Defamation and Online Harassment Laws in Iowa

Defamation in Iowa comes mainly from common law developed by the courts, within the limits of the First Amendment and the Iowa Constitution. The Iowa Supreme Court lists the traditional elements as publication of a defamatory statement that is false and malicious, made about the plaintiff, and that caused injury; libel covers written statements and slander covers spoken ones. Chapter 659 of the Iowa Code adds rules on pleading, retractions and the liability of radio stations.

Sources1Bierman v. Weier, 826 N.W.2d 436 (Iowa 2013)2Iowa Code ch. 659 (Libel and Slander)

Defamation in Iowa is handled as a civil lawsuit: none of the criminal chapters in the current Iowa Code (Title XVI) sets out a general crime of libel or slander. The Iowa Constitution still mentions libel prosecutions, which the Iowa Supreme Court traced to a criminal libel statute in force when the 1857 constitution was adopted.

Sources3Iowa Code 2026, Title XVI (Criminal Law and Procedure), chapter list1Bierman v. Weier, 826 N.W.2d 436 (Iowa 2013) (discussing Iowa Const. art. I, § 7 and Iowa Code §§ 2767, 2769 (1851))

Claims based on injury to a person's reputation, which include libel and slander, must be filed within two years.

Source4Iowa Code § 614.1(2)

Related guide: Statute of limitations for defamation in every state

Iowa still recognizes defamation per se: statements that by their nature tend to expose someone to public hatred, contempt or ridicule, such as calling a person a liar, cheater or thief, accusing them of an indictable crime, or attacking their integrity and moral character. When a statement is defamatory per se, falsity, malice and injury are presumed. The Iowa Supreme Court allows these presumptions only when a private person sues a non-media defendant over a statement that does not concern a matter of public importance.

Sources1Bierman v. Weier, 826 N.W.2d 436 (Iowa 2013)5Bandstra v. Covenant Reformed Church, No. 16-1078 (Iowa 2018)

Related guide: What defamation per se means

Iowa adopted the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act in 2025, and it applies to civil actions filed on or after July 1, 2025. It covers claims based on statements in government proceedings and on the exercise of free speech, press, assembly, petition or association rights on a matter of public concern, with some exceptions. A defendant can file a special motion to dismiss within 60 days of being served (or later for good cause), which pauses the other proceedings between the parties, including discovery. If the motion succeeds, the court must award the defendant court costs, reasonable attorney fees and litigation expenses tied to the motion, and a defendant whose motion is denied can appeal right away.

Sources6Iowa Code ch. 652 (Uniform Public Expression Protection Act)7Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Anti-SLAPP Legal Guide: Iowa

Related guide: Anti-SLAPP laws by state

For libel in a newspaper, free newspaper or shopping guide, or defamatory statements on radio or TV, a defendant who shows the statement was published through misinformation or mistake owes only actual damages, unless the plaintiff served a notice asking for a retraction and it was refused. If no retraction or correction runs within two weeks, as prominently as the original, the plaintiff can seek actual, special and exemplary (punitive) damages. These retraction rules do not apply to libel imputing sexual misconduct, and stricter limits apply when the plaintiff was a candidate for office.

Source2Iowa Code §§ 659.2-659.4

Falsity is an element of defamation, and statements on matters of public concern that cannot be proven true or false, or cannot reasonably be read as stating actual facts, are protected opinion. A qualified privilege can protect good-faith statements made on a proper occasion to people with a shared interest, but it is lost if the speaker acts with actual malice or spreads the statement beyond that group. Iowa courts apply the actual malice standard (knowing the statement was false or recklessly disregarding the truth) to public officials and public figures, while a private person suing a media defendant must prove fault and falsity and cannot rely on presumed damages.

Sources5Bandstra v. Covenant Reformed Church, No. 16-1078 (Iowa 2018)1Bierman v. Weier, 826 N.W.2d 436 (Iowa 2013)

Iowa's stalking law covers a purposeful course of conduct toward a specific person that would make a reasonable person feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated or threatened, including repeatedly using a computer, phone or other technological device to locate, listen to or watch someone without authorization. A first offense is usually an aggravated misdemeanor, but using a technological device while committing stalking makes it a class C felony.

Source8Iowa Code § 708.11

Related guide: Cyberstalking laws explained

A person commits harassment by communicating with someone in writing or electronically, without a legitimate purpose and in a way likely to cause annoyance or harm, with the intent to intimidate, annoy or alarm them. Harassment ranges from a simple misdemeanor to an aggravated misdemeanor, depending on factors such as threats of bodily injury or a forcible felony and prior convictions.

Source9Iowa Code § 708.7(1)(a)(1), (2)-(4)

Related guide: Online harassment laws explained

A law effective July 1, 2026 makes it a serious misdemeanor to share the personal address, personal phone number or physical location of a state legislator, a judicial officer, or one of their immediate family members with the intent to cause harm, to put them in fear of serious harm, or to interfere with the official's job duties. The offense covers only these officials and their families, not the general public.

Sources10Iowa Senate File 2280 (2026), § 8, new Iowa Code § 708.1811Governor's approval letter for Senate File 2280 (May 6, 2026)12Iowa Code § 3.7 (Acts take effect July 1 unless they state otherwise)

Related guide: Is doxxing illegal?

Posting or distributing an image showing another person nude, partially nude or engaged in a sex act without their consent, with intent to intimidate, annoy or alarm, is first-degree harassment, an aggravated misdemeanor, and offenders 18 or older must register as sex offenders. The law also covers images created or altered to depict a recognizable person, with exceptions for news reporting, law enforcement, legal proceedings and similar public-interest disclosures.

Source9Iowa Code § 708.7(1)(a)(5), (2), (6)