Iowa Courthouse Cell Phone Policy (2026)

Short answer: It depends on the county administrative order: 4 of 4 tracked courthouses in Iowa allow silenced cell phones, while 0 prohibit cell phones for general visitors and traffic court defendants. Updated 2026-11-04

Of the 4 county courthouses we track in Iowa, 4 (100%) allow visitors to bring cell phones inside on silent mode, while 0 (0%) ban cell phones for the general public at the security checkpoint. All phone-ban courthouses here provide lobby lockers. Iowa District Courthouses generally allow cell phones in hallways and jury lounges, requiring them to be turned off inside courtrooms.

County Courthouse	City	Cell phone policy	Phone Lockers	Juror Parking
Polk County Polk County Courthouse (Des Moines) “Polk County Courthouse (Des Moines) Courtroom Decorum Rule: "Cell phones are permitted in courthouse common areas and the jury assembly room, but must be silenced or powered off inside courtrooms."”	Des Moines	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated
Linn County Linn County Courthouse (Cedar Rapids) “Linn County Courthouse (Cedar Rapids) Courtroom Decorum Rule: "Cell phones are permitted in courthouse common areas and the jury assembly room, but must be silenced or powered off inside courtrooms."”	Cedar Rapids	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated
Scott County Scott County Courthouse (Davenport) “Scott County Courthouse (Davenport) Courtroom Decorum Rule: "Cell phones are permitted in courthouse common areas and the jury assembly room, but must be silenced or powered off inside courtrooms."”	Davenport	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated
Johnson County Johnson County Courthouse (Iowa City) “Johnson County Courthouse (Iowa City) Courtroom Decorum Rule: "Cell phones are permitted in courthouse common areas and the jury assembly room, but must be silenced or powered off inside courtrooms."”	Iowa City	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bring my cell phone to a courthouse in Iowa?

It depends on the county administrative order: 4 of 4 tracked courthouses in Iowa allow silenced cell phones, while 0 prohibit cell phones for general visitors and traffic court defendants.

Are summoned jurors allowed to bring cell phones in Iowa?

In 4 of 4 counties in Iowa, summoned jurors presenting an official Jury Summons are permitted to bring cell phones into the Jury Assembly Room even when general visitors are banned.

How is this courthouse policy data verified?

We verify every county against official Court Administrative Orders (.gov), Jury Commissioner instructions, and Sheriff Court Security directives. Last verified 2026-11-04.