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Iowa Code § 602.6603

Court reporters

Redline — January 1, 2012 → current.View current text →
Current — January 1, 2026
As of January 1, 2012
1. Each district judge shall appoint a court reporter who shall, upon the request of a party in a civil or criminal case, report the evidence and proceedings in the case, and perform all duties as provided by law.
1. a. The chief judge of a judicial district or the chief judge’s designee shall have the authority to supervise, schedule, and assign duties to all court reporters in the judicial district.
b. Notwithstanding paragraph “a”, a judge presiding over a proceeding that must be reported shall have the authority to supervise the work of a court reporter while the court reporter is actively engaged in reporting that proceeding.
2. Each district associate judge may appoint a court reporter, subject to the approval of the chief judge of the judicial district.
c. The chief judge of a judicial district may delegate the authority set forth in paragraph “a” to the district court administrator or the district court administrator’s designee.
3. If a chief judge of a judicial district determines that it is necessary to employ an additional court reporter because of an extraordinary volume of work, or because of the temporary illness or incapacity of a regular court reporter, the chief judge may appoint a temporary court reporter who shall serve as required by the chief judge.
2. The judges of a judicial district shall appoint a court reporter, subject to approval of the chief judge of the judicial district or the chief judge’s designee. A court reporter may be assigned to a district judge or the district associate judge subject to subsection 1. A court reporter shall, upon the request of a party in a civil or criminal case, report the evidence and proceedings in the case, and perform all duties as provided by law.
4. If a regularly appointed court reporter becomes disabled, or if a vacancy occurs in a regularly appointed court reporter position, the judge may appoint a competent uncertified shorthand reporter for a period of time of up to six months, upon verification by the chief judge that a diligent but unsuccessful search has been conducted to appoint a certified shorthand reporter to the position and, in a disability case, that the regularly appointed court reporter is disabled. An uncertified shorthand reporter shall not be reappointed to the position unless the reporter becomes a certified shorthand reporter within the period of appointment under this subsection.
3. If a regularly appointed court reporter becomes disabled, or if a vacancy occurs in a regularly appointed court reporter position, the chief judge or the chief judge’s designee may appoint a competent, uncertified shorthand reporter for a period of time of up to one year, upon verification by the chief judge that a diligent but unsuccessful search has been conducted to appoint a certified shorthand reporter to the position and, in a disability case, that the regularly appointed court reporter is disabled. An uncertified shorthand reporter shall not be reappointed to the position unless the reporter becomes a certified shorthand reporter within the period of appointment under this subsection.
5. Except as provided in subsection 4, a person shall not be appointed to the position of court reporter of the district court unless the person has been certified as a shorthand reporter by the board of examiners under article 3.
4. Except as provided in subsection 3, a person shall not be appointed to the position of court reporter of the district court unless the person has been certified as a shorthand reporter by the board of examiners under article 3.
6. Each court reporter shall take an oath faithfully to perform the duties of office, which shall be filed in the office of the clerk of district court.
5. Each court reporter shall take an oath faithfully to perform the duties of office, which shall be filed in the office of the clerk of district court.
7. A court reporter may be removed for cause with due process by the judicial officer making the appointment.
6. A court reporter may be removed for cause with due process by the judges making the appointment, subject to the approval of the chief judge or the chief judge’s designee.
8. If a judge dies, resigns, retires, is removed from office, becomes disabled, or fails to be retained in office and the judicial vacancy is eligible to be filled, the court reporter appointed by the judge shall serve as a court reporter, as directed by the chief judge or the chief judge’s designee, until the successor judge appoints a successor court reporter. The court reporter shall receive the reporter’s regular salary and benefits during the period of time until a successor court reporter is appointed or until the currently appointed court reporter is reappointed.
7. If a judge dies, resigns, retires, is removed from office, becomes disabled, or fails to be retained in office and the judicial vacancy is eligible to be filled, the court reporter appointed by the judge shall serve as a court reporter, as directed by the chief judge or the chief judge’s designee.
83 Acts, ch 186, §7603, 10201; 85 Acts, ch 197, §15, 16; 89 Acts, ch 110, §1; 2000 Acts, ch 1057, §12
83 Acts, ch 186, §7603, 10201; 85 Acts, ch 197, §15, 16; 89 Acts, ch 110, §1; 2000 Acts, ch 1057, §12; 2021 Acts, ch 66, §2; 2025 Acts, ch 101, §19
Referred to in
Section amended

Official source: Iowa Legislature. Reproduced from public-domain Iowa statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.