Where to file bankruptcy in Iowa

The federal bankruptcy courts in Iowa, how to pick yours, fees, required courses and the meeting of creditors.

Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.

Short answer

You file in the federal district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. Your county decides the district and division: Northern District county list at https://www.ianb.uscourts.gov/court-info/court-locations and Southern District county list at https://www.iasb.uscourts.gov/divisional-map-counties.

Federal bankruptcy courts: 2
Courts: Northern District and Southern District

Iowa bankruptcy courts and divisions

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Iowa

Divisions: Cedar Rapids, Sioux City (clerk's offices); Dubuque, Fort Dodge, Mason City, Waterloo (hearing locations)

Clerk's phone: 319-286-2200

Court's self-help page

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Iowa

Divisions: Western, Central, Eastern (clerk's office in Des Moines)

Clerk's phone: (515) 284-6230

Court's self-help page

In nearby states

Wisconsin: Eastern District and Western District
Illinois: Northern District, Central District and Southern District
Missouri: Eastern District and Western District

Your next steps in Iowa

Check where you lived
Your district depends on where you lived most of the last 180 days.
Check local rules
Court websites: Northern District and Southern District.
Do the first course
Use an approved agency. U.S. Trustee list of approved credit counseling agencies.
Get the forms ready
The forms are free: official bankruptcy forms.
Get help
Free help: Iowa Legal Aid and Iowa State Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project.

Free help in Iowa

Questions about filing in Iowa

Which bankruptcy court do I use in Iowa?

What are the Iowa means test numbers?

For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $67,617; 2 people: $88,800; 3 people: $104,133; 4 people: $126,058; Each extra person: +$11,100.

Is there free bankruptcy help in Iowa?

Iowa Legal Aid, Iowa State Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project and Iowa State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service.

More for Iowa

Court fees

Chapter 7 filing fee. To file Chapter 7 you pay $338 to the court: a $245 filing fee, a $78 administrative fee and a $15 trustee fee. A married couple filing one joint case pays one set of fees.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(A); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, items 8 and 9 (effective December 1, 2023)

Chapter 13 filing fee. To file Chapter 13 you pay $313 to the court: a $235 filing fee and a $78 administrative fee.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(B); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, item 8 (effective December 1, 2023)

Paying in installments. If you cannot pay the whole fee at once, you can ask to pay it in installments. File Official Form 103A with your petition. The court decides the plan: no more than 4 payments, all paid within 120 days after you file. For a good reason the court can give you more time, but the last payment must be made within 180 days. Until the fee is paid in full, you may not pay your lawyer or petition preparer.

Law: Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(b) (as amended Dec. 1, 2024)

Fee waiver. In Chapter 7 only, the court may waive the fee. You must have income below 150% of the official poverty line for your family size, and you must be unable to pay the fee even in installments. Ask by filing Official Form 103B with your petition. The judge decides.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(f)(1); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(c)

The meeting of creditors

About a month after you file, you must attend the 'meeting of creditors' (341 meeting). The trustee asks you questions under oath about your property and debts. Creditors may come and ask questions. No judge attends. Chapter 7: 21 to 40 days after filing. Chapter 13: 21 to 50 days after filing. Bring photo ID and proof of your Social Security number. If you file jointly, both spouses must attend.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 341, 343; Fed. R. Bankr. P. 2003(a), 4002(b)(1)

The courses you must take

Credit counseling before you file. Before you file, you must take a credit counseling course (a 'briefing') from an agency approved by the U.S. Trustee Program. You must take it within 180 days before you file. It can be in person, by phone or online, alone or in a group. Keep the certificate: you file it with your case. If you skip it, your case can be dismissed.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 109(h), 111

Debtor education after you file. After you file, you must take a second, separate course on personal financial management (debtor education) from an approved provider. In most cases you get no discharge without it. Chapter 7: file the certificate within 60 days after the first date set for the meeting of creditors. Chapter 13: by the date of your last plan payment. Some providers send the certificate to the court for you.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 727(a)(11), 1328(g); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1007(b)(7), 1007(c)(4)

Where to file bankruptcy in Iowa

Short answer

Iowa bankruptcy courts and divisions

In nearby states

Your next steps in Iowa

Check where you lived

Check local rules

Do the first course

Get the forms ready

Get help

Free help in Iowa

Questions about filing in Iowa

More for Iowa