The party taking a deposition on written interrogatories shall promptly transmit a copy of the notice and all interrogatories to the officer designated in the notice. The officer shall promptly take deponent's answers thereto and complete the deposition, all as provided in rules 1.708 and 1.709, except that answers need not be taken stenographically.
Rule 1.711.Answers to interrogatories
Division VII: Depositions and Perpetuating Testimony · Last amended February 15, 2002 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceRule 1.711 requires the party who initiated a written-interrogatory deposition to promptly forward the notice and interrogatories to the designated officer, who then promptly takes the deponent's answers and completes the deposition under the same procedures as an oral deposition, except that answers need not be taken stenographically.
Full Text of Rule 1.711
Plain-English Summary
Rule 1.711 handles the mechanical handoff behind a deposition on written interrogatories. The party who took the deposition must promptly transmit a copy of the notice and all the interrogatories to the officer named in the notice.
From there, the officer promptly takes the deponent's answers and completes the deposition following the same procedures set out in Rules 1.708 and 1.709 — covering recording, objections, and reading and signing — with one difference: the answers do not need to be taken down stenographically.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who delivers the written interrogatories to the deponent?
The party who took the deposition promptly transmits a copy of the notice and all the interrogatories to the officer named in the notice, and that officer then takes the deponent's answers.
Do the same rules for conduct and signing apply to a written-interrogatory deposition?
Yes. Rule 1.711 applies Rules 1.708 and 1.709 to completing the deposition, with the one difference that the answers do not need to be taken stenographically.
What is the officer's role under Rule 1.711?
To promptly obtain and record the deponent's answers to the transmitted interrogatories and complete the deposition.
Why doesn't a written-interrogatory deposition require a stenographic record of the answers?
Because the questions are already fixed in writing before the deposition begins, Rule 1.711 allows the officer to record the answers without a stenographer, unlike an oral deposition.
Is there a fixed deadline for transmitting the interrogatories to the officer or for the officer to take the answers?
No. Rule 1.711 does not set a specific number of days for either step. It requires only that the party transmit the notice and interrogatories to the officer promptly, and that the officer promptly take the deponent's answers once they arrive.
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 rule 1.711 written interrogatory depositionofficer duties deposition on interrogatories iowacompleting a deposition on written questions iowatransmitting interrogatories to officer iowa