Clearing a criminal record in Iowa
In Iowa it is called expungement: an expunged court record is moved to a secure, confidential file that the public cannot see; it is not destroyed. Some misdemeanor convictions may be cleared, and Iowa also clears some records automatically.
Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026. · Free letter and checklist ↓
Can my record be cleared in Iowa?
Expungement — In Iowa, an expunged court record is moved to a secure, confidential file that the public cannot see; it is not destroyed. Certain courts and agencies can still see it, and after a misdemeanor expungement the conviction is also removed from the state criminal history files kept by the Department of Public Safety.
Iowa has 4 ways to clear a record. Each covers different records and has its own waiting period.
Expungement of acquittals and dismissals (Iowa Code 901C.2)
Criminal cases in which you were acquitted of all charges or all charges were dismissed (any public offense, including simple misdemeanors).
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Acquittal or dismissal of all charges | See the rule At least 180 days must pass after the acquittal or dismissal, unless the court finds good cause (for example, identity theft or mistaken identity). | The judgment of acquittal or order of dismissal |
- Not eligible
- Cases dismissed because you were found not guilty by reason of insanity; cases where you were found incompetent to stand trial; dismissals after a deferred judgment. You must have paid all court costs, fees and other court-ordered financial obligations in the case.
Law: Iowa Code 901C.2; Iowa R. Crim. P. 2.86
Source: Official text
Misdemeanor expungement (Iowa Code 901C.3)
Most simple, serious and aggravated misdemeanor convictions.
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Misdemeanor conviction | 8 years More than 8 years must have passed since the conviction. | The date of conviction |
- Not eligible
- Public intoxication; certain underage alcohol offenses; driving while barred, suspended or revoked; OWI; sex offenses; involuntary manslaughter; certain assaults; domestic abuse assault; harassment; stalking; removing an officer's communication device; certain trespass; offenses under chapters 717C, 719, 720, 724 (weapons), 726, 728 and 901A; 721.2, 721.10, 723.1; commercial-driver disqualifying offenses; comparable prior-law offenses. You must have no pending charges, must not have previously received two deferred judgments, and must have paid all fines, costs, fees and restitution.
- Limits
- Only once in your lifetime. One application can cover several misdemeanors only if they arose from the same transaction or occurrence.
Law: Iowa Code 901C.3; Iowa R. Crim. P. 2.86; 123.46; 321.218, 321A.32, 321J.21; 708.2(3); 708.2A
Source: Official text
Expungement of public intoxication, underage alcohol possession and juvenile prostitution convictions (Iowa Code 123.46(6), 123.47(9), 725.1(1)(c))
A conviction for public intoxication or related public-drinking offenses; a conviction for possession of alcohol under the legal age; a prostitution conviction for an offense committed when you were under 18.
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Public intoxication, underage possession, or prostitution under 18 | 2 years After 2 years from the conviction, the court must expunge it if you had no other criminal convictions in those 2 years, other than local traffic violations or simple misdemeanor traffic offenses under chapter 321. | The date of conviction |
- Not eligible
- Any other criminal conviction during the 2-year period (other than local traffic violations or simple misdemeanor violations of chapter 321).
Law: Iowa Code 123.46(6), 123.47(9), 725.1(1)(c); Iowa R. Crim. P. 2.86; 123.47(3); 725.1(1)(a)
Source: Official text
Deferred judgment expungement (Iowa Code 907.9)
Cases where the court deferred judgment and you completed probation, plus counts dismissed in that case.
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Deferred judgment, probation completed | No waiting period The court record is expunged when you are discharged from probation, once you have paid restitution, costs and fees in the case. | Discharge from probation |
- Not eligible
- Dismissed counts are not expunged if another count in the case led to a conviction that was not expunged.
Law: Iowa Code 907.9(4)
Source: Official text
When can I file? Waiting periods in Iowa
Pick your kind of case and the date the waiting period runs from. We add the waiting period from the law; nothing else.
How to file in Iowa
Expungement of acquittals and dismissals (Iowa Code 901C.2)
File an Application to Expunge in the criminal case; the prosecutor can also apply, or the court can act on its own. The parties get time to object before the court enters the order.
Law: Rule 2.86 Form 1
Law: Rule 2.86 Form 1
Misdemeanor expungement (Iowa Code 901C.3)
File an Application to Expunge Misdemeanor Court Records in the county where you were convicted, in every related case, and attach your Iowa DCI criminal history (no more than 30 days old). If you qualify, the court must grant it as a matter of law. If you e-file, the county attorney is notified automatically.
Law: Rule 2.86 Form 2
- Cost
- You must attach an Iowa DCI criminal history record check, which costs $15. Ask the clerk of court whether any court fee applies.
Law: Rule 2.86 Form 2
Expungement of public intoxication, underage alcohol possession and juvenile prostitution convictions (Iowa Code 123.46(6), 123.47(9), 725.1(1)(c))
File the matching application in the criminal case in the county of conviction. If you qualify, the court must grant it, and the conviction is also removed from the Department of Public Safety criminal history files.
Deferred judgment expungement (Iowa Code 907.9)
No application is usually needed; the court record is expunged on discharge. A related charge not in the same charging document needs a court order naming it.
Court self-help
Free help in Iowa
National help
Free letter and checklist
Letter: ask for a copy of your own record
A request to the state records office (Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI)) with your name, date of birth and mailing address.
Checklist: what to gather before you file
Case numbers, court papers, proof you finished your sentence, forms and fees for Iowa.
Clearing a record in Iowa by topic
Expungement of acquittals and dismissals (Iowa Code 901C.2) in Iowa
Which records each remedy covers, who is not eligible and what changes afterwards.
Waiting periods in Iowa
How long you wait for each kind of case, and a date helper.
How to file in Iowa
The steps, the cost, fee waivers, the forms and court self-help.
Automatic relief in Iowa
- Law
- Deferred judgment expungement on discharge
- What is cleared
- When you complete probation on a deferred judgment and have paid the financial obligations in that case, the court's record of the deferred judgment and the dismissed counts is expunged without a separate petition. Iowa has no automatic expungement of convictions.
- Started
- Long-standing; payment condition applies to deferred judgments not expunged before July 1, 2012.
Law: Iowa Code 907.9(4)(b)-(f)
Juvenile records in Iowa
After a delinquency adjudication, the juvenile court schedules a sealing hearing on its own 2 years after the last official action or at age 18, whichever is later. It seals the records if you have no later felony or serious or aggravated misdemeanor conviction or adjudication and nothing is pending; OWI adjudications and certain youthful offender cases cannot be sealed, and for acts that would be felonies or aggravated misdemeanors the court must also find sealing is in your and the public's best interest. Records of complaints that did not lead to adjudication can be sealed on application. Sealed records are treated as if they do not exist.
Law: Iowa Code 232.150
Pardons in Iowa
- Who decides
- The Governor, usually after review and recommendation by the Iowa Board of Parole
- How
- Submit the joint Application for Pardon and/or Restoration of Firearm Rights to the Iowa Board of Parole; it may be sent to the DCI for investigation, then to the Governor. The Governor's general policy is to require 10 years after you discharge your sentence before granting a pardon. A pardon restores rights but does not erase the record. Deferred judgments cannot be pardoned.
Law: Iowa Code ch. 914
After your record is cleared in Iowa
An expunged record becomes confidential and exempt from public access under Iowa Code 22.7. After a misdemeanor expungement, the conviction is removed from the Department of Public Safety criminal history files. Expunged dismissal and deferred-judgment records remain available without a court order to you and to agencies with access to the deferred judgment docket; expunged misdemeanor records are available only by court order.
Law: Iowa Code 901C.2(2), 901C.3(4)-(5), 907.9(4)(b)
Get your own record in Iowa
Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI)
Submit the Criminal History Record Check Request Form and Billing Form online, by mail, fax, email or in person (8 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays for your own record). The fee is $15 per last name; no phone requests.
Letter: ask the state records office for a copy of your record
Good to know in Iowa
- Misdemeanor expungement is available only once in your lifetime, and you are disqualified if you have already received two deferred judgments.
Law: Iowa Code 901C.3
- Iowa has no expungement for felony convictions; a governor's pardon restores rights but does not remove the record.
- You must pay all fines, fees, costs and restitution in the case before any of Iowa's expungements can be granted.
Questions about clearing a record in Iowa
What is clearing a record called in Iowa?
Expungement. In Iowa, an expunged court record is moved to a secure, confidential file that the public cannot see; it is not destroyed. Certain courts and agencies can still see it, and after a misdemeanor expungement the conviction is also removed from the state criminal history files kept by the Department of Public Safety.
Can convictions be cleared in Iowa?
Expungement of acquittals and dismissals: Criminal cases in which you were acquitted of all charges or all charges were dismissed (any public offense, including simple misdemeanors). Misdemeanor expungement: Most simple, serious and aggravated misdemeanor convictions. Expungement of public intoxication, underage alcohol possession and juvenile prostitution convictions: A conviction for public intoxication or related public-drinking offenses; a conviction for possession of alcohol under the legal age; a prostitution conviction for an offense committed when you were under 18. Deferred judgment expungement: Cases where the court deferred judgment and you completed probation, plus counts dismissed in that case.
How long do I have to wait in Iowa?
Acquittal or dismissal of all charges: At least 180 days must pass after the acquittal or dismissal, unless the court finds good cause (for example, identity theft or mistaken identity), counted from the judgment of acquittal or order of dismissal; Misdemeanor conviction: 8 years, counted from the date of conviction; Public intoxication, underage possession, or prostitution under 18: 2 years, counted from the date of conviction; Deferred judgment, probation completed: No waiting period, counted from discharge from probation.
Does Iowa clear records automatically?
When you complete probation on a deferred judgment and have paid the financial obligations in that case, the court's record of the deferred judgment and the dismissed counts is expunged without a separate petition. Iowa has no automatic expungement of convictions.
How much does it cost to clear a record in Iowa?
Misdemeanor expungement: You must attach an Iowa DCI criminal history record check, which costs $15. Ask the clerk of court whether any court fee applies.
Can juvenile records be cleared in Iowa?
After a delinquency adjudication, the juvenile court schedules a sealing hearing on its own 2 years after the last official action or at age 18, whichever is later. It seals the records if you have no later felony or serious or aggravated misdemeanor conviction or adjudication and nothing is pending; OWI adjudications and certain youthful offender cases cannot be sealed, and for acts that would be felonies or aggravated misdemeanors the court must also find sealing is in your and the public's best interest. Records of complaints that did not lead to adjudication can be sealed on application. Sealed records are treated as if they do not exist.
What can I say after my record is cleared in Iowa?
An expunged record becomes confidential and exempt from public access under Iowa Code 22.7. After a misdemeanor expungement, the conviction is removed from the Department of Public Safety criminal history files. Expunged dismissal and deferred-judgment records remain available without a court order to you and to agencies with access to the deferred judgment docket; expunged misdemeanor records are available only by court order.
How do I get a copy of my criminal record in Iowa?
Submit the Criminal History Record Check Request Form and Billing Form online, by mail, fax, email or in person (8 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays for your own record). The fee is $15 per last name; no phone requests.