Many New Iowa Laws Effective July 1, 2025

June 13, 2025 | Kristine A. Tidgren

Iowa's 2025 legislative session ended on May 15, 2025. Below is a summary of legislative activity of interest to farmers and rural landowners. While most bills will be effective July 1, 2025, several have already gone into effect. One highly watched bill, a bill to restrict carbon pipelines from securing eminent domain authority (HF 639), was vetoed by the Governor on June 11. 

SF 22                 Use of Electronic Devices While Driving

This bill amends current law to prohibit the use of hand-held electronic communication devices while driving. Devices may still be used in voice-activated or hands-free mode. From July 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025, officers will issue warnings for violations. Beginning January 1, 2026, violators will be fined $100, and the offense will be classified as a moving violation. If a violation results in a death, the fine may increase to $1,000, and the driver's license may be suspended for 180 days.

Signed by the Governor April 2, 2025
Effective July 1, 2025

 

SF 75                 County Supervisor Elections in Counties with Regents Universities

The bill requires any county that contains an institution of higher learning governed by the State Board of Regents to elect each member of its board of supervisors from single-member districts with equal populations.

Signed by the Governor April 10, 2025
Effective April 10, 2025

 

SF 106               Firearms and Snowmobiles and ATVs

This bill allows individuals to carry loaded firearms on snowmobiles and ATVs without requiring the firearms to be enclosed in a case. However, only non-ambulatory individuals are permitted to discharge a firearm from an ATV or snowmobile.

Signed by the Governor May 6, 2025
Effective July 1, 2025

 

SF 148               Landowner Turkey Tags

This bill allows a special wild turkey hunting license issued to landowners to be used during any open turkey hunting season, using any method of take allowed for that season. Previously, license holders had to specify the season in which they would use the license. The license still permits the harvest of only one turkey.

Signed by the Governor May 6, 2025
Effective July 1, 2025

 

SF 253               Lifetime Fur Harvester License for Veterans

This bill establishes a lifetime trapping license for Iowa residents who became disabled while serving on federal active duty in the United States Armed Forces.

Signed by the Governor June 6, 2025
Effective July 1, 2025

 

SF 296               Emergency Care for Police Dogs

This bill allows police dogs to receive emergency veterinary service from a non-licensed provider if they are critically injured in the line of duty. The emergency medical provider is exempt from civil liability.

Signed by the Governor May 6, 2025
Effective July 1, 2025

 

SF 303               Fireworks Regulation

This bill prohibits a board of supervisors or city council from restricting or limiting the use of consumer fireworks, display fireworks, or novelties on July 3, July 4, or December 3.

Signed by the Governor May 19, 2025
Effective July 1, 2025

 

SF 398               Lending Fees

The bill allows lenders to charge closing costs on debt secured by land if the costs are legitimate, reasonable, and not intended to bypass state lending laws. Mortgage bankers making consumer loans are exempt from certain fee limits if total points and fees stay within federal thresholds. Lenders may also charge discount points that reduce the loan’s interest rate or are agreed upon to secure a specific rate.

Signed by the Governor May 6, 2025
Effective July 1, 2025

 

SF 423               Youth Deer Hunting Licenses / Shooting Permits

The bill requires the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) to make youth deer hunting licenses available for purchase during the same period as general deer hunting licenses. A youth deer hunting license and tag may be used in the season for which it was issued or in any later established deer hunting season, using a legal method of take for that season.

The bill also directs the IDNR to issue shooting permits—under the same conditions as depredation permits—to any landowner who suffers $1,000 or more in damage to crops, horticultural products, trees, or nursery stock caused by wild animals.

Signed by the Governor May 6, 2025
Effective July 1, 2025

 

SF 427               Professional Surveyor License

This bill requires an applicant for licensure as an Iowa professional land surveyor to pass an Iowa examination, in addition to other requirements. The engineering and land surveying examining board may not issue a temporary license to practice as a professional land surveyor.

Signed by the Governor May 19, 2025
Effective July 1, 2025

 

SF 491               Further Drone Surveillance Restrictions

Current law prevents remote-piloted aircraft from flying over farmsteads and animal feeding operations in Iowa. This bill further prevents remote-piloted aircraft from flying over farmsteads, defined as 40 acres or more used for farming or pasture and generating at least $15,000 in farm commodity sales annually. Specifically, the law prohibits this aircraft from flying, without landowner permission, within 400 feet of farm animals, farm equipment or structures. Violators are liable for a serious misdemeanor if equipped with cameras or sound capture equipment.

Signed by the Governor May 6, 2025.
Effective July 1, 2025

 

SF 593               Record of Drainage Districts

This bill requires county auditors to file with the county recorder a record that identifies all parcels contained within a drainage or levee district within the county. This record must be filed after receiving the survey or report stating that the district has been created. If an auditor has not filed a document before the effective date of the law, the auditor must file this record on or before June 30, 2026. A county may not charge for this filing.

Signed by the Governor June 6, 2025
Effective July 1, 2025

 

SF 606               Electronic Filing of Sales Tax Returns

This law provides that if a taxpayer required to file sales and use tax returns electronically (i.e. monthly filers are required to file electronically) submits a return in any other format, the return will not be accepted. However, the taxpayer may request approval from the Director of the Department of Revenue to use an alternative filing method.

Signed by the Governor May 6, 2025
Effective May 6, 2025

 

SF 608               Grain Indemnity Fund Updates

The Iowa’s Grain Depositors and Sellers Indemnity Fund (fund) was established in 1986 to provide protection to farmers if a state-licensed grain warehouse or grain dealer failed. The fund is capitalized through participation fees and per-bushel fee assessment. Before the new 2025 law, fees were suspended when the fund reached $8,000,000, and the Grain Indemnity Fund Board was required to reinstate them when the assets of the fund were $3 million or less. Although fee assessments had been suspended since 1989, the Board reinstated the fees on September 1, 2023, after the fund fell to just over $300,000. The fund had been depleted due to grain facility failures in 2021 and 2022. In April of 2025, after the fund had grown to more than $10,000,000, the Board voted to cease the fee assessments on September 1, 2025. Under prior law, producers who experienced a loss made claims against the fund and generally received 90% of their loss up to $300,000 for cash sales. This amount was reduced if the fund’s balance was insufficient to cover the losses. Credit sales contracts, including deferred-payment cash contracts to be paid more than 30 days after the sale and price-later contracts, were not protected by the fund.

The new law increases protections for farmers and better aligns the fund with current economic conditions. First, when assessments are paused, the law increases the floor for triggering their collection from $3 million to $8 million. The new law provides that assessments are suspended when the fund reaches $16 million, rather than the prior $ 8 million ceiling. IDALS has stated that it will not recommend to the Grain Indemnity Board to reinstate the assessment when it ends August 31, 2025. It is projected that the fund will reach $12 to $13 million byat that time.

The law continues the 90 percent payout for cash sales but creates a new 75 percent payout for deferred-pricing contracts. These are contracts where delivery has occurred, but the purchase price has not been agreed to by the seller and buyer. Deferred-payment contracts, defined as those where the price has been agreed to, but payment is not to occur until more than 30 days after delivery, are not covered by the fund. The legislators considered that the latter constituted an unsecured loan.

Payment limits are increased from $300,000 to $400,000 per claimant for all types of claims, but they may be decreased to $300,000, depending upon the extent to which the seller's loss arose from a deferred-pricing contract. In the case of unpriced deferred-pricing contracts, the value of any unpriced grain is to be established based on the grain price paid to producers at the nearest grain terminal operator nearest the grain dealer on the license revocation or bankruptcy filing date. The law also provides that sellers can recover from the fund if bankruptcy preferential payment rules require them to repay money paid by a grain dealer during the period immediately preceding the bankruptcy filing.  

Signed by the Governor May 27, 2025
Effective 05/27/2025, 07/01/2025, 10/24/2022 (applies to prior bankruptcy clawback claims)

 

SF 632               Agricultural Updates

This legislation is the annual bill from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) to make technical updates to the law so that agriculture-related programs can operate more effectively. Several key provisions in this bill include:

  • Providing IDALS with clean title to livestock when the livestock is placed under the supervision of IDALS pursuant to Iowa Code § 717.3. This provision was drafted in response to the sudden bankruptcy of Pure Prairie Poultry in October of 2024. Because of this emergency, IDALS was forced to euthanize approximately 1.3 million chickens after being unable to find a buyer for the birds. Specifically, If the court determines that livestock are in immediate need of sustenance, it must issue an order directing DALS to assume supervision of the livestock. The order creates a super-priority lien attached to the livestock, proceeds from the sale of livestock, and any associated unmanufactured products, for the benefit of IDALS. IDALS may also petition a court to order the sale of the livestock. The proceeds from the sale are to be used to reimburse IDALS pursuant to the lien. IDALS may also use money deposited in the livestock remediation fund to to provide for the livestock as directed in the court order.
  • Allowing the Iowa Board of Veterinary Medicine to impose a civil penalty up to $10,000 for veterinary disciplinary violations.
  • Providing that IDALS “may” instead of “shall” adopt by rule criteria for allowing a person required to be certified as a pesticide applicator to complete either a written or oral examination.  
  • Changing the term “soil conditioner” to “beneficial substance” in the fertilizer law.
Signed by the Governor June 6, 2025
Effective July 1, 2025
 

HF 639              Carbon Capture Pipeline Eminent Domain Restrictions

This bill would have prevented a pipeline company with a permit from being vested with the right of eminent domain unless the pipeline company was a common carrier. The bill defines “common carrier” as follows:

a commercial enterprise that holds itself out as ready to engage in the transportation of goods or passengers for hire…

For a pipeline company to qualify as a common carrier, the carrier must establish by clear and convincing evidence that it will transport a commodity for one or more shippers not affiliated with the carrier who will either retain ownership of the commodity or sell the commodity to a party other than the carrier. “Commodity” means a product that is used by an individual consumer or is used to produce a product used by an individual consumer.

Because a carbon capture pipeline would not meet the definition of the bill’s definition of common carrier, it could not be granted the power of eminent domain.

Additionally, the bill would limit carbon dioxide pipeline permits to one 25-year term and require an Iowa Utilities Commission member to be present at each public informational meeting. All Commission members would be required to be present at all hearings.

Finally, before a permit is granted, the bill would require an applicant for a hazardous liquid pipeline to present evidence to the commission of an insurance policy sufficient to ensure payment of all damages resulting from the construction and operation of the hazardous liquid pipeline. This would include holding the pipeline liable for any insurance increases faced by landowners.

This bill was vetoed by the Governor on June 11, 2025. It would take a vote of 2/3 of the legislators from each chamber to override this veto. This does not appear likely to happen.

 

HF 652              Zoning Variances

Counties and cities are granted the power to regulate the character and use of real property under their respective jurisdictions by ordinance, motion, resolution, or amendment. A board of adjustment is appointed by a county board of supervisors or a city council to hear appeals from property owners aggrieved by regulations and restrictions placed on their property. Under current law, the board of adjustment may grant a variance from the terms of an ordinance not contrary to the public interest, where owing to special conditions, a literal enforcement of the provisions of the ordinance will result in unnecessary hardship. This variance must uphold the spirit of the ordinance and work substantial justice.

This bill allows a board of adjustment to grant a variance from the terms of the ordinance with respect to the area, dimensional, or other numerical limitations not contrary to the public interest, where owing to special conditions a literal enforcement of the provisions will result in practical difficulties to the property owner in making a beneficial use of the property. and so that the spirit of the ordinance shall be observed and substantial justice done. Limitations subject to variances may include, among other requirements, minimum lot size, setbacks, yard widths, height, bulk, sidewalks, fencing, signage, and off-street parking. To secure a variance, the owner must prove that the practical difficulties faced are unique to the property at issue, not self-created, and will not significantly alter the essential character of the surrounding neighborhood.

Signed by the Governor April 27, 2025
Effective July 1, 2025

 

HF 710              Covered Docks

Current law allows Iowa docks to have only a soft-sided roof. The bill allows a person with a valid dock site permit and hoist or slip assignment to build a hard roof, provided it is constructed with rust-resistant materials, meets building code, material, and size requirements, and is used to protect a hoist or a slip.

The bill requires an owner of a dock to carry liability insurance with a minimum per occurrence coverage of $1 million. The owner shall be liable for any damages caused by the roof on the private dock.

The bill allows associations to impose restrictions regarding the construction of roofs on private docks by their members.

Signed by the Governor May 6, 2025
Effective July 1, 2025

 

HF 778              CPA Requirements

Under the bill, an applicant for a certified public accountant (CPA) license can qualify with four years of education (120 hours) and two years of experience or five years of education (150 hours) and one year of experience. Under current law, five years of education and one year of experience is required. The degree must be at least a baccalaureate degree that includes a concentration in accounting or another area of study that the board determines to be substantially equivalent. The experience required by the bill shall include providing any type of service or advice involving the use of accounting, attest, compilation, management advisory, financial advisory, tax, or consulting. The experience may be in the government, industry, academia, or public sector.

Signed by the Governor May 1, 2025
Effective July 1, 2025

 

HF 860              Fuel Powered Equipment

This bill prohibits the state of Iowa or any local government from adopting or maintaining a regulation that prohibits a person from possessing, storing, transferring, acquiring, operating, maintaining, repairing, or reusing fuel-powered equipment or parts thereof because the equipment is manufactured to be powered by a specific fuel source.  

Signed by the Governor April 18, 2025
Effective July 1, 2025

 

HF 862              Outside Counsel for Board of Supervisors

This bill allows a county board of supervisors, at its discretion, to hire outside counsel to represent the board or any other county official.

Signed by the Governor May 19, 2025
Effective May 19, 2025

 

HF 885              Deer Tags for Disabled Veterans

This bill allows a resident who was disabled during active duty in military service to use a deer hunting license and tag issued to the resident during any established deer hunting season, as long as the method of take authorized for the season being hunted corresponds with the method of take authorized by the license.

Signed by the Governor May 6, 2025
Effective July 1, 2025

 

HF 894              Lien Release on Snowmobile, ATV or Water Vessel

Current law requires the owner of a snowmobile, ATV, or water vessel to send a request to the county recorder who issued the title to release a lien. This bill authorizes proof of a release of a lien on a snowmobile, ATV, or water vessel to be presented to the county recorder of any county and requires the county recorder to note the release on the face of the certificate of title and enter the release on the statewide computer system accessible by every county recorder.  

Signed by the Governor May 6, 2025
Effective July 1, 2025

 

HF 924              Minimum Age to Possess or Carry Weapons

This bill changes the minimum age to possess and carry weapons to 18. A person must still be 21 to obtain a permit to acquire a weapon.

Signed by the Governor April 18, 2025
Effective July 1, 2025

 

HF 1025           Implements of Husbandry on Roadways

Current law prohibits vehicles that cannot maintain a speed of 40 mph from using the interstate system. This bill creates a conditional exception for implements of husbandry after the interstate system is expanded. Implements of husbandry may continue to operate on the segment of U.S. Highway 65 and State Highway 5—between U.S. Highway 6 and U.S. Highway 69—even after it becomes part of the interstate system, until an alternative route is provided. The DOT may also allow use west of U.S. Highway 69.

An "implement of husbandry" is a vehicle designed and used primarily for agriculture. To qualify, self-propelled models must operate at speeds of 35 mph or less.

Signed by the Governor May 27, 2025
Effective July 1, 2025