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AI Laws in Iowa
As of 2026-08-12, AI Laws USA tracks 21 AI rules in Iowa: 8 state-level rules and 13 county or city rules. Federal AI protections apply statewide on top of these — see the federal page. Each entry links to its official source.
Iowa state-level AI rules (8)
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Enacted (not yet in effect)
Iowa HF 2635 (no AI-only prior-auth denials)
Iowa · Effective 2027-01-01 · Iowa H.F. 2635, 91st Gen. Assemb. (2026), Sec. 514F.8(2A), eff. Jan. 1, 2027
Iowa lets a utilization review organization use an AI-based algorithm or system to conduct an initial review of a prior-authorization request, but forbids relying on AI as the sole basis to deny, delay, or downgrade a medical-necessity prior-authorization request. A qualified human reviewer — a clinical peer or qualified reviewer — must make the binding determination.
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Enacted (not yet in effect)
Iowa SF 2417 (Conversational AI Safety Act)
Iowa · Effective 2027-07-01 · Iowa S.F. 2417, 91st Gen. Assemb. (2026), applies July 1, 2027
Iowa requires operators of conversational AI services to clearly disclose that a user is interacting with artificial intelligence — through a persistent disclaimer or a notice repeated at least every three hours of continuous use — whenever a reasonable person might otherwise believe they are talking to a human. Operators must adopt protocols to respond to user messages about suicidal ideation or self-harm, including referring the user to crisis resources, and may not represent that the service provides professional psychological or behavioral health care, with extra safeguards for minors.
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In effect
Attorney General Brenna Bird Warns of Deepfake Dangers as St
Iowa · Effective 2025-08-19 · Attorney General Brenna Bird Warns of Deepfake Dangers as Students Head Back to School
The Iowa Attorney General issued a consumer alert warning parents and schools that AI-generated deepfake images used to harass or bully students are criminal acts under state and federal law.
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In effect
Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy (ENTERPRISE P
Iowa · Effective 2025-03-31 · Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy (ENTERPRISE PY-AI)
Iowa's enterprise generative-AI policy, issued under Iowa Administrative Code 129-8.4(8B), sets minimum requirements and prohibited uses for generative AI, mandating human review of AI outputs and disclosure of AI-generated code.
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In effect
Iowa Consumer Data Protection Act
Iowa · Effective 2025-01-01 · Iowa SF 262 (2023), Iowa Code ch. 715D
Iowa's privacy law gives consumers rights to access, delete, copy, and opt out of the sale of their personal data and targeted advertising. Notably it does NOT include a profiling opt-out, making it one of the more business-friendly state privacy laws.
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In effect
IA DOI AI Bulletin
IA · Effective 2024-11-07 · Iowa Insurance Division Bulletin 24-04 (2024-11-07)
The IA Department of Insurance adopted the NAIC Model Bulletin on Use of Artificial Intelligence Systems by Insurers. Insurers licensed in IA must maintain a written AI program with governance, risk-management, testing, third-party-AI oversight, and documentation controls. The bulletin operationalizes existing unfair-trade-practice and unfair-discrimination law as applied to insurers' AI use cases — underwriting, pricing, claims, fraud detection, and marketing.
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In effect
Iowa Synthetic Intimate Content Law
Iowa · Effective 2024-07-01 · Iowa HF 2240 (2024)
Iowa criminalizes generating or distributing synthetic images or videos depicting a person in sexual acts or nudity without consent. Violations involving adults are aggravated misdemeanors; involving minors, felonies. Expressly motivated by AI-generated pornographic deepfakes.
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In effect
Iowa AI CSAM Law
Iowa · Effective 2024-07-01 · Iowa SF 2243 (2024), amending Iowa Code § 728
Iowa amended its sexual-exploitation-of-a-minor law to explicitly include depictions 'created, adapted, or modified' by AI to appear to show an identifiable minor in a prohibited act. First offense: Class D felony (up to 5 years); second: Class C felony (up to 10 years). Passed unanimously.
County and city AI rules in Iowa (13)
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In effect
Woodbury County IA Resolution 14064 — 12-month data center moratorium
Woodbury County, IA · Effective 2026-06-23 · Woodbury County, IA Resolution 14064 (adopted 5-0, June 23, 2026)
The Woodbury County (IA) Board of Supervisors voted unanimously 5-0 on June 23, 2026 to adopt Resolution 14064, a 12-month moratorium on data center applications in unincorporated Woodbury County. The moratorium prohibits the county from accepting, processing, or approving any zoning, subdivision, site plan, conditional use permit, building permit, rezoning, or other development application for any type or class of data center in unincorporated areas of the county, for 12 months from adoption. The resolution does not affect data center projects already approved or those within incorporated city limits. The vote was triggered in part by a proposal involving approximately 900 acres of farmland near Salix that MidAmerican Energy had proposed annexing into city limits — a maneuver the moratorium could not reach once annexation occurred. Woodbury County's county seat is Sioux City.
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In effect
Johnson County IA One-Year Data Center Moratorium
Johnson County, IA · Effective 2025-11-08 · One-year moratorium adopted unanimously by Johnson County BoS on or about 2025-11-08
In November 2025, the Johnson County (IA) Board of Supervisors unanimously and without debate adopted a one-year moratorium on rezoning applications, site plans, and building permits for data centers in unincorporated Johnson County. The moratorium expires November 8, 2026. The moratorium does not affect Iowa City, North Liberty, or Coralville (incorporated cities within the county). Stated rationale was concern about energy and water resources in unincorporated areas.
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In effect
Palo IA EU-1 Data Center District (2026)
Palo, IA · Effective 2026-07-22 · Palo, Iowa Ordinance No. 93-2026, amending Code of Ordinances ch. 165
Ordinance No. 93-2026 adds Section 165.16A to the Palo zoning code, creating the EU-1 Data Center Exclusive Use District in which data centers are the permitted principal use. A data center must be rezoned to EU-1 unless already located there, and must submit a major site plan for review before approval. Before the first building permit the applicant must supply electric line and access-road locations, written verification from the power provider that the proposed load can be served, a full-cutoff lighting plan, an approved Road Use Agreement, a pre-construction noise analysis, an emergency response plan coordinated with local first responders and Linn County Emergency Management, and a drought and water-supply section permitting surface-water and groundwater monitoring wells with water-level emergency triggers. This is a permissive zoning framework with conditions attached, not a moratorium.
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In effect
Linn County IA 18-month data-center moratorium (2026)
Linn County, Iowa · Effective 2026-07-01 · Linn County (IA) Board of Supervisors Resolution — 18-month EU-3 data-center rezoning moratorium (July 1, 2026)
Linn County, Iowa (home to Cedar Rapids) voted 2-1 on July 1, 2026 to impose an 18-month moratorium pausing all new EU-3 Large-Scale Data Center Zoning District rezoning applications in unincorporated areas of the county. The moratorium is effective immediately through January 1, 2028, and gives the county time to conduct a comprehensive planning process to address data center siting, water use, energy consumption, and community impact. Note: this is a separate and additional measure from the existing Linn County data-center zoning ordinance (February 2026), which established the EU-3 zone; this moratorium pauses NEW rezoning requests under that zone.
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In effect
Linn County IA EU-3 rezoning moratorium (2026)
Linn County, IA · Effective 2026-07-01 · Linn County, Iowa resolution (adopted 2026-07-01); number not assigned in the posted copy
The resolution establishes a moratorium on the acceptance for filing and processing of new applications to rezone property into the EU-3 Large-Scale Data Center District. It does NOT ban data center construction and does not repeal or suspend the county's existing data center zoning ordinance (PA26-0001, adopted 2026-02-18) — it freezes the rezoning pathway into EU-3 while the county completes technical studies, coordinates with municipalities, utility providers, regional planning organizations, emergency management and state and federal agencies, gathers public input, and evaluates amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance and Comprehensive Plan. It expressly preserves the Board's ability to later consider amendments allowing data centers as accessory or supportive uses to nuclear energy generating facilities in the EU-2 district.
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In effect
Des Moines County IA 1-year data center moratorium
Des Moines County, IA · Effective 2026-05-19 · Des Moines County, IA Board of Supervisors, Resolution 2026-034 (reported) — 1-year data center moratorium (May 19, 2026)
The Des Moines County (IA) Board of Supervisors voted on May 19, 2026 to impose a one-year moratorium on the acceptance and approval of data center permit applications in unincorporated parts of the county. The moratorium scope expressly includes cryptocurrency mining operations as well as conventional data centers. The moratorium runs through approximately May 19, 2027. Des Moines County is in southeastern Iowa; its county seat is Burlington. Resolution 2026-034 was reported in aggregated meeting coverage but has not yet been independently confirmed from the official county government source.
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In effect
Linn County IA Data Center Ordinance for Unincorporated Areas
Linn County, IA · Effective 2026-02-18 · Linn County BOS data center ordinance (3rd consideration approved 2026-02-18) (2026-02-18)
Strict zoning: 1,000-ft residential setbacks; mandatory water study and binding Water Use Agreement; noise/light limits; road/infrastructure compensation; community betterment contribution.
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Expired
Story County IA Data Center Moratorium (Resolution #25-97)
Story County, IA · Effective 2025-06-17 · Initial moratorium 2025-06-17 (expires ≤2025-12-31)
On June 17, 2025, Story County (IA) imposed a temporary moratorium on data-center development in unincorporated areas, with an expiration on or before December 31, 2025. On November 25, 2025, the County Board of Supervisors authorized a one-time extension. The moratorium expired December 31, 2025. On March 17, 2026, the Board adopted Ordinance 330 (case TA26-000002), which covers battery-energy storage systems (BESS) only — the Board expressly removed proposed supplemental data-center standards during deliberations. No permanent data-center ordinance was adopted to replace the moratorium.
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In effect
Ida County IA indefinite data center moratorium
Ida County, IA · Ida County, IA, Board of Supervisors, indefinite data center moratorium (unanimous vote, late June 2026; per Radio Iowa July 13, 2026 reporting)
The Ida County, Iowa Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in late June 2026 to impose an indefinite moratorium on data center development in the county. Unlike most data center moratoriums, which have a fixed duration, the Ida County moratorium has no sunset date — it will remain in effect until the county develops permanent regulations. Ida County is a small rural county in northwestern Iowa (county seat: Ida Grove). The moratorium was reported by Radio Iowa on July 13, 2026 as part of a broader wave of Iowa county actions on data center development.
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In effect
12-month moratorium on data centers
Dubuque County, IA · Effective 2026-05-26 · 12-month moratorium on data centers
The Dubuque County Board of Supervisors voted 2-1 on May 26, 2026 to enact a 12-month moratorium on data centers while staff research and develop county zoning regulations for such facilities.
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In effect
Data center zoning ordinance for unincorporated Linn County
Linn County, IA · Effective 2026-02-18 · Data center zoning ordinance for unincorporated Linn County
The Linn County Board of Supervisors adopted one of the nation's most comprehensive local data-center zoning ordinances on February 18, 2026, requiring water studies and water-use agreements, 1,000-foot residential setbacks, noise and light limits, and infrastructure-damage compensation.
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In effect
Iowa City Community School District
Iowa City, IA · Effective 2025-09-25 · Iowa City Community School District — Generative AI Use Guidelines and Board Policy 605.8R1 (effective September 2025)
Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD) guidelines authorize Microsoft Copilot enterprise on district devices; bar student entry of PII into non-approved AI; require teacher disclosure of AI use; and prohibit AI as sole basis for grading or discipline. The district also adopted Board Policy 605.8R1 governing student use of technology including AI.
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Proposed / pending
Fairfax IA permanent ban on high-impact data centers (no end date; second reading July 28)
Fairfax, IA · Fairfax, IA City Council, ordinance prohibiting High-Impact Data Centers (first reading 3-1, July 14, 2026; second reading July 28, 2026)
The Fairfax, Iowa City Council voted 3-1 on July 14, 2026 to advance on first reading an ordinance that would permanently prohibit 'High-Impact Data Centers' within the city with no expiration date. Councilman Dan Wozniak introduced the measure. Councilman Michael Daly cast the sole no vote, arguing the action was premature and objecting to the permanent nature of the ban. A second reading was scheduled for July 28, 2026; the outcome of that meeting and whether the mayor has signed the ordinance is not yet confirmed. KCRG (Cedar Rapids ABC affiliate) characterized the vote as approving a 'ban' with 'no end date'; CBS2 Iowa characterized it as approving a 'moratorium on large AI data centers.' Fairfax is a small city in Linn County near Cedar Rapids and has been cited as only the second Iowa municipality to pursue a permanent outright data center ban, after Ida County. The ordinance as reported does not define 'High-Impact Data Center' numerically in available coverage.
Iowa city guides
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