Iowa R. Elec. P. 16.603

16.603(1) Protected information that is not required by law or is not material to the

proceedings. A filer may omit protected information from documents filed with the court when

the information is not required by law or is not material to the proceedings.

16.603(2) Protected information that is required by law or is material to the proceedings.

When protected information is required by law to be included or is material to the proceedings, a

filer may record the protected information on a separate protected information form. See rule

16.606. The filer must ensure that the protected information is redacted from any other document

before filing the document with the court. See rule 16.605 (manner in which to redact protected

information).

16.603(3) Restricted access documents. Parties are not required to redact protected

information from documents that are confidential by statute, rule, or court order. Redaction is

required, however, for materials that are initially confidential but which later become public, such

as documents in dissolution proceedings.

16.603(4) Disclosure allowed. A filer may disclose protected information only when that

information is an essential or required part of the document or the court file. Disclosure of

protected information must be as narrow as reasonably practicable.

a. All orders and other court-generated documents containing protected information that

require enforcement or action by someone outside the court fall under rule 16.603(4).

b. Judicial officers may include protected information in a nonpublic court order to obtain

required enforcement or action with a redacted public version of that order.

COMMENT:

Rule 16.603(4)(a). Such documents include, but are not limited to, the following: writs of execution that require a full

financial account number; juvenile transportation orders and placement orders containing a child’s full name and identifying

information; letters of appointment with full names of minors in guardianship and conservatorship cases; qualified domestic

relation orders; protective orders and other orders containing full names of juveniles; and applications, orders, and resulting

arrest warrants, juvenile summons, and writs of mittimus containing a defendant’s full name, date of birth, and social security

number.

16.603(5) Full disclosure of the names of minor children. The name of a minor child may be

case information that is an essential or material part of the court record. See rule 16.801(2)(a)

(regarding use of the full name of minors in juvenile delinquency cases).

COMMENT:

Rule 16.603(5). Examples of when the name of a minor child is essential to the court record include: the name of a minor

child who is the ward in a guardianship or conservatorship case or who is the subject of a civil name change petition; or the

name of a minor child who is a criminal defendant, defendant on a traffic citation or municipal infraction, or defendant in a

domestic abuse or elder abuse case or other such case.

16.603(6) Redaction in cases after disposition. A party must apply to the court to file a

redaction of a document in a case in which judgment is final. The application must state the

reasons for and manner of redaction. When the court has approved the application, the filer must

electronically file the redaction.