1. Except as provided in subsection 2, a person who reports or causes to be reported false
information to a fire department, a law enforcement authority, or other public safety entity,
knowing that the information is false, or who reports the alleged occurrence of a criminal act,
knowing the act did not occur, commits a simple misdemeanor unless the alleged criminal act
reported is a serious or aggravated misdemeanor or felony, in which case the person commits
a serious misdemeanor.
2. A person who reports or causes to be reported false information to a fire department,
\n
Tue Dec 09 21:55:52 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 718 (17, 0)
§718.6, OFFENSES AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT 2\n\na law enforcement authority, or other public safety entity, knowing that the information is
false, or who reports the alleged occurrence of a criminal act, knowing the act did not occur,
commits a class “D” felony if the alleged criminal act reported is any of the following:
a. A forcible felony under section 702.11.
b. Intimidation with a dangerous weapon under section 708.6.
c. An act of terrorism under chapter 708A.
d. Unlawful possession of biological agents or diseases under chapter 708B.
e. Any offense under chapter 712.
3. If the reported false information involves a criminal act under subsection 2 and the
reported false information results in serious bodily injury to or the death of another person,
the person reporting the false information commits a class “C” felony. For purposes of this
subsection, a person causes serious bodily injury or death when the report of false information
contributes to the other person’s serious bodily injury or death.
4. Except as provided in subsection 2, a person who telephones an emergency 911
communications center, knowing that the person is not reporting an emergency or otherwise
needing emergency information or assistance, commits a simple misdemeanor.
5. Except as provided in subsection 2, a person who knowingly provides false information
to a law enforcement officer who enters the information on a citation commits a simple
misdemeanor unless the criminal act for which the citation is issued is a serious or aggravated
misdemeanor or felony, in which case the person commits a serious misdemeanor.
[R60, §1768; C73, §1566; C97, §2468; S13, §2468; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §13110, 13111; C46,
50, 54, 58, 62, 66, §714.31, 714.32; C71, 73, 75, 77, §714.31, 714.32, 714.42; C79, 81, §718.6]
95 Acts, ch 89, §1; 2024 Acts, ch 1013, §1
Referred to in §34A.16, 80F.1\n\nTue Dec 09 21:55:52 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 718 (17, 0)
\n
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
19
cases (
3 in the last 5 years), 1996–2023 · leading case:
State v. Ahitow, 544 N.W.2d 270 (Iowa 1996).
State v. Ahitow, 544 N.W.2d 270 (Iowa 1996).
· cites it 34× “Iowa Code § 718.6 (1995 Supp.); see 1995 Iowa Acts ch.”
State of Iowa v. Leon Kooima, 833 N.W.2d 202 (Iowa 2013).
· cites it 6× “See Iowa Code § 718.6 (2) (“A person who telephones an emergency 911 communications center knowing that the person is not reporting an emergency or otherwise needing emergency information or assistance commits a simple misdemeanor.”
State v. Armstrong, 787 N.W.2d 472 (Iowa Ct. App. 2010).
· cites it 4× “In addition, Iowa Code section 718.6(1) provides that a person who reports false information to a law enforcement authority commits a simple misdemeanor.”
Larry Zubrod v. Shayne Hoch, 907 F.3d 568 (8th Cir. 2018).
“We are not persuaded by the Zubrods' argument that Iowa Code § 718.6 renders the first responders' statements made impliedly under penalty of perjury.”
Daniel Robbins v. City of Des Moines, 984 F.3d 673 (8th Cir. 2021).
“See Iowa Code § 718.6 . While we have some doubt that claiming to be “John Doe” is a false report under Iowa law, see State 3 The defendants also suggest that they were concerned Robbins might either be stalking personnel or preparing to vandalize or steal cars.”
State of Iowa v. Earnest B. Bynum (Iowa 2020).
· cites it 17× “Iowa Code § 718.6 (1) (2016). Bynum’s trial information was later amended, indicating the underlying criminal act Bynum falsely reported was carrying weapons (Iowa Code section 724.”
Darling v. Boecker (N.D. Iowa 2020).
· cites it 11× “cker, Vander Sanden including conspiracy and respondeat superior liability against Cedar Rapids and Linn County, Iowa Count III - Malicious Prosecution Claim – Against Defendants Boecker, Vander Sanden including conspiracy and respondeat superior liability against Cedar Rapids…”
State of Iowa v. Felicia Mae Wilson, A/K/A Felicia Mae Klein (Iowa Ct. App. 2016).
· cites it 7× “4 Iowa Code § 718.6 (1). Thus, the applicable (or serious misdemeanor) crime of false reporting contains the following elements: (1) report of an alleged occurrence of a criminal act, (2) while knowing the act did not occur, and (3) the crime reported was a serious or aggravated…”
State of Iowa v. Holli Lynn Lillibridge (Iowa Ct. App. 2022).
· cites it 6× “Iowa Code § 718.6 (1). The language used in the instruction directly mirrors the false-reports instruction quoted in Bynum.”
Richards v. City of West Des Moines (Iowa Ct. App. 2023).
· cites it 6× “See Iowa Code § 718.6 . The reported crime here was human trafficking, and all varieties of human trafficking offenses are felonies or aggravated misdemeanors under Iowa law.”
— Iowa Code § 718.6(1) — 7 cases
State of Iowa v. Leon Kooima, 833 N.W.2d 202 (Iowa 2013).
“See Iowa Code § 718.6 (2) (“A person who telephones an emergency 911 communications center knowing that the person is not reporting an emergency or otherwise needing emergency information or assistance commits a simple misdemeanor.”
State v. Armstrong, 787 N.W.2d 472 (Iowa Ct. App. 2010).
“In addition, Iowa Code section 718.6(1) provides that a person who reports false information to a law enforcement authority commits a simple misdemeanor.”
State of Iowa v. Felicia Mae Wilson, A/K/A Felicia Mae Klein (Iowa Ct. App. 2016).
“4 Iowa Code § 718.6 (1). Thus, the applicable (or serious misdemeanor) crime of false reporting contains the following elements: (1) report of an alleged occurrence of a criminal act, (2) while knowing the act did not occur, and (3) the crime reported was a serious or aggravated…”
State of Iowa v. Earnest B. Bynum (Iowa 2020).
“Iowa Code § 718.6 (1) (2016). Bynum’s trial information was later amended, indicating the underlying criminal act Bynum falsely reported was carrying weapons (Iowa Code section 724.”
— Iowa Code § 718.6(3) — 2 cases
State v. Armstrong, 787 N.W.2d 472 (Iowa Ct. App. 2010).
“In addition, Iowa Code section 718.6(1) provides that a person who reports false information to a law enforcement authority commits a simple misdemeanor.”
State v. Ahitow, 544 N.W.2d 270 (Iowa 1996).
“Iowa Code § 718.6 (1995 Supp.); see 1995 Iowa Acts ch.”
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.