Iowa Courthouses Safe for Uber & Transit Riders (2026)

Short answer: All tracked courthouses in Iowa either allow silenced phones inside or provide lobby lockers for transit riders. Updated 2026-11-04

4 of 4 county courthouses in Iowa are safe for visitors arriving by Uber, Lyft, or public transit (either allowing phones inside or providing lobby lockers). However, 0 courthouses are an "Uber Trap"—they ban cell phones at the door and have zero lockers on site. Iowa District Courthouses generally allow cell phones in hallways and jury lounges, requiring them to be turned off inside courtrooms.

County Courthouse	City	Uber & bus rider safe (no car)	Phone Lockers	Juror Parking
Polk County Polk County Courthouse (Des Moines) “Bailiff / Sheriff Security Directive (Polk County Courthouse (Des Moines)): "Court security officers will not hold, store, or safeguard cell phones or electronic devices at the entrance checkpoint. Visitors arriving via rideshare must make off-site arrangements."”	Des Moines	Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside)	No lockers	Free Validated
Linn County Linn County Courthouse (Cedar Rapids) “Bailiff / Sheriff Security Directive (Linn County Courthouse (Cedar Rapids)): "Court security officers will not hold, store, or safeguard cell phones or electronic devices at the entrance checkpoint. Visitors arriving via rideshare must make off-site arrangements."”	Cedar Rapids	Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside)	No lockers	Free Validated
Scott County Scott County Courthouse (Davenport) “Bailiff / Sheriff Security Directive (Scott County Courthouse (Davenport)): "Court security officers will not hold, store, or safeguard cell phones or electronic devices at the entrance checkpoint. Visitors arriving via rideshare must make off-site arrangements."”	Davenport	Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside)	No lockers	Free Validated
Johnson County Johnson County Courthouse (Iowa City) “Bailiff / Sheriff Security Directive (Johnson County Courthouse (Iowa City)): "Court security officers will not hold, store, or safeguard cell phones or electronic devices at the entrance checkpoint. Visitors arriving via rideshare must make off-site arrangements."”	Iowa City	Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside)	No lockers	Free Validated

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I take an Uber to court in Iowa and phones are banned?

All tracked courthouses in Iowa either allow silenced phones inside or provide lobby lockers for transit riders.

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.