Iowa LLC Operating Agreement
Set out who owns your Iowa LLC, who manages it, and how profits are split — and download a print-ready PDF. Single-member or multi-member. Free, no signup. The preview updates as you type.
Maintained by Rapi Stack · Every state-specific figure on this page is cited to its statute or official agency page · Dataset last verified 2026 · Not legal advice.
Iowa LLC act rules · as of 2026
- Required by law?
- No — but strongly recommended
- Recognized form
- "whether oral, implied, in a record, or in any combination thereof" — Iowa Code § 489.102(19)
- Governing act
- Uniform Limited Liability Company Act (Iowa Code ch. 489; short title per Iowa Code § 489.101 — renamed from "Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act" by 2023 Acts ch. 152)
Without an agreement: Distributions before dissolution must be in equal shares among members and dissociated members (per capita) — Iowa Code § 489.404(1). Source: Iowa Code § 489.102(19) (definition); Iowa Code § 489.105 (scope/function) · verify ↗.
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Why your Iowa LLC needs this — even single-member
- It overrides the default rules. Without an agreement, the Uniform Limited Liability Company Act (Iowa Code ch. 489; short title per Iowa Code § 489.101 — renamed from "Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act" by 2023 Acts ch. 152) decides how profits are split and who can act for the company — not you.
- It protects limited liability. A written agreement is core evidence that the LLC is a real, separate entity.
- Banks and lenders ask for it. Opening a business account or getting a loan routinely requires it.
Iowa law
No — Iowa does not require an operating agreement (as of 2026): RULLCA/ULLCA state — no requirement to adopt an operating agreement; Iowa Code § 489.110 (§ 489.105 for scope) supplies default rules when the agreement is silent or absent.. But without one, the default rules of the Uniform Limited Liability Company Act (Iowa Code ch. 489; short title per Iowa Code § 489.101 — renamed from "Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act" by 2023 Acts ch. 152) decide ownership, management, and profit questions for you — which is why one is strongly recommended even for single-member LLCs. Source: Iowa Code § 489.102(19) (definition); Iowa Code § 489.105 (scope/function). Check the current Iowa LLC rules before relying on any default.
Frequently asked questions
Is an operating agreement required in Iowa?
No — Iowa does not require an operating agreement (as of 2026): RULLCA/ULLCA state — no requirement to adopt an operating agreement; Iowa Code § 489.110 (§ 489.105 for scope) supplies default rules when the agreement is silent or absent.. But without one, the default rules of the Uniform Limited Liability Company Act (Iowa Code ch. 489; short title per Iowa Code § 489.101 — renamed from "Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act" by 2023 Acts ch. 152) decide ownership, management, and profit questions for you — which is why one is strongly recommended even for single-member LLCs. Source: Iowa Code § 489.102(19) (definition); Iowa Code § 489.105 (scope/function).
Does the operating agreement get filed with the state?
No. Unlike the formation certificate (articles of organization), the operating agreement is an internal document — you sign it, keep it with your records, and give each member a copy. Banks, lenders, and courts may ask to see it, but no Iowa agency records it.
Can the agreement be oral in Iowa?
Iowa's statute recognizes: "whether oral, implied, in a record, or in any combination thereof" — Iowa Code § 489.102(19) (Iowa Code § 489.102(19) (definition); Iowa Code § 489.105 (scope/function)). Even where oral or implied agreements count, put yours in writing — proving an oral term in a dispute between members is exactly the fight the document exists to prevent.
How does Iowa compare? See which states actually require an operating agreement, every claim cited to the state LLC act.
How Iowa compares
Computed from our 51-jurisdiction dataset (as of 2026). Source for Iowa: Iowa Code § 489.102(19) (definition); Iowa Code § 489.105 (scope/function) ↗.
- Iowa is one of 47 of 51 jurisdictions that leave the operating agreement optional (statutory default rules apply without one) (4 require an LLC to have an operating agreement).
The rest of what Iowa requires
The figures below are Iowa's, not national averages — each one is the value we verified for this state, with the statute it comes from. Follow a row to the full Iowa page for that document.
- Security deposit cap · as of 2026
- 2 months' rent Iowa Code §562A.12 ↗
- Deposit return deadline · as of 2026
- 30 days after move-out Iowa Code §562A.12 ↗
- Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy · as of 2026
- 30 days Iowa Code §562A.12 ↗
- Notice for unpaid rent · as of 2026
- 3 days to pay or quit Iowa Code § 562A.27; § 562A.34(2) ↗
- Notice to cure a lease violation · as of 2026
- 7 days Iowa Code § 562A.27; § 562A.34(2) ↗
- Small claims limit · as of 2026
- $6,500 Iowa Code § 631.1; § 631.6 (fees) ↗
- Where you file · as of 2026
- Small claims docket of the Iowa District Court (heard by magistrates and district associate judges) · filing fee $95 flat statewide (Iowa Code 631.6 / 602.8105), plus service costs. Iowa Code § 631.1; § 631.6 (fees) ↗
- Rental application fee · as of July 2026
- No statutory limit Iowa Legislature ↗
- Bill of sale notarization · as of 2026
- Not required Iowa DOT / DMV.ORG ↗
- Power of attorney signing · as of 2026
- Notarization required Iowa Code §633B.105 (form §633B.301) ↗
- Recording a deed · as of 2026
- County Recorder (Iowa Code § 558.11 — 'recorder of deeds of the county in which the real estate is situated') · no witnesses Iowa Code §§ 558.19, 558.42 ↗
LLC operating agreement in other states
More Iowa legal forms
Different state? See LLC operating agreements by state →