A Gun and a Crime
Iowa Code § 724.4 — going armed with a dangerous weapon and using it in a crime is an aggravated misdemeanor
Going armed with a dangerous weapon and using it in the commission of a crime is an aggravated misdemeanor. A dangerous weapon includes any firearm, a knife with a blade over five inches, a stun device, and anything used in a way showing intent to kill or seriously injure.
- Carrying a dangerous weapon on the person, or within reach in a vehicle, while intoxicated as the OWI section defines it, is a serious misdemeanor.
- That does not apply in one's own home, place of business or land, or during justified self-defense lasting no longer than the emergency.
An offense involving a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school, or in a public park outside a hunting area, carries twice the maximum fine.
Sources for this section (4)
- Iowa Code § 724.4 — Use of a dangerous weapon in the commission of a crime
- Iowa Code § 724.4A — Weapons free zones — enhanced penalties
- Iowa Code § 724.4C — Possession or carrying of dangerous weapons while under the influence
- Iowa Code § 702.7 — Dangerous weapon
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Iowa attorney.