Iowa Code

Iowa Code § 321K.1 (2026)

Roadblocks conducted by law enforcement agencies

✓ current as of July 2026

Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section IA-LEGlegis.iowa.gov JustiaTitle on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar

1. The law enforcement agencies of this state may conduct emergency vehicle roadblocks in response to immediate threats to the health, safety, and welfare of the public; and otherwise may conduct routine vehicle roadblocks only as provided in this section. Routine vehicle roadblocks may be conducted to enforce compliance with the law regarding any of the following: a. The licensing of operators of motor vehicles. b. The registration of motor vehicles. c. The safety equipment required on motor vehicles. d. The provisions of chapters 481A and 483A. 2. Any routine vehicle roadblock conducted under this section shall meet the following requirements: a. The location of the roadblock, the time during which the roadblock will be conducted, and the procedure to be used while conducting the roadblock, shall be determined by policymaking administrative officers of the law enforcement agency. b. The roadblock location shall be selected for its safety and visibility to oncoming motorists, and adequate advance warning signs, illuminated at night or under conditions of poor visibility, shall be erected to provide timely information to approaching motorists of the roadblock and its nature. c. There shall be uniformed officers and marked official vehicles of the law enforcement agency or agencies involved, in sufficient quantity and visibility to demonstrate the official nature of the roadblock. d. The selection of motor vehicles to be stopped shall not be arbitrary. e. The roadblock shall be conducted to assure the safety of and to minimize the inconvenience of the motorists involved. 3. A law enforcement agency conducting a roadblock in accordance with this section may require the driver to provide proof of financial liability coverage required under section 321.20B. 86 Acts, ch 1220, §23; 2003 Acts, ch 6, §4\n\nTue Dec 09 22:15:50 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 321K (16, 0)

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 3 cases, 1995–1999 · leading case: State v. Loyd, 530 N.W.2d 708 (Iowa 1995).

Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment

State v. Loyd, 530 N.W.2d 708 (Iowa 1995). · cites it 12× “She also claimed the roadblock was in violation of Iowa Code section 321K.1. At the suppression hearing, the parties stipulated that the only reason Loyd’s vehicle was stopped was because of the roadblock; there was no other probable cause to stop the vehicle.”

State v. Day, 528 N.W.2d 100 (Iowa 1995). · cites it 18× “Iowa Code § 321K.1. Subsection 321K.1(2) includes the requirements we held necessary for a roadblock to be constitutional in State v.”

State v. Nelson, 600 N.W.2d 598 (Iowa 1999). · cites it 2× “The motion attacked the legality of the roadblock, asserting the officers’ purported goal of checking for license and registration violations was, in fact, a mere pretense for snaring drunk drivers, all in violation of Iowa Code section 321K.1. Nelson also claimed the roadblock…”

— Iowa Code § 321K.1(1) — 1 case

State v. Day, 528 N.W.2d 100 (Iowa 1995). “Iowa Code § 321K.1. Subsection 321K.1(2) includes the requirements we held necessary for a roadblock to be constitutional in State v.”

— Iowa Code § 321K.1(2) — 2 cases

State v. Loyd, 530 N.W.2d 708 (Iowa 1995). “She also claimed the roadblock was in violation of Iowa Code section 321K.1. At the suppression hearing, the parties stipulated that the only reason Loyd’s vehicle was stopped was because of the roadblock; there was no other probable cause to stop the vehicle.”

State v. Day, 528 N.W.2d 100 (Iowa 1995). “Iowa Code § 321K.1. Subsection 321K.1(2) includes the requirements we held necessary for a roadblock to be constitutional in State v.”

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.