Short answer. Cases go to the Small Claims Court. The tenant gets at least three days' notice and answers by attending the hearing; missing it can mean a judgment.
At a glance
- Court
- Small Claims Court. Filed as a small claims action in the county where the rental is.
"The forms you must use in Iowa Small Claims Court are available in fillable format"
Source 2 - Filing fee
- $115, collected when you file electronically.
"A filing fee of $115.00 will be collected when you electronically file."
Source 2 - Hearing after filing
- The hearing is set no later than 8 days after filing (up to 15 if the landlord asks for or agrees to a later date), and personal service must be at least 3 days before.
"no later than eight days from the filing date"
Source 1 - Time to answer or appear
- The tenant gets at least three days' notice and answers by attending the hearing; missing it can mean a judgment.
"If you do not attend the hearing, the court may enter a judgment against you."
Source 3 - Judgment to writ
- If the landlord wins, the execution (removal order) issues within three days of the judgment.
"an execution for the defendant's removal within three days from the judgment shall issue accordingly"
Source 1
Sample timeline: filed Monday, December 7, 2026
Earliest under the statute; courts' calendars often take longer.
- Answer or appear: Thursday, December 10, 2026
- Hearing or trial: Thursday, December 10, 2026
- Judgment: Thursday, December 10, 2026
- Writ or warrant of possession: Thursday, December 10, 2026
- Earliest lockout: no date (Not confirmed on an official page)
Another date: open the estimator.
Worth knowing
The removal order can be carried out only in the daytime (Code section 648.20).
Not stated on the pages we read: writ to lockout, who carries out the lockout, paying to stop the case, right to counsel (statewide), diversion or mediation (statewide).
Official sources
- Iowa Legislature: Iowa Code Chapter 648, Forcible Entry and Detainer (2026) (checked November 2026)
- Iowa Judicial Branch: Instructions for Filing a Petition for Forcible Entry and Detainer (checked November 2026)
- Iowa Judicial Branch: Instructions for Defendant Responding to a Small Claims Action (checked November 2026)
General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. Not a court form. Earliest under the statute; courts' calendars often take longer.
Common questions
Which court hears eviction cases in Iowa?
Small Claims Court. Filed as a small claims action in the county where the rental is.
How long does a tenant in Iowa have to respond?
The tenant gets at least three days' notice and answers by attending the hearing; missing it can mean a judgment.
How soon after filing is the Iowa hearing?
The hearing is set no later than 8 days after filing (up to 15 if the landlord asks for or agrees to a later date), and personal service must be at least 3 days before. That's the statute's window; the court's own calendar decides the actual date.
When can a Iowa landlord get the writ after winning?
If the landlord wins, the execution (removal order) issues within three days of the judgment.
What does it cost to file in Iowa?
$115, collected when you file electronically.
Anything else to know about Iowa evictions?
The removal order can be carried out only in the daytime (Code section 648.20).
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