Collection of fees in criminal cases and disposition of fees and fines.
Iowa Code § 602.8106
in effect602.8106. Collection of fees in criminal cases and disposition of fees and fines.
1. The clerk of the district court shall collect the following fees:
a. Except as otherwise provided in paragraphs “b” and “c”, for filing and docketing a criminal case to be paid by the county or city which has the duty to prosecute the criminal action, payable as provided in section 602.8109, one hundred dollars. When judgment is rendered against the defendant, costs collected from the defendant shall be paid to the county or city which has the duty to prosecute the criminal action to the extent necessary for reimbursement for fees paid. However, the fees which are payable by the county to the clerk of the district court for services rendered in criminal actions prosecuted under state law and the court costs taxed in connection with the trial of those actions or appeals from the judgments in those actions are waived.
b. For filing and docketing of a complaint or information for a simple misdemeanor and a complaint or information for a nonscheduled simple misdemeanor under chapter 321, sixty dollars.
c. For filing and docketing a complaint or information or uniform citation and complaint for parking violations under sections 321.236, 321.239, 321.358, 321.360, and 321.361, eight dollars, effective January 1, 2004. The court costs in cases of parking meter and overtime parking violations which are contested, and charged and collected pursuant to section 321.236, subsection 1, or pursuant to a uniform citation and complaint, are eight dollars per information or complaint or per uniform citation and complaint effective January 1, 1991.
d. For court costs in scheduled violation cases where a court appearance is required, fifty-five dollars.
e. For court costs in scheduled violation cases where a court appearance is not required, fifty-five dollars.
f. For an appeal of a simple misdemeanor to the district court, seventy-five dollars.
g. For a motion to show cause in a criminal case, the fee shall be the same amount as the fee for filing and docketing a complaint, information, or citation for the underlying criminal case from which the motion arises.
h. For a probation revocation, the fee shall be the same amount as the fee for filing and docketing a complaint, information, or citation for the underlying case from which the revocation arises.
2. The clerk of the district court shall remit eighty percent of all fines and forfeited bail to the city that was the plaintiff in any action, and shall provide that city with a statement showing the total number of cases, the total of all fines and forfeited bail collected, and the total of all cases dismissed. The remaining twenty percent shall be submitted to the state court administrator.
3. The clerk of the district court shall remit all fines and forfeited bail for violation of a county ordinance to the county treasurer of the county that was the plaintiff in the action, and shall provide that county with a statement showing the total number of cases, the total of all fines and forfeited bail collected, and the total of all cases dismissed, except all fines and forfeited bail for violation of a county ordinance relating to vehicle speed or weight restrictions shall be distributed pursuant to subsection 4, paragraph “b”. If a county ordinance provides a penalty for a violation which is also penalized under state law, the fines and forfeited bail collected for the violation shall be distributed pursuant to subsection 4, paragraph “b”.
4.
a. Except as provided in paragraph “b”, the clerk of the district court shall submit all other fines, fees, costs, and forfeited bail received from a magistrate to the state court administrator.
b. The fine amount for a violation that occurred within the boundaries of the county shall be distributed as follows:
(1) Ninety-one percent to the state court administrator.
(2) Nine percent to the county treasurer for deposit in the county general fund where the violation occurred.
83 Acts, ch 186, §9106, 10201, 10204; 83 Acts, ch 204, §15, 16; 85 Acts, ch 195, §55, 56; 85 Acts, ch 197, §24, 25; 89 Acts, ch 293, §17; 90 Acts, ch 1170, §4; 91 Acts, ch 116, §14; 91 Acts, ch 218, §25; 91 Acts, ch 219, §17; 92 Acts, 2nd Ex, ch 1001, §50293 Acts, ch 47, §18; 94 Acts, ch 1074, §6; 95 Acts, ch 143, §11; 2003 Acts, ch 151, §47; 2004 Acts, ch 1120, §6; 2005 Acts, ch 165, §4; 2006 Acts, ch 1166, §5; 2007 Acts, ch 180, §2; 2009 Acts, ch 21, §11; 2009 Acts, ch 179, §61, 72; 2010 Acts, ch 1061, §75; 2020 Acts, ch 1074, §6, 7, 29, 93
Source: Iowa Legislature (legis.iowa.gov)URL: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/2026/602.8106.pdfFetched: 10/20/2026