Hidden camera laws in Iowa

The actual statute, in plain English — not a paraphrase of a paraphrase.

The statute

Iowa Code § 709.21 (Invasion of Privacy — Nudity)

What it prohibits

Iowa prohibits knowingly viewing, photographing, or filming another person in a state of full or partial nudity for the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire, where that person did not consent (or could not consent) to being viewed or recorded and had a reasonable expectation of privacy while nude or partially nude. A related subsection separately bans disseminating such images without consent.

Penalty

Aggravated misdemeanor — up to 2 years imprisonment and a fine between $625 and $6,250.

This is general public information, not legal advice, verified against the statute text linked below as of this writing — legislatures amend these laws periodically (Florida renamed its own statute in 2024). If this matters for a real situation, read the current text yourself or talk to a lawyer: https://law.justia.com/codes/iowa/title-xvi/chapter-709/section-709-21/. Separately, recording audio of a conversation is governed by a different law (wiretap/eavesdropping statutes, which vary by state on whether one party or all parties must consent) — this page covers image/video capture only.

If you've actually found something, the statute matters less than what you do next: read the six steps here.

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Other states

KansasKan. Stat. Ann. § 21-6101(a)(6) (Breach of Privacy) KentuckyKRS § 531.090 (Voyeurism) LouisianaLa. R.S. § 14:283 (Video voyeurism) MarylandMd. Code, Criminal Law § 3-902 (Visual Surveillance With Prurient Intent) MinnesotaMinn. Stat. § 609.746 (Interference with Privacy) MissouriMo. Rev. Stat. § 565.252 (Invasion of Privacy) Oklahoma21 Okla. Stat. § 1171(B) (Peeping Tom — Use of Photographic, Electronic or Video Equipment) WisconsinWis. Stat. § 942.09 (Representations Depicting Nudity)