With guns routinely being a hot-button debate in America as a whole, it's important not only to practice gun safety, but also take a look at what weapons and firearms are not allowed, specifically in the state of Iowa.

I sued the website Find Law to help better understand Iowa's gun control laws and policies. This site is a one-stop location not only for knowledge on the most up-to-date gun control laws in the state of Iowa, but also a good primer on what weapons are simply not prohibited for private use/ownership.

But first, let's look at how gun control in Iowa significantly changed in 2021...

Photo Credit: steverts
Photo Credit: steverts
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What is "Permitless Carry in Iowa?:"

Per Find Law, in 2021, Iowa enacted several new gun control laws, particularly a "permitless carry" law. As a result, the permit application citizens originally made to acquire a firearm became optional, which meant that gun sales occurring between private individuals no longer needed a background check.

Furthermore, permitless carry allows law-abiding individuals to carry a loaded firearm on their person, either open or concealed, in public. However, the presence of a firearm is still illegal in these specific areas in Iowa:

  • Within 1,000 feet of the grounds of a public or private elementary or secondary school or park (weapons-free zones)
  • School buses
  • Casinos
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Under federal law, individuals cannot bring firearms to these locations:

  • Post offices and their parking lots
  • Federal facilities
  • IRS offices
  • Federal courthouses
  • Airports (secure areas)
  • Ranger stations
  • Federal buildings in federal parks
Photo Credit: Stefan Malloch
Photo Credit: Stefan Malloch
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What Weapons are Illegal to Own in Iowa?:

Per Find Law, it is illegal for a private citizen to own any of these weapons:

  • Machine guns
  • Short-barreled rifles or shotguns
  • Any weapon other than a shotgun or muzzle-loading rifle, cannon, pistol, revolver, or musket, which fires or can be made to fire a projectile by the explosion of a propellant charge which has a barrel of more than six-tenths of an inch in diameter
  • Any bullet containing any explosive mixture capable of exploding upon impact
  • Suppressors (silencers)

Who Cannot Own Guns in Iowa?:

You cannot own a gun in Iowa if you:

  • Have a felony conviction
  • Are an adjudicated delinquent for a crime that would be a felony if it was committed by an adult
  • Handgun: Are under 21 years old (with exceptions)
  • Have a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction or are subject to a domestic violence protective order

For up-to-date information on gun laws in Iowa, as well as the minutiae of understanding current gun control laws in the state, visit Find Law's website.

LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.

Gallery Credit: Elena Kadvany

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