Iowa Code § 321L.5 — IA Code / Title VIII / Chapter 321L / Section 321L.5
Persons with disabilities parking spaces — location and requirements — review committees.
Status: in_force

(1) Persons with disabilities parking spaces and access loading zones for persons with disabilities that serve a particular building shall be located on the shortest accessible route to the nearest accessible entrance to the building.

(2) A persons with disabilities parking space designated after July 1, 1990, shall comply with the dimension requirements specified in rules adopted by the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing and in effect when the spaces are designated. The department shall adopt accepted national standards for dimensions of persons with disabilities spaces, consistent with the requirements of federal law. However, these dimension requirements do not apply to parallel on-street parking spaces.

(3) (a) The state or a political subdivision of the state which provides off-street public parking facilities or an entity providing nonresidential parking in off-street public parking facilities shall provide not less than two percent of the total parking spaces in each parking facility as persons with disabilities parking spaces, rounded to the nearest whole number of persons with disabilities parking spaces. However, such parking facilities having ten or more parking spaces shall set aside at least one persons with disabilities parking space.

(3) (b) An entity providing off-street nonresidential public parking facilities shall review the utilization of existing persons with disabilities parking spaces for a one-month period not less than once every twelve months. If upon review, the average occupancy rate for persons with disabilities parking spaces in a facility exceeds sixty percent during normal business hours, the entity shall provide additional persons with disabilities parking spaces as needed.

(3) (c) An entity providing off-street nonresidential parking as a lessor shall provide a persons with disabilities parking space to an individual requesting to lease a parking space, if that individual possesses a persons with disabilities parking permit issued in accordance with section 321L.2.

(3) (d) A new nonresidential facility in which construction has been completed on or after July 1, 1991, providing parking to the general public shall provide persons with disabilities parking spaces as stipulated below:Required MinimumNumber of PersonsTotal Parkingwith DisabilitiesSpaces in LotParking Spaces___________________________________________10to25126to50251to75376to1004101to1505151to2006201to3007301to4008401to5009501to10002 Percent of Total1001and over20 Spaces Plus 1 forEach 100 Over 1000

(3) (e) Any other person may also set aside persons with disabilities parking spaces on the person’s property provided each persons with disabilities parking space is clearly and prominently designated as a persons with disabilities parking space.

(4) (a) Cities which provide on-street parking areas within a business district shall by ordinance define and establish a business district or districts and shall designate not less than two percent of the total parking spaces within each business district as persons with disabilities parking spaces.

(4) (b) Upon petition by an individual possessing a persons with disabilities parking permit issued in accordance with section 321L.2, the city shall review utilization and location of existing persons with disabilities parking spaces for a one-month period but not more than once every twelve months. If, upon review, the average occupancy rate for persons with disabilities parking spaces exceeds sixty percent during normal business hours, the city shall provide additional persons with disabilities parking spaces as needed.

(5) A persons with disabilities parking space located on a paved surface may be painted with a blue background upon which the international symbol of accessibility is painted in white or yellow paint. However, the blue background paint may be omitted. As used in this subsection, “paved surface” includes surfaces which are asphalt surfaced.

(6) (a) A persons with disabilities parking review committee may be established by the state and each political subdivision of the state which is required to provide persons with disabilities parking spaces in off-street public parking facilities according to subsection 3 and in political subdivisions required to provide persons with disabilities parking spaces for on-street parking within a business district according to subsection 4. The persons with disabilities parking review committee shall consist of five members who are persons with disabilities as defined in section 321L.1 and five members who are officials of the state or political subdivision. The persons with disabilities parking review committee shall have the discretion to increase or decrease the numbers of persons with disabilities parking spaces required by this section. A decision to change the numbers or location of persons with disabilities parking spaces shall be based upon the needs of the community, the percentage of use of the present persons with disabilities parking spaces, and the past experience of the state or political subdivision regarding persons with disabilities parking.

(6) (b) An individual may request the persons with disabilities parking review committee to review the amounts and locations of persons with disabilities parking spaces. The persons with disabilities parking review committee shall investigate each individual’s request and shall act upon such request if the investigation substantiates the individual’s complaint.

89 Acts, ch 247, §13; 90 Acts, ch 1151, §6 – 8; 94 Acts, ch 1015, §1; 94 Acts, ch 1107, §21; 96 Acts, ch 1171, §10, 11; 97 Acts, ch 70, §15; 98 Acts, ch 1080, §10; 2009 Acts, ch 41, §119; 2010 Acts, ch 1061, §180; 2025 Acts, ch 98, §9