State desk
Ranks 7th of 50 on the Liberty Index.
Where Iowa stands on 12 policies, sourced from our 50-state trackers, with the latest headlines from 12 Iowa outlets.
12 policies · each strip is all 50 states, grouped by rule · Iowa in red. Free to cite with attribution.
No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since 2021; optional permits remain available for reciprocity.
Iowa is 1 of 29 states with this rule
15 · Shall-Issue Permit6 · Restrictive: Permit Required
Iowa taxes individual income at a single flat rate of 3.80 percent, ranking 34 of 41 among the states that tax income. Fifteen states use a single-rate structure.
Iowa is 1 of 15 states with this rule
8 · No Income Tax1 · Capital Gains Only26 · Graduated Brackets
Iowa charges 30.00 cents per gallon in state tax, ranking 27 of 50, which is near the middle nationally. With the federal 18.40 cents added, a driver pays 48.40 cents per gallon in tax. Diesel is taxed at 32.50 cents.
Iowa is 1 of 16 states with this rule
17 · Among the Highest17 · Among the Lowest
Abolished in 1965.
Iowa is 1 of 23 states with this rule
23 · Retains the death penalty4 · Retains it, executions paused
Right-to-work by statute since 1947.
Iowa is 1 of 26 states with this rule
24 · No Right-to-Work Law
State minimum wage matches the federal rate at $7.25.
Iowa is 1 of 12 states with this rule
30 · Above the Federal Floor3 · Below Federal, So Federal Applies5 · No State Minimum Wage Law
Voters must establish identity with an ID that need not bear a photo; HB 2501 (2026) removed the option to have another voter attest to their identity, so a voter without ID casts a provisional ballot and must produce acceptable ID by noon on the Monday after the election.
Iowa is 1 of 4 states with this rule
10 · Strict Photo ID14 · Photo ID Requested8 · ID Requested (No Photo)14 · No Document Required
Students First Education Savings Account phased to universal eligibility by the 2025-26 school year.
Iowa is 1 of 17 states with this rule
16 · Limited Program17 · No Private-Choice Program
NCSL lists Iowa among states recognizing, by statute or court case, that there is no duty to retreat in any place where a person is lawfully present.
Iowa is 1 of 31 states with this rule
7 · Recognized by Court Decision12 · Not Listed by NCSL
Any registered voter may request an absentee ballot by mail without giving a reason.
Iowa is 1 of 29 states with this rule
8 · All-Mail13 · Excuse Required
Iowa's unemployment rate was 3.2% in September 2026, seasonally adjusted, unchanged from August. It ranks 9th lowest of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.), down from 8th. A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 3.4%. The U.S. rate was 4.2%.
Data retrieved from the BLS public API on October 30, 2026. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.
Elected statewide to a four-year term.
Iowa is 1 of 43 states with this rule
5 · Appointed by the governor1 · Chosen by the legislature1 · Appointed by the state supreme court