1.902(1) Jury trial is waived if not demanded according to this rule; but a demand once filed may not be withdrawn without consent of all parties not in default.
Rule 1.902.Demand for jury trial
Division IX: Trial and Judgment · Last amended February 15, 2002 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceRule 1.902 requires a written jury demand within 10 days after the last pleading directed to an issue, treats an undemanded jury trial as waived, lets a limited demand trigger a 10-day window for other parties to demand a jury on remaining issues, and still allows the court discretion to order a jury trial despite an earlier waiver.
Full Text of Rule 1.902
(2) A party desiring a jury trial of an issue must make written demand therefor not later than ten days after the last pleading directed to that issue. A jury demand may be made in the pleading of a party and shall be noted in the caption. If filed separately with the petition, the jury demand shall be served with the original notice and petition. If filed after the petition, the jury demand shall be served and filed in accordance with rule 1.442.
(3) Unless limited to a specific issue, every demand shall be deemed to include all issues triable to a jury. If a limited demand is filed, any other party may, within ten days thereafter or such shorter time as the court may order, file a demand for a jury trial of some or all other issues.
(4) Notwithstanding the failure of a party to demand a jury in an action in which a demand might have been made of right, the court, in its discretion on motion and for good cause shown, but not ex parte, and upon such terms as the court prescribes, may order a trial by jury of any or all issues.
Plain-English Summary
The right to a jury trial in an Iowa civil case has to be claimed, and Rule 1.902 spells out how and when. A party wanting a jury trial of an issue must make a written demand no later than 10 days after the last pleading directed to that issue. Miss that window, and the jury trial is waived — Rule 1.902(1) says so directly.
The demand itself can travel in more than one way. It can appear inside a party's own pleading, as long as it is noted in the caption, or it can be filed separately. A separate demand filed with the petition gets served along with the original notice and petition; one filed later follows the ordinary service-and-filing rules of Rule 1.442. Once a demand is filed, it cannot be withdrawn unless every party not in default consents.
Rule 1.902(3) addresses scope: an unrestricted demand covers every issue triable to a jury, but a party can limit the demand to specific issues. When that happens, any other party gets 10 days (or a shorter time the court sets) to file a demand covering the remaining issues, so a narrow demand by one side does not quietly waive a jury trial on issues nobody else got a chance to claim. And even after an outright failure to demand, Rule 1.902(4) leaves the court a safety valve — on motion, for good cause, on notice to all parties, and on whatever terms it sets, the court can still order a jury trial of any or all issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to demand a jury trial on an issue?
Rule 1.902(2) requires a written demand no later than 10 days after the last pleading directed to that issue.
What happens if I do not demand a jury trial in time?
Rule 1.902(1) treats the jury trial as waived if it is not demanded according to the rule. But Rule 1.902(4) still lets the court, in its discretion and for good cause, order a jury trial of any or all issues despite that waiver.
Can I put my jury demand inside my pleading instead of filing it separately?
Yes. Rule 1.902(2) allows the demand to be made in a party's pleading as long as it is noted in the caption, or filed separately and served with the original notice and petition, or under Rule 1.442 if filed later.
If I only demand a jury trial on one issue, do other parties lose the right to a jury on the rest?
Not automatically. Rule 1.902(3) gives any other party 10 days after a limited demand (or a shorter time the court sets) to file their own demand covering the remaining issues.
Can I withdraw my jury demand once I have filed it?
Only with consent. Rule 1.902(1) states that a demand once filed may not be withdrawn without the consent of all parties not in default.
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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