For purposes of this chapter, unless a different meaning is clearly indicated by the context:
1. “Department” means the department of justice.
2. “Domestic abuse” means committing assault as defined in section 708.1 under any of
the following circumstances:
a. The assault is between family or household members who resided together at the time
of the assault.
b. The assault is between separated spouses or persons divorced from each other and not
residing together at the time of the assault.
c. The assault is between persons who are parents of the same minor child, regardless of
whether they have been married or have lived together at any time.
d. The assault is between persons who have been family or household members residing
together within the past year and are not residing together at the time of the assault.
e. (1) The assault is between persons who are in an intimate relationship or have been
in an intimate relationship and have had contact within the past year of the assault. In
determining whether persons are or have been in an intimate relationship, the court may
consider the following nonexclusive list of factors:
(a) The duration of the relationship.
(b) The frequency of interaction.
(c) Whether the relationship has been terminated.
(d) The nature of the relationship, characterized by either party’s expectation of sexual
or romantic involvement.
(2) A person may be involved in an intimate relationship with more than one person at a
time.
\n
Tue Dec 09 22:20:44 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 236 (31, 0)
§236.2, DOMESTIC ABUSE 2\n\n 3. “Emergency shelter services” include but are not limited to secure crisis shelters or
housing for victims of domestic abuse.
4. a. “Family or household members” means spouses, persons cohabiting, parents, or
other persons related by consanguinity or affinity.
b. “Family or household members” does not include children under age eighteen of
persons listed in paragraph “a”.
5. “Intimate relationship” means a significant romantic involvement that need not include
sexual involvement. An intimate relationship does not include casual social relationships or
associations in a business or professional capacity.
6. “Plaintiff” includes a person filing an action on behalf of an unemancipated minor.
7. “Pro se” means a person proceeding on the person’s own behalf without legal
representation.
8. “Support services” include but are not limited to legal services, counseling services,
transportation services, child care services, and advocacy services.
[C81, §236.2]
85 Acts, ch 175, §2; 87 Acts, ch 154, §1; 89 Acts, ch 279, §2, 3; 91 Acts, ch 218, §4; 93 Acts,
ch 157, §1; 95 Acts, ch 180, §7; 2002 Acts, ch 1004, §1, 2; 2003 Acts, ch 44, §52; 2009 Acts, ch
41, §263
Referred to in §9E.2, 135B.7, 236.5, 236.13, 507B.4, 598.41, 598C.305, 611.23, 708.2A, 708.2B, 804.7
\n
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
142
cases (
41 in the last 5 years), 1991–2026 · leading case:
State v. Taylor, 689 N.W.2d 116 (Iowa 2004).
State v. Taylor, 689 N.W.2d 116 (Iowa 2004).
· cites it 6× “See Iowa Code § 236.2 (2)(6). Because Taylor’s assault was found to have resulted in bodily injury, his offense was punished as a serious misdemeanor.”
State v. Kellogg, 542 N.W.2d 514 (Iowa 1996).
· cites it 12× “” Iowa Code § 236.2 (4) (emphasis added). This case was tried under the provisions of sections 236.”
State of Iowa v. Harry Jay Perkins Jr., 875 N.W.2d 190 (Iowa Ct. App. 2015).
· cites it 12× “See Iowa Code § 236.2 (2)(a), (d). He had never been married to Camilla and did not have any children with her.”
In Re Marriage of Hynick, 727 N.W.2d 575 (Iowa 2007).
· cites it 4× “See generally Iowa Code § 236.2 (defining “domestic abuse”).”
Bacon Ex Rel. Bacon v. Bacon, 567 N.W.2d 414 (Iowa 1997).
· cites it 4× “See generally Iowa Code § 236.2 . Presumably, the legislature did not include this class of persons because children under eighteen are juveniles subject to the child in need of assistance provisions of the juvenile code when the child has been physically abused.”
In Re the Marriage of Gensley, 777 N.W.2d 705 (Iowa Ct. App. 2009).
· cites it 2× “Whether a history of domestic abuse, as defined in section 236.2, exists .... Iowa Code § 598.”
In Re the Marriage of Ford, 563 N.W.2d 629 (Iowa 1997).
· cites it 5× “Whether a history of domestic abuse, as defined in section 236.2, exists. In determining whether a history of domestic abuse exists, the court’s consideration shall include, but is not limited to, commencement of an action pursuant to section 236.”
Smith v. Smith, 513 N.W.2d 728 (Iowa 1994).
· cites it 4× “In support of this allegation Michael cites Iowa Code section 236.2(2) which defines domestic abuse as “committing assault as defined in section 708.”
State v. Williams, 695 N.W.2d 23 (Iowa 2005).
“§ 236.2(2) (defining domestic abuse). Thus, the fighting issue throughout the trial was whether Williams choked Raegen or she falsely accused him of choking her.”
Livingood v. Negrete, 547 N.W.2d 196 (Iowa 1996).
· cites it 8× “” Iowa Code section 236.2(2) provides, in pertinent part: “Domestic abuse” means committing assault as defined in section 708.”
— Iowa Code § 236.2(1)(a) — 1 case
— Iowa Code § 236.2(2) — 25 cases
State v. Taylor, 689 N.W.2d 116 (Iowa 2004).
“See Iowa Code § 236.2 (2)(6). Because Taylor’s assault was found to have resulted in bodily injury, his offense was punished as a serious misdemeanor.”
State of Iowa v. Harry Jay Perkins Jr., 875 N.W.2d 190 (Iowa Ct. App. 2015).
“See Iowa Code § 236.2 (2)(a), (d). He had never been married to Camilla and did not have any children with her.”
Smith v. Smith, 513 N.W.2d 728 (Iowa 1994).
“In support of this allegation Michael cites Iowa Code section 236.2(2) which defines domestic abuse as “committing assault as defined in section 708.”
State v. Williams, 695 N.W.2d 23 (Iowa 2005).
“§ 236.2(2) (defining domestic abuse). Thus, the fighting issue throughout the trial was whether Williams choked Raegen or she falsely accused him of choking her.”
— Iowa Code § 236.2(2)(a) — 13 cases
State v. Kellogg, 542 N.W.2d 514 (Iowa 1996).
“” Iowa Code § 236.2 (4) (emphasis added). This case was tried under the provisions of sections 236.”
Livingood v. Negrete, 547 N.W.2d 196 (Iowa 1996).
“” Iowa Code section 236.2(2) provides, in pertinent part: “Domestic abuse” means committing assault as defined in section 708.”
— Iowa Code § 236.2(2)(b) — 2 cases
State of Iowa v. Harry Jay Perkins Jr., 875 N.W.2d 190 (Iowa Ct. App. 2015).
“See Iowa Code § 236.2 (2)(a), (d). He had never been married to Camilla and did not have any children with her.”
— Iowa Code § 236.2(2)(c) — 5 cases
— Iowa Code § 236.2(2)(d) — 4 cases
— Iowa Code § 236.2(2)(e) — 7 cases
State of Iowa v. Harry Jay Perkins Jr., 875 N.W.2d 190 (Iowa Ct. App. 2015).
“See Iowa Code § 236.2 (2)(a), (d). He had never been married to Camilla and did not have any children with her.”
— Iowa Code § 236.2(2)(e)(1) — 3 cases
— Iowa Code § 236.2(2)(e)(1)(a) — 1 case
— Iowa Code § 236.2(4) — 6 cases
Livingood v. Negrete, 547 N.W.2d 196 (Iowa 1996).
“” Iowa Code section 236.2(2) provides, in pertinent part: “Domestic abuse” means committing assault as defined in section 708.”
— Iowa Code § 236.2(4)(a) — 5 cases
— Iowa Code § 236.2(4)(b) — 5 cases
— Iowa Code § 236.2(5) — 1 case
— Iowa Code § 236.2(b) — 1 case
— Iowa Code § 236.2(c) — 2 cases
In Re the Marriage of Ford, 563 N.W.2d 629 (Iowa 1997).
“Whether a history of domestic abuse, as defined in section 236.2, exists. In determining whether a history of domestic abuse exists, the court’s consideration shall include, but is not limited to, commencement of an action pursuant to section 236.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.