State Guide
Age of Consent in Iowa
A plain-English guide to the age of consent in Iowa, cited to Iowa Code § 709.4. Iowa’s close-in-age allowance for 14 and 15 year olds depends on several conditions together, not the age gap alone.
Multi-condition allowance, victim 14–15 onlyIowa at a glance
The core figures from this guide, in one place.
| Age of consent | 16 |
|---|---|
| Governing statute | Iowa Code § 709.4 (Sexual Abuse, Third Degree) |
| Close-in-age mechanism | Not covered for a 14–15 victim if no listed condition is met |
| Age-based defense, if any | None needed — statute simply doesn’t apply if no condition is met |
| Related offense | School employee with a student — Iowa Code § 709.15 |
Overview
Iowa sets its age of consent at 16. Iowa Code Section 709.4 defines sexual abuse in the third degree, a class C felony, and treats a victim 12 or 13 differently from a victim 14 or 15.
For a victim 12 or 13, the statute applies without any close-in-age consideration. For a victim 14 or 15, the statute only applies if at least one of four specific conditions is true: living in the same household, a blood or family relationship, a position of authority used to coerce, or an age gap of four years or more. If none of those four conditions is present, this particular statute does not reach the conduct.
Age of consent in Iowa
Iowa Code Section 709.4(2)(b) covers a victim 12 or 13 without any additional condition. Section 709.4(2)(c) covers a victim 14 or 15 only where at least one of the four listed conditions applies. Both are class C felonies.
Close-in-age rules in Iowa
For a victim 14 or 15, Section 709.4(2)(c) applies only if at least one of the following is true:
- The two people live in the same household.
- They are related by blood or affinity to the fourth degree.
- The older person holds a position of authority and uses it to coerce the younger person.
- The older person is four or more years older.
Exceptions and defenses
Marriage or cohabitation as spouses at the time is a general exclusion from this section. A separate statute, Section 709.15, makes it illegal for a school employee to have sexual relations with a currently enrolled student, or one who attended within the past 30 days, regardless of the age gap or whether the age-of-consent threshold would otherwise be met.
Applicable statutes
The codified Iowa law this guide is drawn from.
Practical examples
Example 1. A 15-year-old and a 17-year-old, a two-year gap, different households, unrelated, no authority relationship. None of the four conditions is met, so Section 709.4(2)(c) does not reach this conduct.
Example 2. A 15-year-old and a 20-year-old, a five-year gap. The gap condition alone is enough to trigger the statute, regardless of household or family relationship.
Example 3. A 15-year-old and an 18-year-old, a three-year gap, but they live in the same household. Even though the gap is under four years, the same-household condition is independently enough to trigger the statute.
Frequently asked questions about Iowa
What is the age of consent in Iowa?
16. Iowa Code Section 709.4 addresses sexual conduct with a victim 12 or 13, and separately with a victim 14 or 15, using different conditions for each.
Does Iowa have a Romeo and Juliet law?
In a specific form. For a victim 14 or 15, the statute does not apply if none of four listed conditions is true, one of which is a four-year age gap. It is not a single simple exemption; it is one of four independent triggers.
What are the other three conditions?
Living in the same household, being related by blood or affinity to the fourth degree, or the older person holding a position of authority used to coerce the younger person.
Does this allowance apply to a 12 or 13 year old?
No. For a victim 12 or 13, the statute applies without any of these conditions being required.
Does a school employee get any close-in-age allowance?
No. A separate statute makes it illegal for a school employee to have sexual relations with a current or very recent student, regardless of the age gap.
Official sources
Primary and official sources this guide is built from.
Four independent triggers, victim 14–15
Any one of these is enough on its own to trigger the statute.
| Condition | Triggers the statute? |
|---|---|
| Same household | Yes |
| Related by blood or affinity (4th degree) | Yes |
| Position of authority, used to coerce | Yes |
| 4 or more years older | Yes |
| None of the above | No |
About this guide
Who wrote it, who reviewed it, and when it was last checked.
RomeoAndJulietLaw.com Editorial Team
Drafted from the Iowa Code, cross-checked against multiple years of official codification.
Pending attorney review
This guide has not yet been checked by a licensed Iowa attorney. It is sourced and cited, but should not be treated as attorney-reviewed until this line is updated with a named reviewer.
Primary source for this guide
Editorial notes
This guide reflects the Iowa Code as of 26 July 2026. It has not yet been reviewed by a licensed Iowa attorney; treat it as sourced and current-as-drafted, not as attorney-verified, until the reviewer field above is updated.