Charges and sentences
Felony and misdemeanor classes in Iowa
Iowa sorts felonies into four classes (Class A is the most serious and Class D the least) and misdemeanors into three levels: aggravated, serious and simple. A felony is whatever the law defining the crime says it is, so Iowa does not draw the line by the length of the sentence. Many offenses set their own penalty instead of using a class.1
Checked October 29, 2026 against Iowa's own statutes, then by a second reader. General information, not legal advice.
- What makes it a felony
- In Iowa, an offense is a felony only if the law that defines the crime says it is one. If a law calls an offense a felony but gives no class or penalty, it is a Class D felony. Every public offense that is not a felony is a misdemeanor.1
- Felony theft starts at
- More than $1,500How theft is graded
- When a OWI is a felony
- A third offense and each later offense is a Class D felony. A first offense is a serious misdemeanor and a second is an aggravated misdemeanor.2
Felony classes in Iowa
From most to least serious: Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D. The sentence is the range the law allows; the judge picks within it.
| Class | Prison | Fine | The law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class A felony | LifeThe sentence is life in the custody of the Department of Corrections, and a person can be released on parole only if the governor commutes the sentence to a term of years. People who were under 18 at the time of the offense are sentenced under separate rules in the same section. | None set | Iowa Code § 902.16 |
| Class B felony | Up to 25 yearsSection 902.9 sets no minimum or fine for this class. The 25-year maximum applies unless the law defining the crime sets a different one. | None set | Iowa Code § 902.9(1)(b)7 |
| Class C felony | Up to 10 yearsThe fine is required in addition to prison unless the person is sentenced under the statute's "habitual offender" rule. State surcharges are added on top of the fine. | $1,370 to $13,660 | Iowa Code § 902.9(1)(d), (2)7 |
| Class D felony | Up to 5 yearsThe fine is required in addition to prison unless the person is sentenced under the statute's "habitual offender" rule. State surcharges are added on top of the fine. | $1,025 to $10,245 | Iowa Code § 902.9(1)(e), (2)7 |
Misdemeanor classes in Iowa
| Class | Jail | Fine | The law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggravated misdemeanor | Up to 2 yearsApplies when the law defining the offense sets no specific penalty. A sentence of more than one year is an indeterminate term. | $855 to $8,540 | Iowa Code § 903.1(2)4 |
| Serious misdemeanor | Up to 1 yearThe fine is required. Jail is optional and can be added to the fine. Applies when the law defining the offense sets no specific penalty. | $430 to $2,560 | Iowa Code § 903.1(1)(b)4 |
| Simple misdemeanor | Up to 30 daysThe fine is required. Jail is optional and can replace the fine or be added to it. Applies when the law defining the offense sets no specific penalty. An act declared a crime with no other label is a simple misdemeanor. | $105 to $855 | Iowa Code § 903.1(1)(a); Iowa Code § 701.84 |
Good to know
The maximums in section 902.9 apply unless another law sets a different sentence for a specific crime. House File 2542, effective July 1, 2026, raised the maximum for a person sentenced as a "habitual offender" (the statute's term for someone convicted of a Class C or D felony after two earlier felony convictions) from 15 to 20 years, and the minimum time served before parole from three to seven years.3
The misdemeanor penalties apply to adults when the law defining the offense sets no specific penalty. State surcharges are added to fines and are not counted against the fine limits.4
When theft is a felony in Iowa
In Iowa, theft of property worth more than $1,500 is a felony. From more than $1,500 up to $10,000 (or a motor vehicle worth up to $10,000) it is second-degree theft, a Class D felony. Above $10,000, or theft from a person, it is first-degree theft, a Class C felony. At $1,500 or less, theft is a misdemeanor: an aggravated misdemeanor from over $750 to $1,500 (or $750 or less for a person with two earlier theft convictions), a serious misdemeanor from over $300 to $750, and a simple misdemeanor at $300 or less.5
OWI in Iowa
Iowa calls it operating while intoxicated (OWI). The statute is titled "Operating while under the influence of alcohol or a drug or while having an alcohol concentration of .08 or more (OWI)."
- Repeat offenses
- A third offense and each later offense is a Class D felony. A first offense is a serious misdemeanor and a second is an aggravated misdemeanor.
- Which past offenses count
- The statute sets no fixed window. Earlier convictions, deferred judgments and matching out-of-state convictions all count, but a conviction is deleted from the driving record 12 years after the conviction (or revocation) and then no longer counts as an earlier offense. Records kept longer for commercial driver's license holders are used only for federal commercial license rules.
- Other felony versions
- Causing a death by driving while intoxicated is homicide by vehicle, a Class B felony. Causing a serious injury this way is a Class D felony. Driving while the license is suspended, revoked or barred because of an OWI is a serious misdemeanor.
Iowa Code §§ 321J.2(2), (5), (8), 321.12(4), 707.6A(1), (4), 321J.21(1)2 · Felony DUI rules in every state
After a conviction
Common questions
What is a felony in Iowa?
In Iowa, an offense is a felony only if the law that defines the crime says it is one. If a law calls an offense a felony but gives no class or penalty, it is a Class D felony. Every public offense that is not a felony is a misdemeanor.
What is a Class A felony in Iowa?
In Iowa, the prison range for a Class A felony is life. The sentence is life in the custody of the Department of Corrections, and a person can be released on parole only if the governor commutes the sentence to a term of years. People who were under 18 at the time of the offense are sentenced under separate rules in the same section.
What is a Class B felony in Iowa?
In Iowa, the prison range for a Class B felony is up to 25 years. Section 902.9 sets no minimum or fine for this class. The 25-year maximum applies unless the law defining the crime sets a different one.
What is a Class C felony in Iowa?
In Iowa, the prison range for a Class C felony is up to 10 years, and the fine is $1,370 to $13,660. The fine is required in addition to prison unless the person is sentenced under the statute's "habitual offender" rule. State surcharges are added on top of the fine.
What is a Class D felony in Iowa?
In Iowa, the prison range for a Class D felony is up to 5 years, and the fine is $1,025 to $10,245. The fine is required in addition to prison unless the person is sentenced under the statute's "habitual offender" rule. State surcharges are added on top of the fine.
What is an aggravated misdemeanor in Iowa?
In Iowa, the jail range for an aggravated misdemeanor is up to 2 years, and the fine is $855 to $8,540. Applies when the law defining the offense sets no specific penalty. A sentence of more than one year is an indeterminate term.
What is a Serious misdemeanor in Iowa?
In Iowa, the jail range for a Serious misdemeanor is up to 1 year, and the fine is $430 to $2,560. The fine is required. Jail is optional and can be added to the fine. Applies when the law defining the offense sets no specific penalty.
What is a simple misdemeanor in Iowa?
In Iowa, the jail range for a simple misdemeanor is up to 30 days, and the fine is $105 to $855. The fine is required. Jail is optional and can replace the fine or be added to it. Applies when the law defining the offense sets no specific penalty. An act declared a crime with no other label is a simple misdemeanor.
How much theft is a felony in Iowa?
In Iowa, theft of property worth more than $1,500 is a felony. From more than $1,500 up to $10,000 (or a motor vehicle worth up to $10,000) it is second-degree theft, a Class D felony. Above $10,000, or theft from a person, it is first-degree theft, a Class C felony. At $1,500 or less, theft is a misdemeanor: an aggravated misdemeanor from over $750 to $1,500 (or $750 or less for a person with two earlier theft convictions), a serious misdemeanor from over $300 to $750, and a simple misdemeanor at $300 or less.
Is an OWI a felony in Iowa?
A third offense and each later offense is a Class D felony. A first offense is a serious misdemeanor and a second is an aggravated misdemeanor. Causing a death by driving while intoxicated is homicide by vehicle, a Class B felony. Causing a serious injury this way is a Class D felony. Driving while the license is suspended, revoked or barred because of an OWI is a serious misdemeanor.
These are the general ranges in Iowa's sentencing laws. A specific crime can carry its own minimum or maximum, and past convictions can raise the range. This isn't legal advice; a defense lawyer or public defender can tell you what applies to a case.
Spot something out of date? Tell us at contact@secondchanceindex.com.
Cite this page
Second Chance Index, "Felony and misdemeanor classes in Iowa" https://secondchanceindex.com/felony-classes/iowa, checked October 29, 2026.
Sources
Each source was opened and checked on October 29, 2026.
- Iowa Code §§ 701.7, 701.8
- Iowa Code §§ 321J.2(2), (5), (8), 321.12(4), 707.6A(1), (4), 321J.21(1)
- Iowa Code §§ 902.8, 902.9(1)(c), as amended by 2026 Iowa House File 2542, §§ 1, 2
- Iowa Code § 903.1(1), (4)
- Iowa Code § 714.2
- Iowa Code § 701.8 Misdemeanor defined and classifiedIowa Legislature
- Iowa Code § 902.1 Class "A" felonyIowa Legislature
- Iowa Code § 902.9 Maximum sentence for felonsIowa Legislature
- Iowa Code § 321.12 Destruction of recordsIowa Legislature
- Iowa Code § 321J.21 Driving while license suspended, denied, revoked, or barredIowa Legislature
- Iowa Code § 707.6A Homicide or serious injury by vehicleIowa Legislature
- Code & Acts Sections Amended, 2026 (91st General Assembly, 2nd Session)Iowa Legislature