Domestic Violence Protection Order - Iowa
Proposed final order for court review. This document becomes effective only if the court enters it. A person filing without an attorney must use the applicable Iowa Rule 17.10 forms to seek protection; Form 11 is the petition for an adult filing on their own behalf. The petition is separate from this proposed order.
Iowa District Court for [COUNTY] County
| Party | Role |
|---|---|
| [PETITIONER NAME] | Plaintiff |
| v. | |
| [RESPONDENT NAME] | Defendant |
Case No. [CASE NUMBER]
Final Domestic Abuse Protective Order
The Court, having considered the verified petition, evidence, and record of the hearing on [DATE], enters this order under Iowa Code chapter 236.
Findings
- The petition was filed on [DATE]. Venue lies in [COUNTY] County because [PLAINTIFF / DEFENDANT] resides here. Defendant received notice of the hearing by [METHOD] on [DATE] and ☐ appeared ☐ did not appear.
- The parties' qualifying relationship under Iowa Code § 236.2(2) is [RELATIONSHIP AND RELEVANT FACTS].
- The Court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that Defendant committed domestic abuse against Plaintiff: [SPECIFIC ACTS, DATES, AND FINDINGS]. This is a protective order following a finding of abuse, rather than a consent agreement without such a finding.
- The Court finds the relief selected below is appropriate to protect Plaintiff. For any custody or visitation relief, the Court has considered the safety of Plaintiff and the children and any existing custody or visitation order: [FINDINGS].
Order
Only paragraphs marked by the Court are ordered. The names, places, distances, and terms written below control.
☐ No abuse or contact. Defendant shall cease domestic abuse of Plaintiff and shall have no direct or indirect contact with Plaintiff, except: [SPECIFIC EXCEPTIONS, IF ANY].
☐ Stay away. Defendant shall stay at least [DISTANCE] from Plaintiff's residence at [ADDRESS OR PROTECTED DESCRIPTION], school at [ADDRESS], and workplace at [ADDRESS]. Additional specified places or conditions: [DETAILS].
☐ Residence. Plaintiff shall have possession of the residence at [ADDRESS] to the exclusion of Defendant. The parties' title to real property is unaffected by this order. ☐ Instead, Defendant shall provide suitable alternate housing as follows: [DETAILS].
☐ Children. Temporary custody of [CHILDREN] is awarded to [PERSON]. Visitation is ☐ denied ☐ permitted only under these safety conditions: [TIMES, PLACE, SUPERVISION, EXCHANGE, AND ANY EXCEPTIONS TO NO-CONTACT TERMS]. Existing order [CASE NUMBER] is ☐ modified as specified here: [EXACT TERMS] ☐ left in place except where this order expressly provides otherwise. The parties have furnished any required child-custody jurisdiction information.
☐ Support. Subject to any applicable federal restriction, Defendant shall pay the clerk [AMOUNT] for separate support and maintenance of [PLAINTIFF / CHILDREN] on [SCHEDULE].
☐ Pets or companion animals. Plaintiff shall have exclusive care, possession, or control of [ANIMALS]. Defendant shall not [SPECIFIED PROHIBITED CONDUCT].
☐ Counseling. [PARTY OR PARTIES] shall receive professional counseling from [COURT-APPROVED SOURCE]; allocation of costs: [TERMS].
☐ Fees and costs. Defendant shall pay Plaintiff's attorney fees of [AMOUNT] and court costs of [AMOUNT], on the findings in the record.
Duration, enforcement, and distribution
This order is entered on [DATE] and expires on [DATE, NO MORE THAN ONE YEAR AFTER ENTRY], unless amended, extended, or terminated by the Court. Either party may petition to amend or extend it after notice and hearing. An extension requires the Court to find that Defendant continues to pose the threat described in Iowa Code § 236.5(3).
For a violation of the terms stated here, a peace officer ☐ shall take Defendant into custody ☐ is not directed by this order to take Defendant into custody. The Court makes this selection under Iowa Code § 236.5(4); Iowa Code § 236.11 independently governs an officer's action on probable cause. A violation may be addressed by contempt or prosecuted as a simple misdemeanor under Iowa Code § 664A.7. The Court does not set a penalty in advance.
The clerk shall issue copies to Plaintiff, Defendant, the county sheriff, and the sheriff's twenty-four-hour dispatcher. The clerk shall give the sheriff and dispatcher written notice within six hours after filing, and shall forward any later amendment or revocation as required by Iowa Code § 236.5(7)–(8).
Firearms notice, if this order qualifies under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8): The person subject to this order shall not possess, ship, transport, or receive a firearm, offensive weapon, or ammunition while this order is in effect. See Iowa Code § 724.26(2)–(3). The Court shall determine whether this order qualifies and address any required transfer or surrender separately.
SO ORDERED.
Date and time entered: [DATE AND TIME]
Judge's signature: ________________________________________
Judge's name and title: [JUDGE NAME AND TITLE]
Record of service
Defendant was served with this order or a lawful short-form notification by [SERVER AND METHOD] on [DATE AND TIME]. Proof of service filed on [DATE].
About this template
- Last updated
- October 25, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- Iowa
- Category
- Family Law
Legal authority
- Iowa R. Ct. 17.1
- Iowa R. Ct. 17.10
- Iowa Code § 236.2(2)
- Iowa Code § 236.3(1)–(2)
- Iowa Code § 236.4(1)
- Iowa Code § 236.5(1)(b)
- Iowa Code § 236.5(3)
- Iowa Code § 236.5(4)
- Iowa Code § 236.5(7)–(8)
- Iowa Code § 236.11(1)
- Iowa Code § 664A.7(4)–(5)
Family law covers the paperwork that shapes divorce, custody, child support, adoption, guardianship, and other family matters. These filings are emotional and high-stakes, and they also have to meet strict procedural rules for service, financial disclosure, and parenting plans. Clean, accurate paperwork keeps the focus on getting a workable outcome for the family instead of getting derailed by technical problems that delay hearings or force amended filings.
Not legal advice
This template is provided for informational purposes. We recommend having an attorney review any legal document before signing, especially for high-value or complex matters.
Checked against the law it cites
The statutes this template relies on are listed under Legal authority.
Iowa Code § 724.26(2)-(3) (checked October 25, 2026): "Upon the issuance of a protective order or entry of a judgment of conviction described in subsection 2, the court shall inform the person who is the subject of such order or conviction that the person shall not possess, ship, transport, or receive a firearm, offensive weapon, or ammunition while such order is in effect"
Iowa R. Ct. 17.1 (checked October 21, 2026): "Persons without attorney representation in legal actions covered under this chapter must use the forms listed in this chapter and available on the Iowa Judicial Branch website at: www.iowacourts.gov. Attorneys may use these forms but are not required to do so."
Iowa R. Ct. 17.10 (checked October 21, 2026): "Persons without attorney representation in legal actions seeking protection from domestic abuse under Iowa Code chapter 236 must use the forms listed in this rule."
Iowa Code § 236.2(2) (checked October 21, 2026): "Domestic abuse means committing assault as defined in section 708.1 under any of the following circumstances"
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