter care facility approved under section 232.142. (9) An employee or operator of a child foster care facility under chapter 237. (10) An employee or operator of a mental health center. (11) A peace officer. (12) A counselor or mental health professional. (13) An employee or operator of a provider of services to children funded under a federally approved medical assistance home and community-based services waiver. (14) An employee, operator, owner, or other person who performs duties for a children’s residential facility certified under chapter 237C. (15) A massage therapist licensed pursuant to chapter 152C. 2. Any other person who believes that a child has been abused may make a report as provided in section 232.70. 3. a. For the purposes of this subsection, “licensing board” means a board designated in section 147.13, the board of educational examiners created in section 256.146, or a licensing board as defined in section 272C.1. b. A person required to make a report under subsection 1, other than a physician whose professional practice does not regularly involve providing primary health care to children, shall complete the core training curriculum relating to the identification and reporting of child abuse within six months of initial employment or self-employment involving physical assessments or behavioral health evaluations, or attending, counseling, or treating children on a regular basis. Within one month of initial employment or self-employment, the person\n\nTue Dec 09 22:21:33 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 232 (92, 1) 51 JUVENILE JUSTICE, §232.70\n\nshall obtain a statement of the abuse reporting requirements from the person’s employer or, if self-employed, from the department. The person shall complete the core training curriculum relating to the identification and reporting of child abuse every three years. c. The core training curriculum relating to the identification and reporting of child abuse, as provided in paragraph “b”, shall be developed and provided by the department. d. An employer of a person required to make a report under subsection 1 may provide supplemental training, specific to identification and reporting of child abuse as it relates to the person’s professional practice, in addition to the core training provided by the department. e. A licensing board with authority over the license of a person required to make a report under subsection 1 shall require as a condition of licensure that the person is in compliance with the requirements for the core training curriculum relating to the identification and reporting of child abuse under this subsection. The licensing board shall require the person upon licensure renewal to accurately document for the licensing board the person’s completion of the training requirements. However, the licensing board may adopt rules providing for waiver or suspension of the compliance requirements, if the waiver or suspension is in the public interest, applicable to a person who is engaged in active duty in the military service of this state or of the United States, to a person for whom compliance with the training requirements would impose a significant hardship, or to a person who is practicing a licensed profession outside this state or is otherwise subject to circumstances that would preclude the person from encountering child abuse in this state. f. For persons required to make a report under subsection 1 who are not engaged in a licensed profession that is subject to the authority of a licensing board but are employed by a facility or program subject to licensure, registration, or approval by a state agency, the agency shall require as a condition of renewal of the facility’s or program’s licensure, registration, or approval, that such persons employed by the facility or program are in compliance with the training requirements of this subsection. g. For peace officers, the elected or appointed official designated as the head of the agency employing the peace officer shall ensure compliance with the training requirements of this subsection. h. For persons required to make a report under subsection 1 who are employees of state departments and political subdivisions of the state, the department director or the chief administrator of the political subdivision shall ensure the persons’ compliance with the training requirements of this subsection. [C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, §235A.3; C79, 81, §232.69] 83 Acts, ch 96, §157, 159; 84 Acts, ch 1279, §4, 6; 85 Acts, ch 173, §3 – 5; 87 Acts, ch 153, §3; 88 Acts, ch 1238, §1; 89 Acts, ch 89, §17; 89 Acts, ch 230, §5; 89 Acts, ch 265, §40; 94 Acts, ch 1130, §3; 97 Acts, ch 85, §1; 99 Acts, ch 192, §27, 33; 2000 Acts, ch 1066, §42; 2001 Acts, ch 122, §2, 3; 2002 Acts, ch 1047, §2, 20; 2002 Acts, ch 1142, §1, 31; 2005 Acts, ch 121, §2; 2007 Acts, ch 10, §164, 165; 2008 Acts, ch 1072, §3; 2013 Acts, ch 129, §54; 2018 Acts, ch 1113, §1; 2019 Acts, ch 91, §2, 3; 2022 Acts, ch 1078, §2; 2023 Acts, ch 19, §607; 2023 Acts, ch 95, §1, 2; 2024 Acts, ch 1075, §5; 2025 Acts, ch 86, §21; 2025 Acts, ch 135, §4 Referred to in §135H.13, 152C.3, 232.68, 232.70, 232.75, 232.77, 237.9, 237A.5, 256.165, 907.3, 915.35 Subsection 1, paragraph b, subparagraph (9) amended Subsection 3, paragraph b amended

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Notes of Decisions
Cited in 27 cases (4 in the last 5 years), 1979–2023 · leading case: State v. Anderson, 636 N.W.2d 26 (Iowa 2001).
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State v. Anderson, 636 N.W.2d 26 (Iowa 2001). · cites it 17× “Iowa Code § 232.69 (2).(Supp.1997). Furthermore, our legislature has continued to distinguish between mandatory and permissive reporters.”
State of Iowa v. Bradley Elroy Wickes, 910 N.W.2d 554 (Iowa 2018). · cites it 4× “However, this sentencing discretion "does not apply to a forcible felony or to a violation of chapter 709 committed by a person who is a mandatory reporter of child abuse under section 232.69 in which the victim is a person who is under the age of eighteen.”
State of Iowa v. Patrick Ryan Nicoletto, 845 N.W.2d 421 (Iowa 2014). · cites it 14× “Iowa Code § 232.69 (1)(b)(4) (2009). Yet, now, under the majority’s interpretation of section 709.”
Wilson v. Darr, 553 N.W.2d 579 (Iowa 1996). · cites it 8× “Iowa Code § 232.69 (3). The record reflects that Darr and Taylor had received that training.”
State v. Tracy, 482 N.W.2d 675 (Iowa 1992). · cites it 2× “at 438 ; see Iowa Code § 232.69 (1)(a) (1991). "Information that the abuser is a member of the household is therefore `reasonably pertinent' to a course of *682 treatment which includes removing the child from the home.”
United States v. Harvey M. Renville, 779 F.2d 430 (8th Cir. 1985). “§ 42-808 (1977); Iowa Code § 232.69 (l)(a) (1985); Mo.Rev.”
Shannon & Danny NELSON, Individually, & on Behalf of E.N. F/K/A E.N., a Minor, Appellees, v. Lynn M. LINDAMAN, Lynn M. Lindaman, M.D., P.L.C. D/B/A Lindaman Orthopaedic, & Mercy Med. Ctr.—Des Moines, Appellants, 867 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 2015). “§§ 232.69–.77. Knowing and willful violations of reporting obligations are a simple misdemeanor, id.”
McCracken v. Iowa Dep't of Human Servs., 595 N.W.2d 779 (Iowa 1999). · cites it 4× “See Iowa Code §§ 232.69 , 232.70, 232.71. Once the department receives what the statute terms “a child abuse allegation,” the law provides that the department, with one exception not applicable here, “shall promptly commence an appropriate investigation.”
Gordon Ex Rel. Gordon v. Ottumwa Cmty. Sch. Dist., 115 F. Supp. 2d 1077 (S.D. Iowa 2000). · cites it 2× “Iowa Code § 232.69 (l)(b) identifies those persons, including “a licensed school employee” who are mandatory reporters of reasonably suspected child abuse.”
In Re the Marriage of Carrico, 284 N.W.2d 251 (Iowa 1979). · cites it 2× “A child abuse report was filed, pursuant to section 232.69, The Code 1979, and Kathleen was blamed for the injury.”
Maples v. Siddiqui, 450 N.W.2d 529 (Iowa 1990). · cites it 2× “Siddiqui and/or the hospital pursuant to Iowa Code §§ 232.69 -.71, or was due to a removal without a court order pursuant to Iowa Code § 232.”
State v. Henneberry, 558 N.W.2d 708 (Iowa 1997). · cites it 2× “, Iowa Code § 232.69 (l)(a) (mandatory reporting of child abuse); id.”
Show all 27 citing cases →
— Iowa Code § 232.69(1) — 4 cases
State of Iowa v. Patrick Ryan Nicoletto, 845 N.W.2d 421 (Iowa 2014). “Iowa Code § 232.69 (1)(b)(4) (2009). Yet, now, under the majority’s interpretation of section 709.”
State v. Anderson, 636 N.W.2d 26 (Iowa 2001). “Iowa Code § 232.69 (2).(Supp.1997). Furthermore, our legislature has continued to distinguish between mandatory and permissive reporters.”
M.W. v. J.W. (Iowa Ct. App. 2020).
State of Iowa v. Joshua G. Chapalonis (Iowa Ct. App. 2021).
— Iowa Code § 232.69(1)(a) — 1 case
Andrew Lennette, Individually & on behalf of C.L., O.L., & S.L., Minors v. Grace C. Mae Advocate Ctr., Inc. (Iowa Ct. App. 2021).
— Iowa Code § 232.69(1)(b)(4) — 1 case
State of Iowa v. Patrick Ryan Nicoletto, 845 N.W.2d 421 (Iowa 2014). “Iowa Code § 232.69 (1)(b)(4) (2009). Yet, now, under the majority’s interpretation of section 709.”
— Iowa Code § 232.69(2) — 3 cases
State v. Anderson, 636 N.W.2d 26 (Iowa 2001). “Iowa Code § 232.69 (2).(Supp.1997). Furthermore, our legislature has continued to distinguish between mandatory and permissive reporters.”
Iowa Dep't of Soc. Servs. v. Blair, 294 N.W.2d 567 (Iowa 1980).
State of Iowa v. Joshua G. Chapalonis (Iowa Ct. App. 2021).
— Iowa Code § 232.69(l)(a) — 1 case
State v. Anderson, 636 N.W.2d 26 (Iowa 2001). “Iowa Code § 232.69 (2).(Supp.1997). Furthermore, our legislature has continued to distinguish between mandatory and permissive reporters.”
— Iowa Code § 232.69(l)(b)(6) — 1 case
State v. Anderson, 636 N.W.2d 26 (Iowa 2001). “Iowa Code § 232.69 (2).(Supp.1997). Furthermore, our legislature has continued to distinguish between mandatory and permissive reporters.”
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