State Gun Laws

Whether the abuser can legally have a gun depends on:

• which crime(s) s/he was convicted of; and
• which state and federal laws apply.

Under Iowa law, a person cannot have a firearm if s/he:

• has been convicted of a felony in federal or state court;
• has been found responsible in juvenile court (“adjudicated delinquent”) for conduct that would have been a felony if s/he were an adult; or
• has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.¹

In addition, Iowa state law says that a person cannot get an optional firearms permit if s/he has been convicted of any serious or aggravated misdemeanor defined in chapter 708 of the Iowa Code. The crime did not have to include the use of a firearm, but the abuser must have been convicted within the last three years.²

If any of these situations apply to the abuser, it may be illegal for him/her to have a gun. Also, federal laws, which apply to all states, may restrict an abuser’s right to have a gun. Go to our Federal Gun Laws page for more information.

¹ Iowa Code § 724.26(1), (2)
² Iowa Code § 724.8(5)