The Administrative Services Division provides administrative support to ensure efficient operation of the Office of the Attorney General. Administrative support includes financial operations, including the preparation and submission of the annual budget, monitoring and controlling expenditures, supervising the personnel office and human resources services, coordinating internships, information technology services, and public information.

The Office of Consumer Advocate investigates the legality of rates and practices of all utility companies subject to the jurisdiction of the Iowa Utilities Board, and represents consumers and the public generally before state and federal agencies concerning those matters. The Office of Consumer Advocate is a separate division of the Office of the Attorney General.

The Consumer Protection Division protects the public from fraud, deception, and unfair business practices. The Division enforces laws that protect the buying public from false or misleading advertisements and deceptive sales practices.

It also enforces laws that ensure consumers have the information they need before making purchase decisions. In addition, the Division protects consumers regarding loans, credit cards and other credit products and against unfair debt collection practices.

The Office of the Attorney General is prohibited from representing citizens privately.

The Consumer Protection Division serves a vital public service of informing the public about consumer protection issues and legal actions, and provides information about how to avoid becoming the victim of consumer fraud.

To go to the Consumer Protection Division page or to file a consumer complaint, click here.

Division Contact Information

The Environmental Law Division represents the State of Iowa in issues affecting the environment. The majority of the division's work involves representing the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, and the Iowa Comprehensive Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Fund Board.

The division prosecutes civil environmental enforcement actions involving water pollution, water supply, solid waste, air pollution, leaking underground storage tanks, hazardous conditions, and flood plains pursuant to Iowa Code Chapter 455B, and animal feeding operations pursuant to Iowa Code chapter 459. The division is also responsible for implementing the One Call Education and Enforcement Initiative, including educating excavators and operators of underground facilities of the requirements of Iowa Code Chapter 480 and, when appropriate, initiating civil enforcement actions. The division also defends its assigned agencies in citizen suits, civil rights actions, judicial proceedings, and other litigation.

The division routinely advises the Department of Natural Resources concerning statutory and rule interpretations, administrative law questions, and enforcement strategies. The division reviews grants to cities for various environmental construction projects. The division also provides legal assistance to the DNR in matters relating to acquisition and management of state-owned lands and waters and development projects on state-owned lands including National Environmental Policy Act requirements, construction contract disputes, drainage disputes, permits and leases for special uses of public lands and waters, and regulations relating to fishing, hunting, trapping, boating and use of state parks. The division advises the DNR and other state agencies in matters relating to federal management of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers.

The division serves as general counsel to the Division of Soil Conservation of the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship as well as the 100 soil and water conservation districts. General counsel duties include providing legal assistance regarding such matters as contracts, personnel issues, and collections. The division enforces coal and mineral mining laws and assists in collecting administrative penalties, provides title opinions, and reviews contracts in connection with water quality and abandoned mine land reclamation projects. The division also represents the soil and water conservation districts by enforcing administrative orders, soil loss limits, and maintenance agreements and by providing title opinions in connection with watershed projects.

The Pesticide Bureau of the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is also represented by the division. The division assists in collecting administrative penalties regarding pesticide handling violations.

The division serves as general counsel to the Iowa Comprehensive Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Fund Board. General counsel duties include advising the board on issues relating to the UST remedial action program; reviewing and drafting UST legislative proposals; assisting in the rulemaking process; and handling administrative contested cases. General counsel duties also include contract drafting and review, negotiations, and handling personnel issues for the board. In addition, the division handles cost recovery efforts requested by the board pursuant to Iowa Code chapter 455G and assists the DNR and board in evaluating corrective action proposals at contaminated sites.

The division represents the State Archaeologist, and provides legal assistance to the National Guard and the State Historical Society on real estate matters. The division also advises, as needed, the Iowa Commissioner to the Midwest Interstate Low-level Radioactive Waste Commission, the Iowa Nebraska Boundary Commission, and the Energy Fund Disbursement Council.

The Farm Division is dedicated solely to the interests of farmers and other rural residents. Established in 1979, it was the first of its kind division of a state attorney general's office in the nation.

The Farm Division has several functions:

• Serves as the primary legal counsel for nearly all bureaus of the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship, and the Iowa Finance Authority's Iowa Agricultural Development Division.
• Represents the general interests of Iowa farmers in litigation in state and federal courts. Over the years, the Division has investigated and brought numerous consumer fraud cases involving agriculture on topics ranging from phony pesticides to tractor hour meter tampering to fake soil enhancements. The Division has pursued litigation to enforce Iowa's corporate farming statute, Iowa Code Chapter 9H, regarding Smithfield Foods' acquisition of Murphy Family Farms' Iowa assets.
• Works with other state attorneys general in multistate investigations and litigation. Most notable was the multistate effort led by the Division which resulted in a mitigation agreement with Aventis Crop Science, recouping over $14 million for Iowa farmers and grain elevators adversely affected by StarLink corn.
• Develops and promotes legislation. Since 2000, it has spearheaded a multistate legislative initiative aimed at creating legislation to provide farmers engaged in production and marketing contracting with tools to enhance their positions in those contracts.
• Undertakes extensive educational efforts for farmers, rural bankers, agricultural attorneys, and others on issues facing rural Iowa. Issues addressed include production and marketing contracts, credit sale contracts, hedge-to-arrive contracts, fertilizer and insecticide application, cooperative deferred dividend issues, farm safety, farm implement hour meter concerns, farm lease laws, and GMOs.

Contact

The Special Litigation Division provides legal representation to the State of Iowa. The division's attorneys litigate at all levels of state and federal court, as well as before administrative agencies. The division is charged with investigating all administrative, general and tort claims made to the State Appeal Board.

• Tort Claims: The division defends tort claims and lawsuits brought against elected state officials, state agencies, and state employees. Litigation claims can include injuries on state property, employment, corrections, medical and dental malpractice, child welfare and custody, vehicle crashes, and allegations of false arrests and unreasonable force, among others.
• Risk Management: Special Litigation Division attorneys also provide legal and risk management advice to state agencies.
• Sexually Violent Predators: In appropriate circumstances, Special Litigation Division attorneys will initiate civil commitment procedures to address legitimate public safety concerns, while providing treatment services designed to benefit sexually violent predators who are civilly committed.
• Other Duties: Other duties include representation of the Civil Reparations Trust Fund with regard to awards of punitive damages, and representation of the State Appeal Board concerning local budget appeals.

The Administrative Law Division operates at the heart of state government, protecting the public interest by providing legal services to all levels of state government from the highest elected officials to the employees of dozens of the largest and smallest state agencies.

• General Counsel: As general counsel to state officials and agencies, the division provides legal guidance on public records, open meetings, administrative procedures, employment law, public finance, contracts and grants, state purchasing, professional and occupational licensing, state and federal laws, pending legislation, and rulemaking. Given the diversity of the division’s agency clients, legal advice directly impacts Iowan’s health, safety, and financial security on matters including public health, education, economic development, financial institutions, programs and health facilities for older Iowans, insurance, law enforcement, emergency management, college student loans, Iowa’s courts, city annexation, and the regulation of alcohol, lottery games, casinos, and horse racing.
• Litigation: The division defends state officials and agencies in state and federal trial and appellate courts on a broad array of matters including constitutional challenges to state laws, employment and discrimination disputes, civil rights actions, contract and construction claims, foreclosure proceedings, and judicial review of agency decisions.
• Prosecution: The division protects the public interest by prosecuting licensed professionals accused of incompetent or unethical actions, such as physicians, pharmacists, dentists, nurses, CPAs, engineers, appraisers, plumbers, social workers, emergency medical technicians, and teachers. The division also protects Iowans by prosecuting insurance, securities, and preneed funeral frauds, and intervening to prevent the improper diversion of charitable trust assets.

Regents & Human Services is the largest division in the Office of the Attorney General. The attorneys and legal assistants in this division perform legal services for the Department of Human Services, the State Board of Regents and their respective institutions.

Board of Regents

The Regents’ institutions represented by the division are the University of Iowa, University of Northern Iowa and the Iowa State University; the Iowa School for the Deaf and the Iowa School for the Blind.

Division attorneys represent the State Board of Regents and the Regents’ institutions in all non-tort litigation. Regents’ litigation includes actions involving commercial transactions, construction disputes, civil rights and employment discrimination claims.

On matters of general legal advice, division attorneys work closely with attorneys in the Board of Regents office as well as the staff counsel of the three state universities.

Human Services

The Department of Human Services’ institutions include the four mental health institutions at Cherokee, Clarinda, Independence and Mount Pleasant; the Iowa Veterans Home; the Civil Commitment Unit for Sexual Offenders (CCUSO); Eldora State Training School, the Toledo Juvenile Home; Glenwood Resource Center and Woodward Resource Center.

The Department of Human Services is the largest state agency and the scope of representation provided by the Division is accordingly very broad and also quite specialized. The attorneys in the Division handle most of the non-tort litigation involving the Department and also represent the Department in a variety of administrative proceedings.

Our attorneys also advise the Department on a host of contract related issues, including competitive bidding and contract negotiations.

The attorneys in the Juvenile Law section handle delinquency, child in need of assistance and termination of parental rights appeals before the Iowa Supreme Court and the Iowa Court of Appeals. The division also occasionally prosecutes those cases at the trial court level.

In addition, the division represents the Department of Human Services in all contested cases involving the Child Abuse Registry, Daycare Licensing and Registration, and Foster Care Licensing.

Division attorneys provide representation to the Child Support Recovery Unit of the Department and are located in regional child support recovery offices throughout the state. The attorneys appear in court daily to prosecute child support recovery actions.

The Division also provides legal support for all the attorneys in the unit as well as the Child Support Recovery Bureau.

Division attorneys provide legal advice and appear in administrative hearings involving the areas of Medicaid, Temporary Aid to Needy Families, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Healthy and Well Kids in Iowa (hawk-i), and other benefits programs.

The division attorneys also represent the Department of Human Services and the Department of Inspections & Appeals in actions to establish and collect medical assistance debts resulting from a transfer of assets for less than fair market value.

The Revenue Division advises and represents the Iowa Department of Revenue with respect to various taxes which are administered by the department, including income taxes, franchise tax imposed on financial institutions, state sales and use taxes, cigarette and tobacco taxes, drug tax, motor vehicle fuel taxes, inheritance and estate taxes, property taxes, hotel and motel local option taxes, local option sales taxes, real estate transfer tax, and grain-handling tax.

In addition, the division drafts responses to tax opinion requests made to the Attorney General.

The Revenue Division also enforces Iowa laws regulating the manufacturing, importing and sales of tobacco products. Attorneys represent the state's interests in the Master Settlement Agreement with tobacco companies to ensure that tobacco manufacturers are meeting their obligations, and defend the state against legal challenges from the tobacco companies.

Additionally, the Office of the Attorney General provides technical assistance and support to local communities on tobacco issues, particularly in regard to secondhand smoke.

The office also plays a crucial role in enforcing state laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to minors, both directly and by working with local officials.

The Transportation Division, located at the Iowa Department of Transportation Headquarters in Ames, provides legal services to the Department of Transportation.

The division represents the Department of Transportation at the administrative, trial, and appellate levels in both federal and state courts in cases involving contract disputes, employment discrimination claims, constitutional challenges, environmental issues, tort claims against the state, condemnation matters, and judicial review actions.

In addition, the division provides legal advice to the DOT in matters involving statutes, court decisions, state and federal regulations, and policy matters.

Division attorneys also review contracts, easements, and proposed legislation and administrative rules affecting the DOT.

The Criminal Appeals Section strives to keep in place the criminal convictions and sentences obtained by county attorneys and state prosecutors from the Attorney General's Statewide Prosecutions Section. By having attorneys who specialize in appellate work, the Attorney General is able to ensure the large volume of criminal appeals are handled professionally and efficiently. Not only do the criminal appeals attorneys work to keep Iowa's most violent offenders behind bars, they aspire to establish statewide legal precedents to keep Iowans safe, while preserving citizens' constitutional rights.

The section opens a high volume of new cases every year. In addition to direct criminal appeals, the division handles sexually violent predator commitment appeals, state post-conviction appeals, and inmates' challenges to their state convictions filed in federal court. Attorneys in the section regularly present oral argument before the Iowa Court of Appeals, the Iowa Supreme Court and the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The section serves several other functions as well. Criminal appeals attorneys advise the governor on extradition matters, help draft and review legislation affecting the criminal justice system, and keep registered victims up to date on the status of appeals. The section also works closely with local prosecutors, providing training, support and legal advice.

The Office of Prosecuting Attorneys Training Coordinator (PATC) provides in-depth training programs for county attorneys in civil and criminal law. PATC provides continuing education, training and support for Iowa prosecuting attorneys, their assistants and their victim/witness coordinators in order to promote the uniform and effective administration of criminal justice.

PATC provides services to all 99 county attorneys, assistant county attorneys, victim/witness coordinators, as well as to other government attorneys and law enforcement officials.

With funds from the Governor's highway safety programs, PATC provides education and assistance to county attorneys and law enforcement in OWI and related traffic safety cases. On behalf of the Attorney General, PATC also serves as the administrator for state asset forfeitures, which are initiated by county attorneys.

Its duties and functions are found in Iowa Code Chapter 13A.

As Iowa’s judicial system is county-based, the offices of Iowa’s 99 elected county attorneys handle the vast majority of the state’s criminal prosecutions.

The Statewide Prosecutions Section's primary focus is prosecuting major criminal cases that county attorneys refer to the Attorney General. Such referrals are generally made when the county attorney has a conflict of interest or when an especially serious or complicated case requires additional prosecution resources.

Statewide Prosecutions Section attorneys specialize in major felony prosecutions, including murder, homicide, kidnapping, sexual abuse, robbery, theft and fraud, child abuse and exploitation, domestic violence, elder abuse, arson, white collar crimes, public corruption, and human trafficking.

Other Responsibilities

• Prosecutes criminal cases requiring specialized legal training, including Medicaid fraud, violence against women, environmental crime, securities fraud, obscenity, correctional institution crime and tax crimes.
• Prosecutes cases involving allegations of public official misconduct, including all matters brought before the Judicial Qualifications Commission.
• Provides services to crime victims and to those who must appear as witnesses in criminal trials prosecuted by the section.

Sexually Violent Predator Civil Commitments

The Office of the Attorney General has statutory responsibility for the Sexually Violent Predator Program, which is operated under the Statewide Prosecutions Section in conjunction with the Iowa Department of Human Services.

High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program

In conjunction with Iowa's two U.S. Attorneys, the Office of the Attorney General of Iowa prosecutes drug cases under the federal High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program.

Iowa Cold Case

In 2023, the Iowa Attorney General’s Office Cold Case Unit was established with the goal of aiding local law enforcement in unresolved homicide investigations and suspicious missing persons cases.

The Victim Assistance Section provides services and assistance to victims of violent crimes. The section administers programs that directly benefit victims of crime.

Programs include those that assist victims with the financial burden resulting from injuries of crime, assist local crime victim service programs, and assist the criminal justice system in holding offenders responsible for the effects of their crimes.

All crime victims and survivors will be treated with dignity and respect. Funds for these programs come primarily from fines and penalties assessed on state and federal criminals.

To go to the Victim Assistance Section page or to apply for crime victim assistance, click here.

Section Contact Information