Iowa Bankruptcy Guide

Which court hears a case from each county

Each county below is assigned to a federal district, and larger districts divide further by division. Every assignment comes from the court’s own published order or local rule.

Bankruptcy venue is governed by 28 U.S.C. § 1408, not by county alone. It can rest on domicile, residence, a principal place of business, or principal assets in the United States, measured over the 180 days before filing — so a recent move can change which district is available. Confirm venue before filing.

All 99 counties in Iowa are mapped to a court.

Iowa in detail

• Iowa means test median income

  The published median annual income by household size, and what the comparison does and does not decide.

• Iowa bankruptcy exemptions

  What state law protects, quoted from the statute that states it.

What we publish for Iowa

• State exemption system (opt-out vs federal election)

  This state has opted out of the federal exemption list for debtors whose applicable exemption law is this state's law. Which state's law applies is set by 11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(3)(A) from where the filer was domiciled before filing, not from where they live today — and § 522(b)(3) still allows the federal list where that domicile rule would otherwise leave a debtor with no exemptions at all.

• Means test median income

  Published medians for 10 household sizes. A comparison, not a decision.

• Which federal court hears your case

  All 99 mapped to a district and division, each with the court's own order or rule cited.

• Local court practice (341 format, plan form, no-look fee)

  Verified for 2 of 2 districts.

• Tools using Iowa data

  10 calculators run on this state's published figures.

Not yet published for Iowa

These are sections this page does not cover for Iowa. Rather than show a summary we cannot source, it says what is missing.

• Exemptions — what state law listsNot yet published
• Wage garnishment limitsNot yet published
• Participating firmsNot yet published