Iowa Code § 48A.8
This is the official text of Iowa Code § 48A.8, part of Iowa’s Code — part of the compiled statutory law of Iowa, published by the state as "Code." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Registration by mail.
Official statutory text
(1) An eligible elector may request that a voter registration form be mailed to the elector. The completed form may be mailed or delivered by the registrant or the registrant’s designee to the commissioner in the county where the person resides or to the state commissioner of elections for a program participant, as provided in section 9E.6. A separate voter registration form shall be signed by each individual registrant.
(2) An eligible elector who registers by mail and who has not previously voted in an election for federal office in the county of registration shall be required to provide identification documents when voting for the first time in the county, unless the registrant provided on the registration form the registrant’s Iowa driver’s license number, or the registrant’s Iowa nonoperator’s identification card number, or the last four numerals of the registrant’s social security number and the driver’s license, nonoperator’s identification, or partial social security number matches an existing state or federal identification record with the same number, name, and date of birth. If the registrant under this subsection votes in person at the polls, or by absentee ballot at the commissioner’s office or at a satellite voting station, the registrant shall provide a current and valid photo identification card and shall present, as proof of residence, to the appropriate election official one of the following current documents that shows the name and address of the registrant:
(2) (a) Residential lease.
(2) (b) Property tax statement.
(2) (c) Utility bill.
(2) (d) Bank statement.
(2) (e) Paycheck.
(2) (f) Government check.
(2) (g) Other government document.
(3) If the registrant under subsection 2 votes an absentee ballot by mail, the registrant shall provide a photocopy of one of the documents listed in subsection 2 when returning the absentee ballot.
(4) A registrant under subsection 2 who is required to present identification when casting a ballot in person shall be permitted to vote a provisional ballot if the voter does not provide the required identification documents. If a voter who is required to present identification when casting a ballot votes an absentee ballot by mail, the ballot returned by the voter shall be considered a provisional ballot pursuant to sections 49.81 and 53.31.
94 Acts, ch 1169, §9; 2004 Acts, ch 1083, §6, 37; 2009 Acts, ch 57, §15; 2015 Acts, ch 96, §9, 17; 2017 Acts, ch 110, §17, 35, 36
(2) An eligible elector who registers by mail and who has not previously voted in an election for federal office in the county of registration shall be required to provide identification documents when voting for the first time in the county, unless the registrant provided on the registration form the registrant’s Iowa driver’s license number, or the registrant’s Iowa nonoperator’s identification card number, or the last four numerals of the registrant’s social security number and the driver’s license, nonoperator’s identification, or partial social security number matches an existing state or federal identification record with the same number, name, and date of birth. If the registrant under this subsection votes in person at the polls, or by absentee ballot at the commissioner’s office or at a satellite voting station, the registrant shall provide a current and valid photo identification card and shall present, as proof of residence, to the appropriate election official one of the following current documents that shows the name and address of the registrant:
(2) (a) Residential lease.
(2) (b) Property tax statement.
(2) (c) Utility bill.
(2) (d) Bank statement.
(2) (e) Paycheck.
(2) (f) Government check.
(2) (g) Other government document.
(3) If the registrant under subsection 2 votes an absentee ballot by mail, the registrant shall provide a photocopy of one of the documents listed in subsection 2 when returning the absentee ballot.
(4) A registrant under subsection 2 who is required to present identification when casting a ballot in person shall be permitted to vote a provisional ballot if the voter does not provide the required identification documents. If a voter who is required to present identification when casting a ballot votes an absentee ballot by mail, the ballot returned by the voter shall be considered a provisional ballot pursuant to sections 49.81 and 53.31.
94 Acts, ch 1169, §9; 2004 Acts, ch 1083, §6, 37; 2009 Acts, ch 57, §15; 2015 Acts, ch 96, §9, 17; 2017 Acts, ch 110, §17, 35, 36
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Iowa?
Find a Iowa lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.