Iowa Judges Will Have A New Retirement Age

Big changes are coming to Iowa’s courts. Starting July 1st, 2025, the mandatory retirement age for judges will rise from 72 to 78.

That new law, passed quietly through the Iowa Legislature this spring, applies to all levels of the judiciary—from magistrates to Iowa Supreme Court justices. The age limit for part-time senior judges will also rise—to 84.

Once in effect, Iowa will have the second-highest judicial retirement age in the country—behind only Vermont, where judges can serve until age 90.

Iowa first set a retirement age for judges back in 1965. But unlike Iowa, 15 states have no judicial retirement age at all. And at the federal level? Judges are appointed for life.

For now, Iowa judges will be able to stay on the bench a little longer.