1. A termination of parental rights under this chapter shall, unless provided otherwise in this section, be ordered only after notice has been served on all necessary parties and these parties have been given an opportunity to be heard before the juvenile court except that notice need not be served on the petitioner or on any necessary party who is the spouse of the petitioner. “Necessary party” means any person whose name, residence, and domicile are required to be included on the petition under section 600A.5, subsection 3, paragraphs “a” and “b”, and any putative father who files a declaration of paternity in accordance with section 144.12A, or any unknown putative father, if any, except a biological parent who has been convicted of having sexually abused the other biological parent while not cohabiting with that parent as husband and wife, thereby producing the birth of the child who is the subject of the termination proceedings.
2. a. Prior to the service of notice on the necessary parties, the juvenile court shall appoint a guardian ad litem for a minor child if the child does not have a guardian or if the interests of the guardian conflict with the interests of the child. Such guardian ad litem shall be a necessary party under subsection 1 of this section.
b. A person who is appointed as a guardian ad litem for a minor child shall not also be the attorney for any party other than the minor child in any proceeding involving the minor child. The guardian ad litem may make an independent investigation of the interest of the child and may cause witnesses to appear before the court to provide testimony relevant to the best interest of the minor child.
3. Notice under this section may be served personally or constructively, as specified under subsections 4 and 5. This notice shall state:
a. The time and place of the hearing on termination of parental rights.
b. A clear statement of the purpose of the action and hearing.
c. A statement that the person against whom a proceeding for termination of parental rights is brought shall have the right to counsel pursuant to section 600A.6A.
4. A necessary party whose identity and location or address is known shall be served in accordance with rule of civil procedure 1.305 or sent by certified mail restricted delivery, whichever is determined to be the most effective means of notification. Such notice shall be served according to the rules of civil procedure relating to an original notice where not inconsistent with the provisions of this section. Notice pursuant to rule of civil procedure 1.305 shall be served not less than seven days prior to the hearing on termination of parental rights. Notice by certified mail restricted delivery shall be sent not less than fourteen days prior to the hearing on termination of parental rights. A notice by certified mail restricted delivery which is refused by the necessary party being noticed shall be sufficient notice to that party under this section. Acceptance of notice by the necessary party shall satisfy the requirements of this subsection.
5. A necessary party whose identity is known but whose location or address is unknown or all unknown putative fathers, if any, shall be served by published notice in the form provided in this subsection. If the identity of a necessary party is known but the location of the necessary party is unknown, notice by publication shall also include the name of the necessary party. The child’s actual or expected date of birth and place of birth shall also be stated in the notice. Notice by publication shall be served according to the rules of civil procedure relating to an original notice where not inconsistent with the provisions of this section. Notice by publication shall be published once a week for two consecutive weeks in\n\nTue Dec 09 21:59:52 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 600A (43, 0) 7 TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS, §600A.6B\n\na medium which is reasonably expected to provide notice to the necessary party, the last publication to be not less than three days prior to the hearing on termination of parental rights. The notice shall be substantially in the following form: TO: ................................ (OR) ALL PUTATIVE FATHERS OF A CHILD (EXPECTED TO BE) BORN ON THE ............ DAY OF ...................., ............, IN ........................, IOWA. You are notified that there is now on file in the office of the clerk of court for ........................ county, a petition in case number ............, which prays for a termination of your parent-child relationship to a child (expected to be) born on the ............ day of ...................., ............. For further details contact the clerk’s office. The petitioner’s attorney is ................................. You are notified that there will be a hearing on the petition to terminate parental rights before the Iowa District Court for ........................ County, at the Courthouse in ............................, Iowa, at .........M. on the ............ day of ...................., ........ CLERK OF THE ABOVE COURT
6. Proof of service of notice in the manner prescribed shall be filed with the juvenile court prior to the hearing on termination of parental rights. [C66, 71, 73, 75, §232.44, 232.45; C77, 79, 81, §600A.6] 94 Acts, ch 1046, §21; 94 Acts, ch 1174, §16 – 18, 22; 96 Acts, ch 1174, §8; 97 Acts, ch 173, §15; 2005 Acts, ch 107, §3, 14; 2013 Acts, ch 30, §261 Referred to in §233.2, 600A.6C, 600A.8 \n
Notes of Decisions
In the Interest of D.W.K., 365 N.W.2d 32 (Iowa 1985).
· cites it 2× “A parent does not object to the termination although every reasonable effort has been made to identify, locate and give notice to that parent as required in section 600A.6.”
Klobnock Ex Rel. Abbott, 303 N.W.2d 149 (Iowa 1981).
· cites it 2× “§ 600A.6(2). At trial, on October 8, 1979, Michael resisted the termination.”
In the Interest of R.E., 462 N.W.2d 723 (Iowa Ct. App. 1990).
· cites it 3× “Iowa Code § 600A.6(5) provides for termination after notice by publication to a necessary party who cannot be located.”
In the Interest of J.L.W., 496 N.W.2d 280 (Iowa Ct. App. 1992).
· cites it 2× “A parent does not object to the termination although every reasonable effort has been made to identify, locate and give notice to that parent as required in section 600A.6. Iowa Code § 600A.8 (1991).”
A.L. v. S.B.B., 345 N.W.2d 147 (Iowa Ct. App. 1983).
· cites it 2× “Under Iowa Code section 600A.6(2), the juvenile court is directed to “appoint a guardian ad litem for a minor if the child does not have a guardian or if the interests of the guardian conflict with the interest of the child.”
In the Interest of J.V., Minor Child (Iowa Ct. App. 2022).
· cites it 11× “It was improper to hold the termination hearing without proof in the record the mother received notice of the information required by section 600A.6. See In re M.S., No. 17-1174, 2018 WL 4627819 , at *2–3 (Iowa Ct.”
In the Interest of M.S. & J.S., Minor Child. (Iowa Ct. App. 2026).
· cites it 8× “§ 600A.6(1). This recognizes that a chapter 600A proceeding between two adversarial parents affects not just the parents’ interests but also the interests of the children—whose relationship with one parent is permanently severed.”
In the Interest of E.E., Minor Child (Iowa Ct. App. 2021).
· cites it 6× “Notice requirements for the termination of parental rights hearing under Iowa Code chapter 600A are clearly laid out in section 600A.6. Generally, publication is achieved by personal service as described in Iowa Rule of Civil Procedure 1.”
In the Interest of L.A. & L.A., Minor Child. (Iowa Ct. App. 2024).
· cites it 4× “Proof of Service The father first claims there was no proof of service of notice filed with the juvenile court before the termination hearing, as required by Iowa Code section 600A.6. He is correct—and counsel should have brought this notice issue to the court’s attention.”
— Iowa Code § 600A.6(1) — 5 cases
In the Interest of J.V., Minor Child (Iowa Ct. App. 2022).
“It was improper to hold the termination hearing without proof in the record the mother received notice of the information required by section 600A.6. See In re M.S., No. 17-1174, 2018 WL 4627819 , at *2–3 (Iowa Ct.”
In the Interest of L.A. & L.A., Minor Child. (Iowa Ct. App. 2024).
“Proof of Service The father first claims there was no proof of service of notice filed with the juvenile court before the termination hearing, as required by Iowa Code section 600A.6. He is correct—and counsel should have brought this notice issue to the court’s attention.”
In the Interest of M.S. & J.S., Minor Child. (Iowa Ct. App. 2026).
“§ 600A.6(1). This recognizes that a chapter 600A proceeding between two adversarial parents affects not just the parents’ interests but also the interests of the children—whose relationship with one parent is permanently severed.”
— Iowa Code § 600A.6(2) — 5 cases
Klobnock Ex Rel. Abbott, 303 N.W.2d 149 (Iowa 1981).
“§ 600A.6(2). At trial, on October 8, 1979, Michael resisted the termination.”
A.L. v. S.B.B., 345 N.W.2d 147 (Iowa Ct. App. 1983).
“Under Iowa Code section 600A.6(2), the juvenile court is directed to “appoint a guardian ad litem for a minor if the child does not have a guardian or if the interests of the guardian conflict with the interest of the child.”
In the Interest of M.S. & J.S., Minor Child. (Iowa Ct. App. 2026).
“§ 600A.6(1). This recognizes that a chapter 600A proceeding between two adversarial parents affects not just the parents’ interests but also the interests of the children—whose relationship with one parent is permanently severed.”
— Iowa Code § 600A.6(2)(a) — 2 cases
In the Interest of M.S. & J.S., Minor Child. (Iowa Ct. App. 2026).
“§ 600A.6(1). This recognizes that a chapter 600A proceeding between two adversarial parents affects not just the parents’ interests but also the interests of the children—whose relationship with one parent is permanently severed.”
— Iowa Code § 600A.6(2)(b) — 2 cases
In the Interest of M.S. & J.S., Minor Child. (Iowa Ct. App. 2026).
“§ 600A.6(1). This recognizes that a chapter 600A proceeding between two adversarial parents affects not just the parents’ interests but also the interests of the children—whose relationship with one parent is permanently severed.”
— Iowa Code § 600A.6(3) — 3 cases
In the Interest of J.V., Minor Child (Iowa Ct. App. 2022).
“It was improper to hold the termination hearing without proof in the record the mother received notice of the information required by section 600A.6. See In re M.S., No. 17-1174, 2018 WL 4627819 , at *2–3 (Iowa Ct.”
— Iowa Code § 600A.6(3)(a) — 2 cases
In the Interest of J.V., Minor Child (Iowa Ct. App. 2022).
“It was improper to hold the termination hearing without proof in the record the mother received notice of the information required by section 600A.6. See In re M.S., No. 17-1174, 2018 WL 4627819 , at *2–3 (Iowa Ct.”
— Iowa Code § 600A.6(3)(c) — 1 case
— Iowa Code § 600A.6(4) — 2 cases
In the Interest of E.E., Minor Child (Iowa Ct. App. 2021).
“Notice requirements for the termination of parental rights hearing under Iowa Code chapter 600A are clearly laid out in section 600A.6. Generally, publication is achieved by personal service as described in Iowa Rule of Civil Procedure 1.”
— Iowa Code § 600A.6(5) — 1 case
In the Interest of R.E., 462 N.W.2d 723 (Iowa Ct. App. 1990).
“Iowa Code § 600A.6(5) provides for termination after notice by publication to a necessary party who cannot be located.”
— Iowa Code § 600A.6(6) — 1 case
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