Iowa Code

Iowa Code § 903.1 (2026)

Maximum sentence for misdemeanants

✓ current as of July 2026
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1. If a person eighteen years of age or older is convicted of a simple or serious misdemeanor and a specific penalty is not provided for or if a person under eighteen years of age has been waived to adult court pursuant to section 232.45 on a felony charge and is subsequently convicted of a simple, serious, or aggravated misdemeanor, the court shall determine the sentence, and shall fix the period of confinement or the amount of fine, which fine shall not be suspended by the court, within the following limits: a. For a simple misdemeanor, there shall be a fine of at least one hundred five dollars but not to exceed eight hundred fifty-five dollars. The court may order imprisonment not to exceed thirty days in lieu of a fine or in addition to a fine. b. For a serious misdemeanor, there shall be a fine of at least four hundred thirty dollars but not to exceed two thousand five hundred sixty dollars. In addition, the court may also order imprisonment not to exceed one year. 2. When a person is convicted of an aggravated misdemeanor, and a specific penalty is not provided for, the maximum penalty shall be imprisonment not to exceed two years. There shall be a fine of at least eight hundred fifty-five dollars but not to exceed eight thousand five hundred forty dollars. When a judgment of conviction of an aggravated misdemeanor is entered against any person and the court imposes a sentence of confinement for a period of more than one year the term shall be an indeterminate term. 3. A person under eighteen years of age convicted of a simple misdemeanor under chapter 321, 321G, 321I, 453A, 461A, 461B, 462A, 481A, 481B, 483A, 484A, or 484B, or a violation of a county or municipal curfew or traffic ordinance, except for an offense subject to section 805.8, may be required to pay a fine, not to exceed one hundred dollars, as fixed by the court, or may be required to perform community service as ordered by the court. 4. The surcharges required by sections 911.1, 911.2A, and 911.5 shall be added to a fine imposed on a misdemeanant as provided in those sections, and are not a part of or subject to the maximums set in this section. [C51, §2676; R60, §4303; C73, §3967; C97, §4906; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §12894; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, §687.7; C79, 81, §903.1] 83 Acts, ch 183, §2, 3; 84 Acts, ch 1219, §39; 87 Acts, ch 149, §7; 88 Acts, ch 1158, §100; 88 Acts, ch 1167, §8, 9; 90 Acts, ch 1251, §66; 91 Acts, ch 240, §10; 92 Acts, ch 1160, §25; 93 Acts, ch 110, §10; 99 Acts, ch 153, §24; 2001 Acts, ch 168, §5; 2004 Acts, ch 1111, §8; 2004 Acts, ch 1119, §7; 2004 Acts, ch 1132, §95; 2006 Acts, ch 1166, §10, 11; 2014 Acts, ch 1097, §13; 2020 Acts, ch 1074, §17, 46, 93 Referred to in §124.401, 207.15, 228.7, 232.8, 331.302, 331.909, 364.3, 380.10, 709.15, 724.4A, 907.14 See also §701.8 Enhanced penalties in weapons free zones, see §724.4A Fines, see chapter 909 Surcharge on penalty, chapter 911

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Notes of Decisions
Cited in 220 cases (47 in the last 5 years), 1978–2026 · leading case: State of Iowa v. Dale Dean Pettijohn Jr., 899 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 2017).
State of Iowa v. Dale Dean Pettijohn Jr., 899 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 2017). · cites it 10× “§ 903.1(1)(£ ) (stating that upon conviction for a serious misdemeanor, the court shall impose “a fine ,,, not to exceed one thousand eight hundred seventy-five dollars”), and id.”
State v. Ayers, 590 N.W.2d 25 (Iowa 1999). · cites it 20× “” Iowa Code § 903.1 (2). As we held in Grey , the legislature by establishing a minimum fine in section 903.”
State v. Nail, 743 N.W.2d 535 (Iowa 2007). · cites it 12× “” Iowa Code § 903.1 . The Iowa legislature has enacted a specific penalty for first time OWI, namely, a $1000 fine.”
State v. Wade, 757 N.W.2d 618 (Iowa 2008). · cites it 11× “2, Wade is subject to a ten-year special sentence, whereby if he violates the terms of his parole, he will be sentenced to additional imprisonment for a term not to exceed two years for a first offense and not to exceed five years for a second offense.”
State v. Kramer, 773 N.W.2d 897 (Iowa Ct. App. 2009). · cites it 23× “Iowa Code § 903.1 (1) (emphasis added). 3 Furthermore, as we noted above, we read general and specific statutes together, but if an irreconcilable conflict exists between the general and specific statutes, then the specific statute prevails.”
State v. Davis, 493 N.W.2d 820 (Iowa 1992). · cites it 18× “See Iowa Code § 903.1 (l)(a). In one document covering both cases, the State petitioned this court for a writ of certiorari or discretionary review.”
State v. Hildebrand, 280 N.W.2d 393 (Iowa 1979). · cites it 6× “281 makes the offense a serious misdemeanor; hence the penalty in section 903.1(2) applies: "imprisonment not to exceed one year, or a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars, or both.”
State v. Kirchoff, 452 N.W.2d 801 (Iowa 1990). · cites it 8× “901 (sentencing procedures); Iowa Code §§ 903.1 (maximum sentence for misdemeanants), 321J.”
Kris Kolzow v. State of Iowa, 813 N.W.2d 731 (Iowa 2012). · cites it 6× “Compare Iowa Code § 903.1 (2) (the penalty for an aggravated misdemeanor “shall be imprisonment not to exceed two years”), with id.”
State v. DeWitt, 426 N.W.2d 678 (Iowa Ct. App. 1988). · cites it 21× “” Iowa Code § 903.1 (1987) (emphasis added).”
Nicole Lara Shumate v. Drake Univ. A/K/A Drake Univ. Law Sch., 846 N.W.2d 503 (Iowa 2014). · cites it 4× “See Iowa Code § 903.1 (1)(a). The legislature could reasonably believe such potential punishments would deter violations of section 216C.”
Roberto Morales Diaz v. State of Iowa, 896 N.W.2d 723 (Iowa 2017). · cites it 2× “§ 903.1(2), and never attempted to explain the sweeping ramifications of that classification.”
— Iowa Code § 903.1(1) — 15 cases
State v. Davis, 493 N.W.2d 820 (Iowa 1992). “See Iowa Code § 903.1 (l)(a). In one document covering both cases, the State petitioned this court for a writ of certiorari or discretionary review.”
State of Iowa v. Dale Dean Pettijohn Jr., 899 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 2017). “§ 903.1(1)(£ ) (stating that upon conviction for a serious misdemeanor, the court shall impose “a fine ,,, not to exceed one thousand eight hundred seventy-five dollars”), and id.”
State v. Conner, 292 N.W.2d 682 (Iowa 1980).
State v. Kramer, 773 N.W.2d 897 (Iowa Ct. App. 2009). “Iowa Code § 903.1 (1) (emphasis added). 3 Furthermore, as we noted above, we read general and specific statutes together, but if an irreconcilable conflict exists between the general and specific statutes, then the specific statute prevails.”
State v. Marti, 290 N.W.2d 570 (Iowa 1980).
— Iowa Code § 903.1(1)(5) — 1 case
State of Iowa v. Lorraine Ann Messer, 822 N.W.2d 116 (Iowa 2012).
— Iowa Code § 903.1(1)(6) — 3 cases
State v. Wade, 757 N.W.2d 618 (Iowa 2008). “2, Wade is subject to a ten-year special sentence, whereby if he violates the terms of his parole, he will be sentenced to additional imprisonment for a term not to exceed two years for a first offense and not to exceed five years for a second offense.”
State of Iowa v. David Lee Miller, 841 N.W.2d 583 (Iowa 2014).
State v. Rankin, 666 N.W.2d 608 (Iowa 2003).
— Iowa Code § 903.1(1)(a) — 4 cases
State of Iowa v. Dale Dean Pettijohn Jr., 899 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 2017). “§ 903.1(1)(£ ) (stating that upon conviction for a serious misdemeanor, the court shall impose “a fine ,,, not to exceed one thousand eight hundred seventy-five dollars”), and id.”
— Iowa Code § 903.1(1)(b) — 18 cases
State of Iowa v. Dale Dean Pettijohn Jr., 899 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 2017). “§ 903.1(1)(£ ) (stating that upon conviction for a serious misdemeanor, the court shall impose “a fine ,,, not to exceed one thousand eight hundred seventy-five dollars”), and id.”
State of Iowa v. David Lee Miller, 841 N.W.2d 583 (Iowa 2014).
State of Iowa v. Travis L. Sumerall (Iowa Ct. App. 2014).
— Iowa Code § 903.1(2) — 53 cases
State v. Ayers, 590 N.W.2d 25 (Iowa 1999). “” Iowa Code § 903.1 (2). As we held in Grey , the legislature by establishing a minimum fine in section 903.”
State v. Hildebrand, 280 N.W.2d 393 (Iowa 1979). “281 makes the offense a serious misdemeanor; hence the penalty in section 903.1(2) applies: "imprisonment not to exceed one year, or a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars, or both.”
Roberto Morales Diaz v. State of Iowa, 896 N.W.2d 723 (Iowa 2017). “§ 903.1(2), and never attempted to explain the sweeping ramifications of that classification.”
State of Iowa v. Dale Dean Pettijohn Jr., 899 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 2017). “§ 903.1(1)(£ ) (stating that upon conviction for a serious misdemeanor, the court shall impose “a fine ,,, not to exceed one thousand eight hundred seventy-five dollars”), and id.”
Eric Wayne Dempsey v. State of Iowa, 860 N.W.2d 860 (Iowa 2015).
— Iowa Code § 903.1(4) — 2 cases
State v. Basinger, 721 N.W.2d 783 (Iowa 2006).
— Iowa Code § 903.1(B) — 1 case
State of Iowa v. Gregory Allen Ferry, 919 N.W.2d 766 (Iowa Ct. App. 2018).
— Iowa Code § 903.1(I)(a) — 1 case
State of Iowa v. Dale Dean Pettijohn Jr., 899 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 2017). “§ 903.1(1)(£ ) (stating that upon conviction for a serious misdemeanor, the court shall impose “a fine ,,, not to exceed one thousand eight hundred seventy-five dollars”), and id.”
— Iowa Code § 903.1(a) — 1 case
State v. Butler, 706 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 2005).
— Iowa Code § 903.1(b) — 1 case
— Iowa Code § 903.1(l)(a) — 3 cases
State v. Davis, 493 N.W.2d 820 (Iowa 1992). “See Iowa Code § 903.1 (l)(a). In one document covering both cases, the State petitioned this court for a writ of certiorari or discretionary review.”
State of Iowa v. Dale Dean Pettijohn Jr., 899 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 2017). “§ 903.1(1)(£ ) (stating that upon conviction for a serious misdemeanor, the court shall impose “a fine ,,, not to exceed one thousand eight hundred seventy-five dollars”), and id.”
State v. Basinger, 721 N.W.2d 783 (Iowa 2006).
— Iowa Code § 903.1(l)(b) — 5 cases
State v. Wade, 757 N.W.2d 618 (Iowa 2008). “2, Wade is subject to a ten-year special sentence, whereby if he violates the terms of his parole, he will be sentenced to additional imprisonment for a term not to exceed two years for a first offense and not to exceed five years for a second offense.”
State v. Glenn, 431 N.W.2d 193 (Iowa Ct. App. 1988).
State v. Dailey, 774 N.W.2d 316 (Iowa Ct. App. 2009).
State v. Lee, 561 N.W.2d 353 (Iowa 1997).
State v. Heinze, 465 N.W.2d 863 (Iowa 1991).
— Iowa Code § 903.1(l)(h) — 1 case
State of Iowa v. Dale Dean Pettijohn Jr., 899 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 2017). “§ 903.1(1)(£ ) (stating that upon conviction for a serious misdemeanor, the court shall impose “a fine ,,, not to exceed one thousand eight hundred seventy-five dollars”), and id.”
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.