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Gun laws in Iowa regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition in the state of Iowa in the United States.
On January 1, 2011, Iowa became a "shall issue" state for a permit to carry weapons on one's person. Applicants must successfully complete an approved training course.
Iowa will honor any valid permit issued by any other state. Persons do not have to be a resident of the state from which the permit was issued. However, an Iowa resident must have an Iowa Permit To Carry in order to lawfully carry a firearm on his or her person in Iowa.
A Permit To Acquire (PTA), obtained from the sheriff of the county of the applicant’s residence, is required when purchasing or otherwise acquiring a handgun, either from a dealer or from a private party. A Permit To Acquire shall be issued to qualified applicants aged 21 or older. The PTA becomes valid three days after the date of application, and is valid for one year. A PTA is not required when purchasing an antique handgun, defined as one made in or before 1898 and including post-1898 replicas of matchlock, flintlock, or percussion cap pistols.
Iowa residents with a Permit To Carry (PTC) can use the PTC in lieu of a PTA when acquiring a handgun. The PTC is valid for 5 years.
Iowa has enacted state preemption of firearms laws, so local units of government may not restrict the ownership, possession, or transfer of firearms, or require their registration.
Under Iowa law, private citizens may not possess automatic firearms, short-barreled rifles (barrels under 16 inches), short-barreled shotguns (barrels under 18 inches), any firearm "other than a shotgun or muzzle loading rifle, cannon, pistol, revolver or musket" with a bore of more than 6/10 of an inch (unless it is an antique made in or before 1898), or any explosive, incendiary or poison gas destructive device. Sound suppressors ("silencers") may be possessed if the suppressor is federally registered.