Iowa Code

Iowa Code § 542.14 (2026)

Injunction against unlawful acts, civil penalties, and consent agreements

✓ current as of July 2026

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1. If, as a result of an investigation under section 542.11 or otherwise, the board believes that a person or firm has engaged, or is about to engage, in an act or practice which constitutes or will constitute a violation of section 542.13 or 542.20, the board may make application to the district court for an order enjoining such act or practice. Upon a showing by the board that such person or firm has engaged, or is about to engage, in any such act or practice, an injunction, restraining order, or other order as may be appropriate shall be granted by the court.

2. In addition to a criminal penalty provided for in section 542.15, the board may issue an order to require compliance with section 542.13 or 542.20 or to revoke a practice privilege under section 542.20, and may impose a civil penalty not to exceed one thousand dollars for each offense upon a person who is not a licensee under this chapter and who engages in conduct prohibited by section 542.13 or 542.20. Each day of a continued violation constitutes a separate offense. The board may impose a penalty up to ten thousand dollars per violation against a firm that violates section 542.13 or 542.20.

3. The board, in determining the amount of a civil penalty to be imposed, may consider any of the following:

a. Whether the amount imposed will be a substantial economic deterrent to the violation.

b. The circumstances leading to the violation.

c. The severity of the violation and the risk of harm to the public.

d. The economic benefits gained by the violator as a result of noncompliance.

e. The interest of the public.

4. The board, before issuing an order under this section, shall provide the person written notice and the opportunity to request a hearing. The hearing must be requested within thirty days after receipt of the notice and shall be conducted in the same manner as provided for disciplinary proceedings involving a licensee under this chapter.

5. The board, in connection with a proceeding under this section, may issue subpoenas to compel the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the disclosure of evidence, and may request the attorney general to bring an action to enforce the subpoena.

6. A person aggrieved by the imposition of a civil penalty under this section may seek judicial review pursuant to section 17A.19.

7. If a person fails to pay a civil penalty within thirty days after entry of an order imposing the civil penalty, or if the order is stayed pending an appeal, within ten days after the court enters a final judgment in favor of the board, the board shall notify the attorney general. The attorney general may commence an action to recover the amount of the penalty, including reasonable attorney fees and costs.

8. An action to enforce an order under this section may be joined with an action for an injunction.

9. The board, in its discretion and in lieu of prosecuting a first offense under this section, may enter into a consent agreement with a violator, or with a person guilty of aiding or\n\nTue Dec 09 22:02:23 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 542 (30, 1) §542.14, PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS 20\n\nabetting a violator, which acknowledges the violation and the violator’s agreement to refrain from any further violations. 2001 Acts, ch 55, §14, 38; 2008 Acts, ch 1106, §13, 15 Referred to in §542.16, 542.20 \n

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 5 cases, 1981–1988 · leading case: Adam v. State, 380 N.W.2d 716 (Iowa 1986).

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Adam v. State, 380 N.W.2d 716 (Iowa 1986). · cites it 18× “Exemption sections 542.14 and 543.38. Section 542.14 of the grain dealer's act and section 543.”

Buckingham v. Fed. Land Bank Ass'n, 398 N.W.2d 873 (Iowa 1987). · cites it 2× “at 719-21 ; see Iowa Code §§ 542.14 , 543.38 (1975). Plaintiffs in Adam challenged the State’s right to rely on these provisions.”

Adam v. Mount Pleasant Bank & Trust Co., 340 N.W.2d 251 (Iowa 1983). “The State separately alleged that no such basis of liability exists under the statutes involved here, citing Iowa Code sections 542.14 and 543.38 (1981). This issue was raised in a motion to dismiss that was overruled and from which appeal was not sought.”

Stennett Elevator, Inc. v. State, 430 N.W.2d 122 (Iowa 1988). · cites it 5× “The district court granted summary judgment for the defendants on the ground that Iowa Code sections 542.14 (grain dealers) and 543.38 (warehouses) exempt the state from any claims of negligence in connection with the inspection and licensing procedures of Iowa Code chapters 542…”

Iowa State Com. Comm'n v. IGF Ins. Co., 309 N.W.2d 445 (Iowa 1981). “Although the State is under no obligation to collect the proceeds, see sections 542.14, 543.38, it may choose to collect on bonds payable to it for the benefit of others.”

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.