Rule 6.301 Procedure for certification of questions of law

Sometimes a federal court or another state's court needs help answering a tricky question about Iowa law. Instead of guessing, that court can ask the Iowa Supreme Court to answer the legal question directly. This process is called "certifying a question of law."

This rule points to where the actual steps for this process are found. Those steps come from a state law called the Uniform Certification of Questions of Law Act, along with other appellate court rules. Together, these sources explain how a court sends a question to the Iowa Supreme Court and how the Iowa Supreme Court reviews and answers it.

For someone involved in a case, this matters when their lawsuit depends on an unsettled point of Iowa law. If the judge isn't sure how Iowa law applies, this process lets the Iowa Supreme Court step in and give a clear answer, so the case can move forward correctly.