Iowa statute
Iowa Code § 719.4 — Escape or absence from custody
Current through 2026 Iowa Code (enactments effective on or before 2026-01-01, through the 2025 Regular Session, 91st G.A.)
Part of Chapter 719: Obstructing Justice, Iowa Code.
Criminal charges under this statute
Full text of Iowa Code § 719.4
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. A person convicted of a felony, or charged with or arrested for the commission of a felony, who intentionally escapes, or attempts to escape, from a detention facility, community-based correctional facility, or institution to which the person has been committed by reason of the conviction, charge, or arrest, or from the custody of any public officer, public employee, or any other person to whom the person has been entrusted, commits a class “D” felony.
2. A person convicted of, charged with, or arrested for a misdemeanor, who intentionally escapes, or attempts to escape, from a detention facility, community-based correctional facility, or institution to which the person has been committed by reason of the conviction, charge, or arrest, or from the custody of any public officer, public employee, or any other person to whom the person has been entrusted, commits a serious misdemeanor.
3. A person who has been committed to an institution under the control of the Iowa department of corrections, to a community-based correctional facility, or to a jail or correctional institution, who knowingly and voluntarily is absent from a place where the person is required to be, commits a serious misdemeanor.
4. A person who flees from the state to avoid prosecution for a public offense which is a felony or aggravated misdemeanor commits a class “D” felony.
5. Except for subsection 4, an offense committed under this section includes any offense committed wholly outside the state.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.