Iowa Code ch. 216 § 216.17
Judicial review — enforcement
Operative Text
1. a. Judicial review of the actions of the agency or commission may be sought in accordance with the terms of the Iowa administrative procedure Act, chapter 17A. Notwithstanding the terms of said Act, petition for judicial review may be filed in the district court in which an enforcement proceeding under subsection 2 may be brought. b. For purposes of the time limit for filing a petition for judicial review under the Iowa administrative procedure Act, chapter 17A, specified by section 17A.19, the issuance of a final decision of the agency or commission under this chapter occurs on the date notice of the decision is mailed to the parties. c. Notwithstanding the time limit provided in section 17A.19, subsection 3, a petition for judicial review of no-probable-cause decisions and other final agency actions which are not of general applicability must be filed within thirty days of the issuance of the final agency action. 2. The agency may obtain an order of court for the enforcement of agency or commission orders in a proceeding as provided in this section. Such an enforcement proceeding shall be brought in the district court of the district in the county in which the alleged discriminatory or unfair practice which is the subject of the agency’s or commission’s order was committed, or in which any respondent required in the order to cease or desist from a discriminatory or unfair practice or to take other affirmative action, resides, or transacts business. 3. Such an enforcement proceeding shall be initiated by the filing of a petition in such court and the service of a copy thereof upon the respondent. Thereupon the agency shall file with the court a transcript of the record of the hearing before it. The court shall have power to grant such temporary relief or restraining order as it deems just and proper, and to make and enter upon the pleadings, testimony, and proceedings set forth in such transcript an order enforcing, modifying, and enforcing as so modified, or setting aside the order of the agency or commission, in whole or in part. 4. An objection that has not been urged before the agency or commission shall not be considered by the court in an enforcement proceeding, unless the failure or neglect to urge such objection shall be excused because of extraordinary circumstances. 5. Any party to the enforcement proceeding may move the court to remit the case to the agency or commission in the interests of justice for the purpose of adducing additional specified and material evidence and seeking findings thereof, providing such party shall show reasonable grounds for the failure to adduce such evidence before the agency or commission. 6. In the enforcement proceeding the court shall determine its order on the same basis as it would in a proceeding reviewing commission action under section 17A.19. 7. The agency’s or commission’s copy of the testimony shall be available to all parties for examination at all reasonable times, without cost, and for the purpose of judicial review of the agency’s or commission’s orders. 8. The commission may appear in court by its own attorney. 9. Petitions filed under this section shall be heard expeditiously and determined upon the transcript filed without requirement for printing. 10. If no proceeding to obtain judicial review is instituted within thirty days from the issuance of an order of the commission under section 216.15 or 216.15A, the agency may obtain an order of the court for the enforcement of the order upon showing that respondent is subject to the jurisdiction of the agency or commission and resides or transacts business within the county in which the petition for enforcement is brought.
Iowa Code ch. 216 § 216.17 establishes the procedures by which decisions made by the Iowa Civil Rights Commission (the agency or commission) can be reviewed by a court and, when necessary, enforced through court orders. Parties seeking to challenge a final agency decision generally have thirty days from the date the decision is mailed to file a petition for judicial review in the appropriate district court. If no challenge is filed within that window, the agency itself may go to court to enforce its orders against a respondent who resides or does business in the relevant county.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Iowa Code ch. 216 § 216.17, property owners or managers who are subject to a commission order should be aware that the agency can seek a court enforcement order if the respondent does not comply and no judicial review petition is filed within thirty days of the order's issuance. Operators who wish to contest a commission decision generally pursue judicial review promptly, raise all objections before the agency during the administrative process, and ensure they understand the district court venue rules that apply to enforcement proceedings. Objections not raised before the agency are typically not considered by the court in a later enforcement proceeding, except in extraordinary circumstances.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Iowa Code ch. 216 § 216.17 provides tenants and other complainants with the assurance that commission orders issued in their favor can be enforced in district court if a respondent fails to comply. Tenants who have participated in a commission proceeding should be aware that the thirty-day deadline for filing a petition for judicial review runs from the date the final decision is mailed, and that the Iowa Civil Rights Commission has its own authority to pursue court enforcement on behalf of its orders. Those seeking to understand their options after a commission decision may benefit from consulting a tenant-rights organization or reviewing the Iowa administrative procedure Act, chapter 17A, which governs the review process referenced in this section.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 18, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
Rules and statutes cited by this regulation
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation