Iowa statute
Iowa Code § 716.14 — Unauthorized sampling
Current through 2026 Iowa Code (enactments effective on or before 2026-01-01, through the 2025 Regular Session, 91st G.A.)
Part of Chapter 716: Damage and Trespass to Property, Iowa Code.
Criminal charges under this statute
Full text of Iowa Code § 716.14
Statutory text current through the 2026 Iowa Code (enactments effective on or before 2026-01-01, through the 2025 Regular Session, 91st G.A.). This publication reproduces the statutory text of the official 2026 Iowa Code (Legislative Services Agency); it is not the official publication of the State of Iowa.
1. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
a. “Agricultural animal” means an animal belonging to the bovine, caprine, equine, ovine, or porcine species; farm deer as defined in section 170.1; ostriches, rheas, and emus; turkeys, chickens, domestic geese or ducks, or other domestic fowl; fish or other aquatic organisms confined in private waters for human consumption; or honey bees.
b. “Agricultural crop” means a plant produced for food, animal feed, fiber, oil, or fuel if the plant is classified as a forage or cereal plant, including but not limited to alfalfa, barley, buckwheat, corn, flax, forage, hemp as defined in section 204A.2, millet, oats, popcorn, rye, sorghum, soybeans, sunflowers, wheat, and grasses used for forage or silage. A plant which is a noxious weed pursuant to section 317.1A shall not be considered an agricultural crop unless the plant is produced as a research crop.
c. (1) “Convicted” means the entry of a judgment of conviction under chapter 901 or adjudicated delinquent for an act which is an indictable offense in this state or in another state under chapter 232.
(2) “Convicted” does not mean a plea, sentence, adjudication, deferred sentence, or deferred judgment which has been reversed or otherwise set aside.
2. A person commits unauthorized sampling if the person knowingly enters private property, without consent of the owner or any other person having real or apparent authority to grant consent, and obtains samples of any of the following:
a. Bodily fluids or substances from an agricultural animal.
b. Any product from an agricultural animal.
c. Soil, air, surface water, or ground water from land or structures used for the production of an agricultural animal or the production of an agricultural crop.
3. A person who commits unauthorized sampling as provided in subsection 2 is guilty of an aggravated misdemeanor.
4. Notwithstanding subsection 3, a person who commits unauthorized sampling as provided in subsection 2 is guilty of a class “D” felony if the person has previously been convicted of committing unauthorized sampling under subsection 2.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.