Iowa

Accepts / Does NOT Accept CA Judgments

Accepts

Pre Birth / Post Birth

Pre-Birth and Post Birth required

State Law Governing Gestational Surrogacy

Iowa does not have comprehensive surrogacy legislation, but case law clarifies that gestational surrogacy is permitted and Iowa Administrative Code Section 641-99.15 (Establishment of new certificate of live birth following a birth by gestational surrogate arrangement) details how the birth certificate can be completed for children born via gestational surrogacy under specific parameters.

Vital Records Information

Contact: Jeri Southwick ([email protected], 515-281-5133)

• Judgment needs to be sent to Jeri for approval to ensure it meets Iowa code requirements

Important Information:

• No domestication/ registration is needed if it follows the code of Iowa
• It is not necessary to obtain a pre-birth order, as the Health Statistics Department will follow the post-birth order to issue the birth certificate (however, we always obtain pre-birth order to have a record of IPs’ rights and also to make it faster to get the post-birth)
• Pre-birth order can only establish legal paternity (GC husband, if applicable, will go on the original BC, although GC and husband can refuse this at the hospital)

Birth Certificates: A certified post-birth order should send directly to Jeri to process the new birth certificate

• Amendment Fee as of today is $20, each birth certificate also $20.
• The written request of the birth certificate needs to be notarized and submitted to the Health Statistics Department with fees and mailing instructions
• Health Statistics will amend the birth certificate within 2-4 weeks after the birth according to the post-birth Judgment (ONLY genetic IPs- non genetic need to adopt)

Local Counsel

Carmen Janssen
(515) 223-0395
[email protected]