Trespass
Iowa Code § 716.7 — staying after being told to leave by the owner or a peace officer
- Trespass includes entering property without express permission intending a public offense or to use, damage or harass there.
- It includes entering or remaining without justification after being told to stay away or leave by the owner, lessee, an agent, or a peace officer.
- Notice can be personal, oral or written, including a court order.
- Going onto another's land only to retrieve something that blew or strayed there, by the most direct route, is not trespass.
A knowing trespass is a simple misdemeanor punished as a scheduled violation, and a peace officer may arrest a person who refuses to leave after a citation. A trespass causing injury, or more than $300 in damage, is a serious misdemeanor.
Sources for this section (2)
- Iowa Code § 716.7 — Trespass defined
- Iowa Code § 716.8 — Penalties
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Iowa attorney.