Iowa statute of limitations for a personal-injury claim
The general limitation period Iowa's statute sets for a civil action for personal injury caused by negligence, quoted from the official text with the section cited and the date we read it.
Verify with a lawyer before you rely on any of this. This page states the general limitation period written in each state's statute for a personal-injury claim, with the section it came from and the date we read it. It is not legal advice and it is not your deadline: when the clock starts, whether it pauses, shorter notice rules for claims against governments, and special rules for medical malpractice, motor-vehicle and product cases all change the answer, and the statute may have changed since we read it. States we could not verify against an official source are marked and show no period at all. Reading this page creates no attorney-client relationship.
The general period
2 years under Iowa Code § 614.1(2)
§ 614.1: "Actions may be brought within the times limited as follows, respectively, after their causes accrue, and not afterwards, except when otherwise specially declared: ... 2. Injuries to person or reputation — relative rights — statute penalty. Those founded on injuries to the person or reputation, including injuries to relative rights, whether based on contract or tort, or for a statute penalty, within two years."
Verified 2026-09-12 against the official text. A row older than 180 days drops back to the citation alone until it is re-read.
Of the 45 jurisdictions we have verified, 24 set 2 years; the general periods run from 1 to 6 years. Compare every state.
Personal-injury law firms in Iowa
Directory pages for the cities here with the most currently published personal-injury law firms, A to Z. A lawyer can tell you which rule applies to you.
Related: what a statute of limitations is, negligence, wrongful death, medical malpractice, free legal aid in Iowa.
Part of LawyerLand's free legal reference tools. Every figure on this page is quoted from the official text of a state legislature or court, with the section and the date it was read. Nothing here is paid placement, and the page links to no paid listing.
If you cannot afford a lawyer, civil legal aid programs provide free help with many injury and insurance problems: civil legal aid programs by state.
