Iowa prohibits any person from carrying, going armed with or transporting any firearm, whether concealed or not, on the grounds of a public or non-public school.¹

This prohibition has one major exception: it does not apply to any person specifically authorized by the school to carry, go armed or transport a firearm on the school grounds for any lawful purpose.² The prohibition also does not apply to a person who, for any lawful purpose, carries an unloaded firearm inside a closed and fastened container or securely wrapped package which is too large to be concealed on the person, or inside a motor vehicle compartment when not easily accessible (among other similar circumstances).³ Finally, the prohibition does not apply to federal and state law enforcement officers, correctional officers, members of the armed forces, and bail enforcement agents if they meet the criteria stated in Iowa law and are carrying firearms in connection with official duties. ⁴

Iowa law requires each school district with a total enrollment of at least eight thousand students to employ at least one private school security officer or school resource officer to guard each attendance center where students enrolled in grade nine, grade ten, grade eleven, or grade twelve regularly attend classes, unless a majority of the members of the board of directors of the school district vote to not employ or retain a private school security officer or a school resource officer. A private school security officer employed or retained by the board of directors of a school district to fulfill this requirement is required to participate in the annual live scenario training and quarterly live firearms training approved by the department of public safety.⁵ Iowa law authorizes, but does not require smaller school district to employ these school security officers.

In Iowa, the board of directors of a school district and the authorities in charge of a nonpublic school which receives services supported by federal funds shall expel from school for a period of not less than one year a student determined to have brought a firearm to school or knowingly possessed a firearm at school.⁶ The superintendent or chief administering officer of a school or school district may modify expulsion requirements on a case-by-case basis. The board of directors of a school district or the authorities in charge of a nonpublic school may also provide educational services to the student in an alternative setting.⁷ The board of directors of a public school and the authorities in control of a nonpublic school shall prescribe procedures for continued school involvement with a student who is suspended or expelled for possession of a firearm on school premises, and for the reintegration of the student into the school following the suspension or expulsion.⁸

Iowa has no law prohibiting firearms at private colleges or universities.⁹

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1. Iowa Code § 724.4B(1). “School” means a public or non-public school, as defined under Iowa Code § 280.2.[↩]
2. Iowa Code § 724.4B(2)(a), as amended by Iowa House File 756 (2021).[↩]
3. See Iowa Code §§ 724.4B(2)(e)-(f), as amended by Iowa House File 756 (2021).[↩]
4. Iowa Code §§ 724.4B(2)(b)-(d), (g) & (h), as amended by Iowa House File 756 (2021).[↩]
5. Iowa Code § 279.84(effective Jan. 1, 2025); see also Iowa Code § 724.6(prescribing the training requirements).[↩]
6. Iowa Code § 280.21B.[↩]
7. Id.[↩]
8. Iowa Code § 280.17B.[↩]
9. An administrative rule prohibits the possession of firearms on the campus of any public institution of higher learning. 681 Iowa Admin. Code 9.1(2)(g).[↩]