Deadlines After a Conviction
Iowa R. App. P. 6.101 — 30 days to appeal, and three years for postconviction relief
30 days. A notice of appeal must be filed in the district court, and an informational copy with the supreme court, within 30 days after the filing of the final order or judgment. If a motion is timely filed under Iowa Rule of Civil Procedure 1.904(2) or 1.1007, the notice of appeal must be filed within 30 days after the filing of the ruling on that motion.
Who handles this in Iowa: legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Iowa directory.
No notice from the clerk. The supreme court may extend the time to file a notice of appeal if it determines the clerk of the district court failed to notify the person appealing of the entry of the final order or judgment. The motion is filed with the clerk of the supreme court no later than 60 days after the original deadline runs out, and an extension granted does not exceed 30 days after the date of the order granting it.
Filed before the judgment. An appeal taken before the order or judgment has been filed by the clerk of the district court is considered timely if the order or judgment is filed within 30 days after the notice of appeal is filed.
Three years. An application is filed, verified by the applicant, with the clerk of the district court in which the conviction or sentence took place, within three years from the date the conviction or decision is final or, in the event of an appeal, from the date the writ of procedendo is issued.
A new ground. The limitation does not apply to a ground of fact or law that could not have been raised within the applicable time period.
A prison disciplinary decision. An application seeking relief from a disciplinary decision is filed with the clerk of the district court of the county in which the applicant is confined, within ninety days from the date the decision is final.
Assigned counsel on appeal, a stay pending appeal, and federal habeas corpus run on rules and deadlines of their own and are not on this page. Whether a deadline has passed in a particular case is a question for a licensed Iowa attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- Iowa R. App. P. 6.101 — Time for appealing final orders and judgments appealable as a matter of right
- Iowa Code § 822.3 — How to commence proceeding — limitation
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Iowa attorney.