DES MOINES — Transgender Iowans will see weakened legal protections against discrimination, drivers will have to put down their smartphone or risk getting pulled over, and schools will need to adopt policies requiring students to put away their cellphones in the classroom starting Tuesday.
July 1 is the beginning of the fiscal year and the date new laws take effect, unless otherwise stated. Iowa’s majority-Republican General Assembly this year passed more than 170 laws dealing with education, firearms, crime, health care, paid family leave and more.
The 2025 Iowa legislative session was marked by massive, emotionally charged protests against passage of a new law removing gender identity as a protected characteristic under the Iowa Civil Rights Act.
And after years of pushing by law enforcement, traffic safety advocates and families whose loved ones were killed by drivers distracted by their phones – and failed attempts – Iowa will join 30 other states that passed laws making it illegal to handle a cellphone while driving.
Iowa business also will see a reduction in unemployment insurance taxes over the next five years, new mothers working in state government will get four weeks of paid leave, and the minimum age for Iowans to possess a handgun will be lowered from 21 to 18.
Here is a look at some of the major laws taking effect Tuesday.
Transgender protections
Republican majorities in the Iowa House and Senate passed and Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law legislation that strikes gender identity from the state’s civil rights code, making Iowa the first state to rescind civil rights protections for a protected class.
The unprecedented move repeals protections for transgender Iowans against discrimination in housing, employment, lending, public accommodations and more based on their gender identity. The Iowa Civil Right Act protects Iowans against discrimination based on sex, race, disability and other characteristics.

Waterloo West High School students participate in a walkout in April 2023 in response to the signing of bill HF 2416 by Gov. Kim Reynolds in early March.
Additionally, Senate File 418 defines “sex” as either male or female, based on reproductive anatomy “as observed or clinically verified at birth,” and synonymous with gender. The law also removes the ability for Iowans to change the sex listed on their birth certificates after medical transition, and restricts teaching about “gender theory” from kindergarten through sixth grade.
The law also states that “equal” does not mean “same” or “identical” and that “separate accommodations are not inherently unequal” – meaning distinctions based on sex, including in contexts like restrooms or locker rooms, are considered acceptable and not discriminatory as long as they are related to protecting health, safety or privacy.
Supporters of the new law argue the addition of gender identity to Iowa Civil Rights Act in 2007 improperly “elevated” the rights of transgender individuals above those of others, and granted transgender women access to spaces such as bathrooms, locker rooms and sports teams that should be protected for people who were assigned female at birth.
Republicans have passed legislation in recent years banning transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming medical care or from playing in girls sports, prohibiting transgender students from using school bathrooms that align with their gender identity, and banning the use of Medicaid payments to cover gender-affirming surgeries and hormone therapies.
Civil rights groups, faith leaders, small business owners and community organizations warn the new law will make Iowa a less competitive, less welcoming place to live and work – erasing decades of progress and tarnishing Iowa’s legacy as a leader in civil rights.
Hands-free driving law
Beginning Tuesday, it will be illegal to handle a cellphone while driving. Police officers are required to issue warnings until Jan. 1, 2026, before writing citations.
Senate File 22 prohibits drivers from using cellphones or electronic devices while driving except in hands-free or voice-activated mode. The legislation does not apply if the vehicle is at a complete stop and off the traveled portion of road.

Iowa State Patrol Trooper Bob Conrad talks to a motorist as he makes a traffic stop for distracted driving in Coralville on Jan. 10. Conrad observed the driver looking at their cellphone while traveling along westbound Interstate Highway 80.
Iowa law currently prohibits the use of hand-held devices to write, send or view electronic messages while driving. The bill expands the law to prohibit “holding, viewing or manipulating an electronic device” while driving.
It increases the fine from $45 to $100 and makes it a moving violation that can be considered for purposes of administrative suspension of a driver’s license or to establish habitual offender status. If serious injury or death occurs, the fine would be $500 and $1,000, respectively, and the driver’s license could be suspended.
The bill was a longtime effort by families, law enforcement, and traffic safety advocates who have pushed for stricter distracted driving laws.
Phones banned in class
Iowa students will be required to put away their cellphones in the classroom starting this fall.
House File 782 requires school districts, charter schools and innovation zone schools to adopt policies by July 1 restricting cellphone use during instructional time.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed 17 bills into law on Tuesday, including a bill providing paid family leave for state workers signed in a private ceremony. Here, she has just signed legislation April 30 in the Iowa State Capitol Rotunda requiring students to put away their cellphones in the classroom.
Reynolds said the new law will decrease cyberbullying and classroom distractions, improve students’ concentration and address concerns about students’ mental health.
Several school districts across Iowa already have cellphone policies and restrictions in place. The policies have been linked to improved academic performance, including higher grades and a reduced failing rate, fewer out-of-school suspensions and increased school attendance.
The law includes exceptions for emergencies and students with a documented disability or special education needs. It allows parents to petition schools to allow their child to have a cellphone for a legitimate health reason.
Ban on ticket bots
Iowa concertgoers and sports fans may have an easier time securing tickets to events under a new law banning the use of ticket bots.
Senate File 146 prohibits a person from creating or using a bot to purchase tickets or circumvent electronic cues or presale codes. Bots are automated software programs that perform repetitive tasks over a network.
Similar legislation dubbed “Taylor Swift bills” came up across the country when fans were either kicked out of the online ticket cue or were resold the tickets for way above their face value when purchasing tickets for Swift’s Eras tour in 2023 and 2024.
The Iowa Attorney General may bring civil action for using bots to get tickets, which could come with a civil penalty of up to $10,000.
Paid parental leave
New mothers working in state government will get four weeks of paid leave.
Iowa joins 24 other states and the federal government by offering a paid family leave program, according to the governor’s office.
Under House File 889, a state employee who gives birth or adopts a child would be entitled to four weeks of paid leave. A state employee parent who does not give birth would be entitled to one week of paid leave.
The bill also would allow some state employees who have accumulated 10 days of sick leave to convert some of that leave into vacation time.
Additionally, House File 248 requires a private employer to treat an employee who adopts a child six years or younger to be treated the same as a biological parent of a newborn for purposes of employment policies, benefits and protections for the first year of the adoption.
THC beverages in cars
Iowans driving with an open beverage containing THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the active psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant, could be pulled over and fined $260.
Under House File 181, drinks containing THC will be treated similarly to alcoholic drinks under the state’s open container law.
Last summer, Iowa clamped down on hemp-infused products, including barring the sale of them to anyone under the age of 21 and restricting the potency of products containing THC to 4 milligrams per serving or 10 milligrams per container.
The new law prohibits open THC beverages in the passenger area when a vehicle is in operation. It would allow open or unsealed THC beverages to be transported in the trunk of the vehicle, or behind the last upright seat if the vehicle does not have a trunk.
Violations are a simple misdemeanor, with potential additional penalties for those under 21.
Handgun legal age 18
The minimum age for Iowans to possess a handgun will be lowered from 21 to 18.
House File 924 lowers Iowa’s minimum age to purchase and carry a pistol or revolver from 21 to 18. Those 18 and over already are allowed to purchase rifles or shotguns in Iowa.
Due to federal restrictions, 18- to 20-year-olds still would be prohibited from buying a handgun from a federally licensed firearm dealer in Iowa, but would be allowed to own and carry handguns through private transfers and inheritance.
Republican majorities in the Iowa Legislature have loosened the state’s gun laws in recent years, including with a 2022 amendment approved by Iowa voters that added the right to keep and bear arms to the Iowa Constitution.
A 2021 law removed the requirement for Iowans to have a permit to carry or acquire handguns.
Student citizenship test
Iowa high school students will be required to pass the same test given to those who apply for U.S. citizenship before they can graduate from high school.
Under Senate File 369, Iowa high school students are required to take and pass the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization civics test. Students in ninth through 12th grades must answer at least 60 questions correctly on the most recent version of the 100-question, multiple choice exam to graduate from high school or receive a high school equivalency diploma.
Students who fail can retake the exam as many times as needed.
Unemployment tax cut
Iowa businesses will see a $1.2 billion reduction in unemployment insurance taxes over the next five years.
Senate File 607 cuts the taxable wage base in half and lowers unemployment taxes to a maximum rate of 5.4% on wages up to $19,800 per employee, as opposed to 9% on wages up to $39,500.
The laws also reduce the number of tax tables, effectively cutting overall tax categories, and encourage businesses to reinvest savings into their employees. Reynolds’ office estimates the cut would save Iowa employers roughly $1 billion over five years.
The legislation would reduce the Unemployment Trust Fund by roughly $63 million to $77 million annually and would leave the balance at an estimated $1.77 billion in 2030, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency.
Reynolds, in a statement, said the trust fund’s nearly $1.9 billion balance shows the state is “overcollecting” and said the state’s unemployment tax has “needlessly punished Iowa business.”
Democrats and representatives from Iowa labor unions and the construction industry, however, worry Iowa’s unemployment trust fund will face challenges in the long term if the economy takes a downturn, and stress the need for a strong safety net.
Fireworks restrictions
More Iowans will be allowed to celebrate the Fourth of July and New Year’s with a bang.
Currently, local ordinances – including those passed by city councils and county supervisors – can restrict the use of consumer and display fireworks.
A number of eastern Iowa cities have banned residents from setting off fireworks, including Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty.
Senate File 303 prohibits county supervisors and city councils from doing so on July 3 and 4 and on Dec. 31. Counties and cities are free to restrict firework use during all other days of the year.
If cities don’t set restrictions, fireworks are legal throughout the summer, between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m., June 1 through July 8, and Dec. 10 through Jan. 3.
Under the new law, fireworks are permitted between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. on July 3, and 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. on July 4 and the Saturdays and Sundays immediately preceding and following July 4, regardless of local restrictions.
The same is true between the hours of 9 a.m. on Dec. 31 and 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, and from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on the Saturdays and Sundays immediately preceding and following Dec. 31.
Photos: 2025 Sturgis Falls Carnival at Gateway Park

Carnival-goers line up for the Ferris wheel during the Sturgis Falls Celebration Carnival at Gateway Park in Cedar Falls on Friday.

Ava Eastman of Waterloo, 8, puts tokens into a carnival game during the Sturgis Falls Celebration Carnival at Gateway Park in Cedar Falls on Friday.

Kids enjoy a carnival ride during the Sturgis Falls Celebration Carnival at Gateway Park in Cedar Falls on Friday.

Lila Martin, left, and Gia Oltrogge of Cedar Falls enjoy a carnival ride during the Sturgis Falls Celebration Carnival at Gateway Park in Cedar Falls on Friday.

Children walk through a house of mirrors during the Sturgis Falls Celebration Carnival at Gateway Park in Cedar Falls on Friday.

Carnival-goers line up for the Zipper ride during the Sturgis Falls Celebration Carnival at Gateway Park in Cedar Falls on Friday.

Carnival-goers line up for the Zipper ride during the Sturgis Falls Celebration Carnival at Gateway Park in Cedar Falls on Friday.

The sun sets during the Sturgis Falls Celebration Carnival at Gateway Park in Cedar Falls on Friday.

Riders enjoy the Tornado carnival ride during the Sturgis Falls Celebration Carnival at Gateway Park in Cedar Falls on Friday.

The Sturgis Falls Celebration Carnival at Gateway Park in Cedar Falls on Friday.

Carnival goers line up for the Zipper ride during the Sturgis Falls Celebration Carnival at Gateway Park in Cedar Falls on Friday.

Kids enjoy a carnival ride during the Sturgis Falls Celebration Carnival at Gateway Park in Cedar Falls on Friday.

The sun sets during the Sturgis Falls Celebration Carnival at Gateway Park in Cedar Falls on Friday.

Riders enjoy the Tornado carnival ride during the Sturgis Falls Celebration Carnival at Gateway Park in Cedar Falls on Friday.

Carnival goers line up for the Ferris wheel during the Sturgis Falls Celebration Carnival at Gateway Park in Cedar Falls on Friday.

Carnival goers play games during the Sturgis Falls Celebration Carnival at Gateway Park in Cedar Falls on Friday.

LOOK: To see photos of the carnival during the 2025 Sturgis Falls Celebration, point your smartphone at the QR code and tap the link.