Iowa Code § 232.149A
Confidentiality orders
Redline — January 1, 2012 → current.View current text →
Current — January 1, 2025
As of January 1, 2012
1. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Code to the contrary, upon application of a person who was taken into custody for a delinquent act or was the subject of a complaint alleging delinquency or was the subject of a delinquency petition, or upon the court’s own motion, the court after hearing, shall order official juvenile court records in the case to be kept confidential and no longer public records under sections 232.147 and 232.149, if the court finds both of the following apply:
1. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Code to the contrary, upon the court’s own motion or application of a person who was the subject of a complaint or petition alleging the commission of a delinquent act that would be a forcible felony if committed by an adult, the court after hearing, shall order official juvenile court records in the case to be confidential and no longer public records under sections 232.19, 232.147, and 915.25, if the court finds both of the following apply:
a. The case has been dismissed and the person is no longer subject to the jurisdiction of the juvenile court.
a. The case has been dismissed without any adjudication of delinquency and the person is no longer subject to the jurisdiction of the juvenile court in the matter.
b. Making the records confidential is in the best interests of the person and the public.
b. The child’s interest in making the records confidential outweighs the public’s interest in the records remaining public records.
2. The records subject to a confidentiality order may be sealed at a later date if section 232.150 applies.
2. The records subject to a confidentiality order may be sealed at a later date if section 232.150 applies.
3. Official juvenile court records subject to a confidentiality order may be inspected and their contents shall be disclosed to the following without court order:
3. Unless an order sealing the records has been entered pursuant to section 232.150, official juvenile court records subject to a confidentiality order may be inspected and their contents shall be disclosed to the following without court order:
a. The judge and professional court staff, including juvenile court officers.
a. The judge and professional court staff, including juvenile court officers.
b. The child and the child’s counsel.
b. The child and the child’s counsel.
c. The child’s parent, guardian or custodian, court appointed special advocate, and guardian ad litem, and the members of the child advocacy board created in section 237.16 or a local citizen foster care review board created in accordance with section 237.19 who are assigning or reviewing the child’s case.
c. The child’s parent, guardian, or custodian, court appointed special advocate, and guardian ad litem, and the members of the child advocacy board created in section 237.16 or a local citizen foster care review board created in accordance with section 237.19 who are assigning or reviewing the child’s case.
d. The county attorney and the county attorney’s assistants.
d. The county attorney and the county attorney’s assistants.
e. An agency, association, facility, or institution which has custody of the child, or is legally responsible for the care, treatment, or supervision of the child, including but not limited to the department of human services.
e. An agency, association, facility, or institution which has custody of the child, or is legally responsible for the care, treatment, or supervision of the child, including but not limited to the department.
f. A court, court professional staff, and adult probation officers in connection with the preparation of a presentence report concerning a person who had been the subject of a juvenile court proceeding.
f. A court, court professional staff, and adult probation officers in connection with the preparation of a presentence report concerning a person who had been the subject of a juvenile court proceeding.
g. The child’s foster parent or an individual providing preadoptive care to the child.
g. The child’s foster parent or an individual providing preadoptive care to the child.
h. A state or local law enforcement agency.
h. A state or local law enforcement agency.
i. The state public defender.
i. The state public defender.
4. If the child has been discharged from the jurisdiction of the juvenile court due to reaching the age of eighteen and restitution remains unpaid, the name of the court, the title of the action, and the court’s file number shall not be kept confidential, and the restitution amount shall be a judgment and lien as provided in sections 910.7A, 910.8, 910.10, and 915.28 until the restitution is paid.
j. The department of corrections.
k. A judicial district department of correctional services.
l. The board of parole.
m. The statistical analysis center for the purposes stated in section 216A.136.
n. The alleged victim of the delinquent act.
o. A member of the armed forces of the United States who is conducting a background investigation of an individual pursuant to federal law.
4. Pursuant to court order, official juvenile court records subject to a confidentiality order may be inspected by and their contents may be disclosed to:
a. A person conducting bona fide research for research purposes under whatever conditions the court may deem proper, provided that no personal identifying data shall be disclosed to such a person.
a. A person conducting bona fide research for research purposes under whatever conditions the court may deem proper, provided that no personal identifying data shall be disclosed to such a person.
b. Persons who have a direct interest in a proceeding or in the work of the court.
b. Persons who have a direct interest in a proceeding or in the work of the court.
Referred to in
Official source: Iowa Legislature. Reproduced from public-domain Iowa statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.