Rule 1.1602.Time for motion or answer

Rule 1.1602 sets the respondent's opening deadline in a judicial review proceeding. Once a petition for judicial review under Iowa Code section 17A.19(2) is personally served or mailed, the respondent has 20 days to serve the petitioner and everyone else the petition must be served on. That 20-day period is measured from the date of service or mailing, not from when the respondent happens to receive or process the petition.

The rule then adds a second, less rigid deadline: within a reasonable time after that service, the respondent must file a motion or an answer. Unlike the fixed 20-day window for service, this second step depends on the circumstances of the case, giving the respondent room to prepare a substantive response after the immediate service obligation is met.

Because judicial review proceedings often involve government agencies and administrative records rather than the ordinary discovery-driven litigation the general civil rules assume, this two-step structure — a firm early deadline for service, followed by a flexible deadline for the actual pleading — reflects the different rhythm of these cases.