State file — Iowa
Every number below names the law it comes from (its statute citation), checked October 18, 2026. Where a number comes from a secondary source instead of the official text, this page says so — double-check it before you rely on it.
| How long they have to sue you — credit-card debt | 10 years (written contract) / 5 years (open account) · Iowa Code §614.1(4)–(5) Ten years for written contracts, five years for unwritten contracts and open accounts; card debt is usually run as an open or unwritten account at five years. |
| If the clock has run out | Signing a written statement that the debt is yours — or a signed promise to pay — can restart it. Paying alone cannot. Iowa Code §614.11 Only a written admission, signed by the person to be charged, that the debt is unpaid — or a like signed new promise to pay — revives the claim. A part payment alone does not revive it. |
| Deadline to answer a lawsuit | 20 days after service of the original notice and petition · Iowa R. Civ. P. 1.303(1) |
| Taking your paycheck (wage garnishment) | More protective than the federal cap. For consumer credit judgments the cap is the lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 40 times the federal minimum wage (federal law uses 30 times). On top of that, §642.21 caps the total one creditor can take in a year, from $250 for the lowest earners up to 10% of expected earnings for people expecting $50,000 or more. Iowa Code §§537.5105, 642.21 From a secondary source — double-check before you rely on it |
| Taking your bank account (a levy) | Up to $1,000 in total in cash on hand, bank deposits and credit union accounts is exempt — the same $1,000 can instead be pointed at other personal property. Anything above that is reachable unless it traces to an exempt source. Iowa Code §627.6(14) Federal benefits deposited directly get an automatic two-month shield everywhere (31 CFR Part 212). |
| Original creditor calling? | Yes — the Iowa Debt Collection Practices Act (Iowa Code §§537.7101–537.7103 (§537.7102(5))) applies FDCPA-style rules to original creditors. A 'debt collector' is anyone engaging in debt collection 'whether for the person, the person's employer, or others.' The Iowa Attorney General confirms creditors collecting their own debts must follow the Act's substantive rules, even though most need not file the collector notification. |
| How long a judgment lasts | 20 years — Actions on judgments of courts of record must be brought within 20 years; there is no separate renewal step inside that period. · Iowa Code §614.1(6) |
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10 years (written contract) / 5 years (open account) under Iowa Code §614.1(4)–(5). The clock usually starts at the first missed payment that was never made up. Debt collectors may still call after it runs out, but Regulation F (12 CFR 1006.26(b)) bars them from suing — or threatening to sue — over a debt that is too old (time-barred).
Signing a written statement that the debt is yours — or a signed promise to pay — can restart it. Paying alone cannot. (Iowa Code §614.11).
20 days after service of the original notice and petition (Iowa R. Civ. P. 1.303(1)). Most of these cases are lost by default — by never answering at all.
For consumer credit judgments the cap is the lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 40 times the federal minimum wage (federal law uses 30 times). On top of that, §642.21 caps the total one creditor can take in a year, from $250 for the lowest earners up to 10% of expected earnings for people expecting $50,000 or more. (Iowa Code §§537.5105, 642.21).