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Iowa Debt Collection Laws: Garnishment Limits, the Right to Cure, and Debt Deadlines

Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited August 12, 2026). · 8 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content

Iowa Debt Collection Laws: Garnishment Limits, the Right to Cure, and Debt Deadlines

Frequently Asked Questions

How much of my paycheck can be garnished in Iowa?

For a consumer credit debt, the lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount exceeding 40 times the federal minimum wage ($290 a week), under Iowa Code 537.5105. Iowa Code 642.21 also caps the total per creditor per calendar year, with the cap rising from $250 to 10% of earnings depending on how much you make.

Does Iowa require notice before repossessing a car?

Yes, for consumer credit transactions. Under Iowa Code 537.5110 and 537.5111, the creditor must send a notice of the right to cure and wait 20 days before repossessing or suing, unless you already used that right on a prior default within the past 365 days.

What is the statute of limitations on debt in Iowa?

10 years for a written contract and 5 years for an unwritten contract or open account, under Iowa Code 614.1. Iowa did not adopt the UCC's usual 6-year note deadline, so promissory notes also fall under the 10-year written-contract period.

Does making a payment restart the clock on old debt in Iowa?

Not by itself. Iowa Code 614.11 requires a written, signed admission or new promise to revive a time-barred debt. A bare partial payment without a signed writing is not listed in the statute as reviving the debt on its own.

Can I be fired for having my wages garnished in Iowa?

No. Iowa Code 642.21(2)(c) bars an employer from discharging an employee over garnishment for indebtedness, without limiting that protection to a single debt, which is broader than the federal one-debt rule.

How much money in my bank account is protected from creditors in Iowa?

Iowa Code 627.6(14) protects $1,000 in cash, bank deposits, and other personal property as a general wildcard, and it applies both outside bankruptcy and inside a bankruptcy case. Social Security, unemployment, and disability benefits are separately exempt without a dollar limit under 627.6(8).

Does Iowa have its own debt collection law, or only the federal FDCPA?

Iowa has its own. Article 7 of the Iowa Consumer Credit Code is the Iowa Debt Collection Practices Act (Iowa Code 537.7101). Iowa Code 537.7103 bars illegal threats such as a false claim that nonpayment can lead to arrest or seizure of your wages, bars harassing or anonymous calls, and bars disclosing the debt to third parties. Under Iowa Code 537.5201 you can sue for actual damages plus a court-set penalty of $100 to $1,000, with costs and attorney fees, and you can complain to the Iowa Attorney General, who serves as the administrator of the Iowa Consumer Credit Code.

Updates

Added Iowa's own debt collection statute, the Iowa Debt Collection Practices Act, with the conduct it prohibits and the damages, penalty and attorney fees a consumer can recover; corrected the bank-account wildcard exemption to show it applies both outside and inside bankruptcy.

Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources

Sources and References

  1. Iowa Code 642.21, Exemption of Earnings from Garnishment(legis.iowa.gov).gov
  2. Iowa Code 537.5105, Restriction on Garnishment (Iowa Consumer Credit Code)(legis.iowa.gov).gov
  3. Iowa Code 627.6, Exempt Personal Property(legis.iowa.gov).gov
  4. Iowa Code 614.1, Period for Commencement of Actions(legis.iowa.gov).gov
  5. Iowa Code 614.11, Revival of Actions(legis.iowa.gov).gov
  6. Iowa Code 554.9609, Secured Party's Right to Take Possession After Default(legis.iowa.gov).gov
  7. Iowa Code 537.5110, Limitation on Default Judgment; Notice of Right to Cure(legis.iowa.gov).gov
  8. 12 CFR 1006.26, Collection of Time-Barred Debts (Regulation F)(ecfr.gov).gov
  9. Iowa Code 537.7101, Short Title (Iowa Debt Collection Practices Act)(legis.iowa.gov)
  10. Iowa Code 537.7103, Prohibited Debt Collection Practices(legis.iowa.gov)
  11. Iowa Code 537.5201, Effect of Violations on Rights of Parties(legis.iowa.gov)
  12. Iowa Code 537.6103, Administrator (Iowa Consumer Credit Code)(legis.iowa.gov)
  13. Iowa Code 627.10, Bankruptcy Exemption (opt-out from 11 U.S.C. 522(d))(legis.iowa.gov)
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