All judgments and orders must be entered on the record of the court and clearly specify the relief granted or the order made.
Rule 1.959.Entry
Division IX: Trial and Judgment · Last amended February 15, 2002 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceRule 1.959 requires every judgment and order to be entered on the record and to clearly specify the relief granted or the order made.
Full Text of Rule 1.959
Plain-English Summary
Rule 1.959 sets a basic recordkeeping requirement that runs across every judgment and order a court issues: each one must be entered on the record of the court, and each must clearly specify the relief granted or the order made. A ruling announced from the bench is not enough on its own — it has to be entered, and entered with enough detail to say precisely what happened.
That clarity protects everyone who later relies on the record — the parties trying to enforce or appeal the ruling, and the court itself if a question comes up later about what was decided.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a ruling count if the judge only announces it in the courtroom?
Rule 1.959 requires the judgment or order to be entered on the record of the court, so an announcement alone does not satisfy the rule.
What must an entered judgment or order include?
It must clearly specify the relief granted or the order made.
Does this rule apply to orders as well as judgments?
Yes. Rule 1.959 covers “all judgments and orders,” not judgments alone.
Why does it matter that the relief be stated clearly?
A vague entry leaves both the parties and any later court uncertain about exactly what was decided, which complicates enforcement and appeal.
Where is a judgment or order entered under this rule?
On the record of the court.
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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