Iowa Code

Iowa Code § 631.1 (2026)

Small claims — jurisdiction

✓ current as of July 2026

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1. The following actions or claims are small claims and shall be commenced, heard and determined as provided in this chapter: a. A civil action for a money judgment where the amount in controversy is five thousand dollars or less for actions commenced before July 1, 2018, exclusive of interest and costs. b. A civil action for a money judgment where the amount in controversy is six thousand five hundred dollars or less for actions commenced on or after July 1, 2018, exclusive of interest and costs. 2. The district court sitting in small claims shall have concurrent jurisdiction of an action for forcible entry and detainer which is based on those grounds set forth in section 648.1, subsections 1, 2, 3 and 5. When commenced under this chapter, the action shall be a small claim for the purposes of this chapter. 3. The district court sitting in small claims has concurrent jurisdiction of an action of replevin if the value of the property claimed is five thousand dollars or less for actions commenced before July 1, 2018, and six thousand five hundred dollars or less for actions commenced on or after July 1, 2018. When commenced under this chapter, the action is a small claim for the purposes of this chapter. 4. The district court sitting in small claims has concurrent jurisdiction of motions and orders relating to executions against personal property, including garnishments, where the value of the property or garnisheed money involved is five thousand dollars or less for actions commenced before July 1, 2018, and six thousand five hundred dollars or less for actions commenced on or after July 1, 2018. 5. The district court sitting in small claims has concurrent jurisdiction of an action for abandonment of a manufactured or mobile home or personal property pursuant to section 555B.3, if no money judgment in excess of five thousand dollars is sought for actions commenced before July 1, 2018, and six thousand five hundred dollars or less for actions commenced on or after July 1, 2018. If commenced under this chapter, the action is a small claim for the purposes of this chapter. 6. The district court sitting in small claims has concurrent jurisdiction of an action to challenge a mechanic’s lien pursuant to sections 572.24 and 572.32. 7. The district court sitting in small claims has concurrent jurisdiction of an action for the collection of taxes brought by a county treasurer pursuant to sections 445.3 and 445.4 where the amount in controversy is five thousand dollars or less for actions commenced before July 1, 2018, and six thousand five hundred dollars or less for actions commenced on or after July 1, 2018, exclusive of interest and costs. 8. The district court sitting in small claims has concurrent jurisdiction of motions and orders relating to releases of judgments in whole or in part including motions and orders under section 624.23, subsection 2, paragraph “c” and section 624.37, where the amount owing on the judgment, including interests and costs, is five thousand dollars or less for actions commenced before July 1, 2018, and six thousand five hundred dollars or less for actions commenced on or after July 1, 2018.

Tue Dec 09 21:58:50 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 631 (28, 0) §631.1, SMALL CLAIMS 2\n\n 9. The district court sitting in small claims has concurrent jurisdiction of an action to determine ownership of goods under section 714.28 relating to claims against purchased or pledged goods held by pawnbrokers, regardless of the value of the items in dispute. 10. The district court sitting in small claims has concurrent jurisdiction for administrative warrant applications pursuant to section 657A.1A, subsection 2. [C73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §631.1] 83 Acts, ch 63, §1, 5; 86 Acts, ch 1077, §1; 90 Acts, ch 1038, §1; 93 Acts, ch 154, §18; 94 Acts, ch 1117, §1; 95 Acts, ch 49, §23; 99 Acts, ch 79, §5; 2001 Acts, ch 153, §15; 2001 Acts, ch 176, §80; 2002 Acts, ch 1087, §1, 2; 2003 Acts, ch 178, §20; 2011 Acts, ch 6, §3; 2013 Acts, ch 90, §175; 2014 Acts, ch 1070, §1; 2018 Acts, ch 1168, §23; 2019 Acts, ch 105, §1 Referred to in §331.307, 364.22, 633.447 Jurisdictional amount to revert to prior amount if a proper court declares the increased amount unconstitutional; 83 Acts, ch 63, §5; 94 Acts, ch 1117, §2; 95 Acts, ch 49, §28; 2002 Acts, ch 1087, §3; 2018 Acts, ch 1168, §24

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 25 cases (5 in the last 5 years), 1950–2024 · leading case: Elyse De Stefano v. Apts. Downtown, Inc., 879 N.W.2d 155 (Iowa 2016).

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Elyse De Stefano v. Apts. Downtown, Inc., 879 N.W.2d 155 (Iowa 2016). · cites it 49× “” Iowa Code §§ 631.1 (1), .2(1) (2011). 4 The legislature created this scheme for small claims because it “thought it was in the public interest to provide a simpler, easier, and less expensive procedure than was afforded in district court under the Rules of Civil Procedure.”

Kelley v. Story Cnty. Sheriff, 611 N.W.2d 475 (Iowa 2000). · cites it 4× “Thereafter, Kelley, the owner of the residence, filed an action against Story County and the Story County sheriff [1] on the small claims docket of district court, see Iowa Code § 631.1 , seeking compensation for the damage caused to the two doors when the officers entered the…”

Rick v. Sprague, 706 N.W.2d 717 (Iowa 2005). · cites it 2× “However, the petition did *720 state that “[t]he amount in controversy exceeds the jurisdictional requirements set forth in Section 631.1, The Code and the jurisdictional amount set forth in The Iowa Rules of Appellate Procedure.”

Aftercare of Clark Cnty. v. Just. Court of Las Vegas Twp. Ex Rel. Cnty. of Clark, 82 P.3d 931 (Nev. 2004). · cites it 2× “[36] Iowa Code Ann. §§ 631.1 (1) & 631.8(3) (West Supp.”

Electra Ad Sign Co. v. Cedar Rapids Truck Ctr., 316 N.W.2d 876 (Iowa 1982). · cites it 4× “An example of legislation that expressly excludes interest from the jurisdictional amount is section 631.1(1), The Code, which defines “small claim” as “[a] civil action for a money judgment where the amount in controversy is one thousand dollars or less, exclusive of interest…”

Iowa Supreme Court Comm'n on Unauthorized Practice of Law v. A-1 Assocs., Ltd., 623 N.W.2d 803 (Iowa 2001). · cites it 2× “§§ 631.1(1)-(5), .2 (referring uniformly to small claims court as "district court sitting in small claims").”

Iowa Nat'l Mut. Ins. Co. v. Mitchell, 305 N.W.2d 724 (Iowa 1981). · cites it 2× “” § 631.1, The Code. Jurisdiction over these controversies is exercised by “[t]he district court sitting in small claims,” id.”

Petty v. Faith Bible Christian Outreach Ctr., Inc., 584 N.W.2d 303 (Iowa 1998). · cites it 2× “See Iowa Code §§ 631.1 (2), 648.5. At trial, Petty claimed the lease was terminated on June 19, 1996; the church claimed the lease had been automatically renewed.”

Midwest Recovery Servs. v. Cooper, 465 N.W.2d 855 (Iowa 1991). · cites it 2× “As part of the unified trial court design, the legislature provided, in what became chapter 631, for a special court to process the suits specified in section 631.1. Included are civil suits involving $2000 or less, certain actions for forcible entry and detainer, and actions of…”

Barnes Beauty Coll. v. McCoy, 279 N.W.2d 258 (Iowa 1979). “As a part of designing the unified trial court the legislature provided, in what became chapter 631, for a special court to process the suits specified in § 631.1. Included are civil suits involving $1000 or less and certain actions for forcible entry and detainer.”

Peoples Trust & Sav. Bank v. Armstrong, 297 N.W.2d 372 (Iowa 1980). · cites it 2× “See § 631.1, The Code 1979. Defendants Ronald E.”

Wilson v. Iowa Dist. Court, 297 N.W.2d 223 (Iowa 1980). “§ 631.1, The Code 1979. Part- and full-time magistrates, district associate judges, and district judges may entertain these cases, but frequently the cases are handled by magistrates.”

Show all 25 citing cases →

— Iowa Code § 631.1(1) — 8 cases

Elyse De Stefano v. Apts. Downtown, Inc., 879 N.W.2d 155 (Iowa 2016). “” Iowa Code §§ 631.1 (1), .2(1) (2011). 4 The legislature created this scheme for small claims because it “thought it was in the public interest to provide a simpler, easier, and less expensive procedure than was afforded in district court under the Rules of Civil Procedure.”

Electra Ad Sign Co. v. Cedar Rapids Truck Ctr., 316 N.W.2d 876 (Iowa 1982). “An example of legislation that expressly excludes interest from the jurisdictional amount is section 631.1(1), The Code, which defines “small claim” as “[a] civil action for a money judgment where the amount in controversy is one thousand dollars or less, exclusive of interest…”

Iowa Supreme Court Comm'n on Unauthorized Practice of Law v. A-1 Assocs., Ltd., 623 N.W.2d 803 (Iowa 2001). “§§ 631.1(1)-(5), .2 (referring uniformly to small claims court as "district court sitting in small claims").”

Peoples Trust & Sav. Bank v. Armstrong, 297 N.W.2d 372 (Iowa 1980). “See § 631.1, The Code 1979. Defendants Ronald E.”

Elyse De Stefano v. Apts. Downtown, Inc. (Iowa 2016).

— Iowa Code § 631.1(2) — 3 cases

Iowa Nat'l Mut. Ins. Co. v. Mitchell, 305 N.W.2d 724 (Iowa 1981). “” § 631.1, The Code. Jurisdiction over these controversies is exercised by “[t]he district court sitting in small claims,” id.”

Robinson v. Black, 607 N.W.2d 676 (Iowa 2000).

ACC Holdings, LLC v. Todd Rooney (Iowa 2022).

— Iowa Code § 631.1(l) — 1 case

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