DES MOINES — Weapons will remain prohibited in courtrooms and other areas controlled by Iowa’s judicial branch under a new supervisory order signed July 9, 2026, by Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Susan Christensen.
The order replaces and updates a weapons policy issued by the court on October 16, 2025. The Iowa Judicial Branch said the latest action was necessary because of recent statutory changes approved by state lawmakers.
Under the renewed policy, weapons are prohibited in court-controlled spaces except for people and circumstances specifically authorized by the order. The restrictions apply to courtrooms and other portions of courthouses placed under judicial control.
The order continues a long-running effort by Iowa’s court system to maintain uniform security rules in judicial spaces, even when courthouses also contain offices and public areas controlled by county governments.
That distinction can be important in Iowa because many county courthouses are shared buildings. County supervisors generally control the courthouse itself, while judges control courtrooms, clerk areas and other spaces used to conduct judicial business.
The Iowa Supreme Court first imposed a broad weapons restriction in 2017, prohibiting firearms and other weapons in courtrooms, court-controlled spaces and public areas of courthouses. Later orders modified that policy as state weapons laws and courthouse control issues evolved.
The October 2025 order retained the general weapons prohibition but allowed limited exceptions. Among those exceptions, judicial officers could possess certain small knives or chemical safety canisters in court-controlled areas. Other weapons required authorization and a showing of good cause.
The latest order arrives after the Iowa Legislature considered measures expanding where firearms may legally be carried, including proposals involving government-owned parking areas and permitted judicial officers.
The court’s action means members of the public should not assume that a state permit or broader Iowa weapons law allows a firearm or other weapon to be carried into a courtroom or judicial office.
Security officers, law enforcement personnel and others expressly authorized by the court may be covered by exceptions, but the general prohibition remains in place.
The order applies statewide and is intended to establish consistent rules throughout Iowa’s district courts rather than leaving each courtroom to operate under a different weapons policy.
The Iowa Judicial Branch announced the order July 9 and posted the full document through its Supreme Court orders page.