State guide
Advance Directive Forms in Iowa
By Jason Su · Sources last confirmed September 14
We link to official sources only. We are not a law firm and we never write legal documents. The form you sign must come from an official or authorised source in your state.
What this document does
An advance directive is where you write down the healthcare treatment you would and would not want if you could not speak for yourself. In most states it also names a healthcare agent — the person who speaks for you when you cannot.
Where to get the Iowa form
Iowa Legislature (Iowa Code 144B.5) publishes the current form here: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/2006/144B.5.pdf
Statutory form set out in Iowa Code 144B.5. Note: every path on legis.iowa.gov answers automated requests with HTTP 500 (including its own homepage), so this link must be confirmed in a browser rather than by the checker.
Iowa's form is published inside the state code
Iowa does not publish its form as a form. The Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care is set out in the Iowa Code at section 144B.5, and what you download from the legislature is the statute itself, with the document printed inside the law.
That is worth knowing for two reasons. You are reading the source of truth rather than somebody's version of it, and it means you will not find an Iowa "form" by searching for one. You will find a legal citation, which looks nothing like a downloadable document.
There is a practical wrinkle. Iowa's legislature site refuses automated requests, so a link checker or a link preview may report it as broken when the page is perfectly fine. Open it in an ordinary browser and it loads.
If working with statutory text does not appeal to you, the same document is available from hospitals, clinics, and Area Agencies on Aging across the state. Nothing requires you to print it from the code.
Iowa's document is the Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care. A search for an "Iowa living will" may return documents from template sites that have no basis in Iowa law — the code section is the safer starting point.
National resources
- USA.gov — Official U.S. government portal.
- Medicare.gov — Official Medicare information.
After you sign it
- Sign it the way Iowa requires. Many states need witnesses or a notary. The form itself says which — follow the form, not a blog.
- Give copies to your healthcare agent and your doctor. A form nobody can find is a form that does not work.
- Keep the original somewhere reachable — not locked in a safe deposit box that needs a bank visit during an emergency.
- Add it to your checklist so your trusted contact knows it exists and where it lives.
Frequently asked
Is the Iowa advance directive form free?
Yes. Iowa Legislature (Iowa Code 144B.5) publishes the current form free of charge, and we link to the official source only.
Do I need a lawyer to complete the Iowa form?
No. You can complete the form yourself. It must be signed the way Iowa law requires — usually with witnesses or a notary — so follow the instructions printed on the form itself.
Where should I keep my signed Iowa advance directive?
Give copies to your healthcare agent and your doctor, and keep the original somewhere reachable at home — not locked in a safe deposit box that needs a bank visit during an emergency.
Next: build your checklist and record where this form is kept.