Rule 1.512 does not preclude an independent action against a person not a party for production of documents and things and permission to enter upon land.
Rule 1.514.Action for production or entry against persons not parties
Division V: Discovery and Inspection · Last amended May 1, 2008 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceRule 1.514 confirms that Rule 1.512's request-for-production procedure, which only reaches parties, does not foreclose bringing an independent lawsuit against someone who is not a party to obtain document production or permission to enter land.
Full Text of Rule 1.514
Plain-English Summary
Rule 1.512's request-for-production tool works only between parties already in the case — it gives no way to demand documents or land access from an outsider. Rule 1.514 closes that gap by confirming that Rule 1.512 does not take away the older option of bringing a separate, independent action against a person who is not a party, seeking production of documents and things and permission to enter land.
In practice, discovery from a nonparty more often comes through a deposition subpoena duces tecum under Rules 1.707 and 1.715. Rule 1.514 preserves a narrower but distinct avenue alongside that route: a standalone lawsuit whose object is limited to production and entry, not the broader discovery available against a party.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Rule 1.512 to demand documents from someone who is not a party to my lawsuit?
No. Rule 1.512's request-for-production procedure reaches only parties. Rule 1.514 confirms that a party may still bring an independent action against a nonparty for production of documents and things and permission to enter land.
Is an independent action the only way to get documents from a nonparty?
No. A deposition subpoena duces tecum under Rules 1.707 and 1.715 is the more common route for nonparty discovery; Rule 1.514 preserves the independent action as an additional, older avenue.
What relief can the independent action under Rule 1.514 seek?
Production of documents and things, and permission to enter designated land — not the broader range of discovery available against a party under Rule 1.503.
Why does Iowa need a separate rule just to say this?
Because Rule 1.512's own text addresses requests directed at another party, leaving open whether that limitation eliminated the older common-law remedy against nonparties. Rule 1.514 answers that it does not.
Is the independent action under Rule 1.514 part of my existing lawsuit, or something separate?
It is a separate lawsuit. Rule 1.514 describes it as an independent action, meaning a party would file it as its own case against the nonparty rather than raise it as a request inside an already pending suit.
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
Also known as: iowa discovery from a nonpartyindependent action to produce documents iowaiowa entry upon land nonparty rulerule 1.514 iowa civil procedure