Any number of defendants may be joined in one action which asserts against them, jointly, severally or in the alternative, any right to relief in respect of, or arising out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences, when any question of law or fact common to all of them is presented or involved.
Rule 1.233.Permissive joinder of defendants
Division II: Actions, Joinder of Actions and Parties · Last amended February 15, 2002 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceRule 1.233 lets any number of defendants be joined in one action asserting a right to relief against them jointly, severally, or in the alternative, arising out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences, when a common question of law or fact is involved.
Full Text of Rule 1.233
Plain-English Summary
Rule 1.233 is the defendant-side counterpart to the joinder of plaintiffs. It allows any number of defendants to be joined in one action when the relief sought against them is asserted jointly, severally, or in the alternative, and that relief relates to or arises out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences. As with plaintiff joinder, the rule also requires that a question of law or fact common to all the defendants be presented or involved.
This lets a plaintiff bring one action against several people who were involved, together or separately, in the same underlying events, rather than filing a separate suit against each. It also gives defendants the benefit of a single proceeding to sort out their relative responsibility, instead of facing inconsistent results in separate trials over the same events.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sue multiple defendants in one action if they were involved in the same incident?
Yes, if the right to relief you assert against them is joint, several, or alternative and arises out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences, and a common question of law or fact is presented, Rule 1.233 allows that joinder.
Do the defendants need to have acted together for joinder to be proper?
Not necessarily together in the sense of acting jointly. Rule 1.233 allows joinder where relief is asserted jointly, severally, or in the alternative, so defendants who acted separately but in connection with the same transaction or occurrence can still be joined.
Is it enough that all the defendants are being sued over similar conduct?
No. Rule 1.233 requires the claims to arise out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences and to present a common question of law or fact, not merely similar conduct in the abstract.
What benefit does joining multiple defendants in one case provide?
It lets the court resolve the parties' relative responsibility for connected events in a single proceeding, rather than risking inconsistent outcomes across separate suits addressing the same underlying facts.
Can defendants be joined even if the plaintiff is only entitled to relief from one of them in the end?
Yes. Rule 1.233 allows relief to be asserted against the defendants in the alternative, which anticipates that not every joined defendant will ultimately be held liable.
Source & verification. Rule text and the Comment are
reproduced verbatim from the Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure, adopted by the
Iowa Supreme Court. Last verified July 15, 2026.
· Official source
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