By Shanna Campbell · Updated August 29, 2026 · Statutes verified August 29, 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Iowa’s badge law hides its weight behind a mild word. Under Iowa Code §718.2, falsely claiming to be — or assuming to act as — an elected or appointed officer, magistrate, peace officer, or anyone authorized to act for the state or its subdivisions is an aggravated misdemeanor. That sounds lenient until you read the sentence attached: Iowa aggravated misdemeanors carry up to two years of imprisonment. Because federal law and most other states treat any offense punishable by more than a year as felony-equivalent, Iowa’s “misdemeanor” travels like a felony — a conviction under 718.2 can trigger the same collateral consequences, from firearm rights to employment screening, that a felony record would. It is one of the sharpest name-versus-effect gaps in American badge law.
How §718.2 Works
| Element | What Iowa requires |
|---|---|
| Conduct | Falsely claiming to be, or assuming to act as, an officer, magistrate, peace officer, or authorized state actor |
| Two ways in | The claim alone (“falsely claims to be”) or the conduct alone (“assumes to act as”) — either satisfies the statute |
| Grade | Aggravated misdemeanor — up to two years and a fine |
| Practical effect | Punishable beyond one year, so treated as felony-equivalent by federal law and most other states |
Note the disjunctive structure: unlike pure act-requirement states, Iowa’s statute reaches the false claim by itself, and separately reaches assuming to act in the role. It is broader than Nebraska’s claim-plus-act formula next door while carrying double Nebraska’s maximum sentence.
A Statute Older Than Most States
The code history line under §718.2 traces to the Iowa Code of 1851 — sections 2671 and 2672 of a code written when Iowa had been a state for five years and the frontier badge itself was barely a convention. The offense has been recodified through every Iowa code since (1860, 1873, 1897, 1924, and onward to the present chapter), making it one of the longest continuously maintained impersonation laws in the country. The modern aggravated-misdemeanor grade is the current chapter’s contribution; the idea — that pretending to hold Iowa office is itself the wrong — is 175 years old.
Badges and Authorized Orders in Iowa
Iowa regulates the pretense, not the object: no manufacturing statute, no possession ban, no replica rule. Agency orders run on department authority across Iowa’s 99 counties — every one with an elected sheriff, one of the most complete county-sheriff maps in the nation — which keeps star and shield issues for Iowa sheriff offices at the center of the state’s badge landscape, alongside municipal departments from Des Moines down to the smallest single-officer towns placing small department badge orders on their own authorization. Collectors, families, and commemorative buyers face no badge-specific state restriction.
How Iowa Compares
Iowa sits precisely between its neighbors’ philosophies. Illinois, across the river, starts at a Class 4 felony and escalates on a four-rung ladder — see our Illinois badge law guide — while Nebraska, across the other river, caps at a one-year Class I misdemeanor with an act requirement, covered in the Nebraska badge law guide. Iowa’s two-year aggravated misdemeanor lands in the middle: heavier than Nebraska in every practical sense, lighter than Illinois in name, and felony-equivalent in effect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is impersonating a police officer a felony in Iowa?
Iowa labels it an aggravated misdemeanor — but the two-year maximum means federal law and most other states treat a conviction as felony-equivalent. The label is misdemeanor; the consequences are not.
Do you have to act on the pretense to be charged in Iowa?
No. The statute is disjunctive: falsely claiming the office or assuming to act as the officer each satisfies it.
Is it illegal to own a police badge in Iowa?
No statute prohibits owning, collecting, or displaying badges. The offense is the false claim or assumption of office.
How old is Iowa’s impersonation law?
Its lineage runs to the Iowa Code of 1851 — among the oldest continuously maintained impersonation statutes in the United States.
Who orders law enforcement badges in Iowa?
All 99 county sheriff’s offices, municipal departments, and state agencies, each on its own authority — Iowa has no statute governing badge manufacture or sale.
Sources
Iowa Code §718.2 (impersonating a public official), via the Iowa Legislature’s official code publication (legis.iowa.gov) with the full code-history line; Iowa aggravated-misdemeanor sentencing framework. Statutes verified August 29, 2026.