A change may be granted on motion of one of several coparties; and the whole cause shall then be transferred, unless separate trials are granted under rule 1.914.
Rule 1.804.Of whole case
Division VIII: Change of Venue · Last amended February 15, 2002 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceRule 1.804 allows a single coparty to obtain a change of venue on their own motion, and the whole case then transfers together unless the court has granted separate trials under Rule 1.914.
Full Text of Rule 1.804
Plain-English Summary
Multi-party cases raise an obvious question: if one defendant among several wants a change of venue, does the whole case move, or just that defendant's part of it? Rule 1.804 answers plainly. A single coparty's motion is enough to obtain a change, and when it is granted, the entire cause transfers to the new venue.
That default reflects how Iowa civil actions are meant to proceed — as one unified case rather than split into parallel proceedings in different counties. Splitting a case across two courts creates duplicated effort and the risk of inconsistent rulings on the same underlying facts.
The one exception is separate trials. If the court has already granted separate trials for some claims or parties under Rule 1.914, that separation carries through the venue change too, so a coparty's motion does not necessarily drag every severed piece of the case along with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
If one of several defendants wins a change of venue, does the whole case move?
Yes. Rule 1.804 provides that a change granted on one coparty's motion transfers the whole cause, unless separate trials have been granted under Rule 1.914.
Do all coparties have to agree before one of them can move for a change of venue?
No. Rule 1.804 allows the change to be granted on the motion of just one of several coparties.
What happens if the court already ordered separate trials for different claims in the case?
Then Rule 1.804's default does not fully apply — the rule expressly makes the whole-case transfer subject to any separate trials already granted under Rule 1.914.
Does Rule 1.804 apply only to defendants, or can any coparty invoke it?
The rule speaks broadly of a change granted on the motion of one of several coparties, without limiting it to defendants specifically.
Why does the whole case transfer instead of just the moving party's portion?
Rule 1.804 is built around keeping a single action together rather than splitting it across courts, so unless the court has already separated pieces of the case under Rule 1.914, the transfer carries everyone and everything along.
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 venue change multiple defendantscoparty change of venue iowarule 1.804 iowawhole case transfer venue iowa