My teenager wants to be adopted — how do we handle their consent in Iowa?

In Iowa, a teenager who is 14 or older must give their own consent to a stepparent adoption, and the teen's consent is added to the adoption paperwork filed with the District Court (Iowa Code § 600.7). A teen who wants to be adopted is a good start, but the consent still has to be handled formally.

What the age of 14 means for you:

• If your teen is 14 or older, plan for their consent to be part of the court filing, along with the other consent forms and the spouse's consent to the adoption.
• If your teen is younger than 14, Iowa's consent-age rule does not apply in the same way. How a younger child's wishes are handled in court is something the District Court clerk in your county can confirm.
• If your teen is close to turning 14 while your case is in progress, ask the clerk how timing is handled rather than guessing.

Involve your teen in the process:

• Explain what adoption does and why you are filing, so their consent is a real choice.
• Let them read the forms before they sign.
• Ask how they feel about any changes that may come with adoption, such as a name. Name questions and the updated birth record are worth confirming with the clerk and with Iowa Department of Public Health Vital Records.

Your teen's consent is not the only piece. Iowa also requires a petition for adoption and the spouse's consent. Consent forms or a termination petition for the other legal parent are required as well. In Iowa, termination is a separate step. If the other parent is not agreeing, cannot be found, or has been absent, your situation depends on the specific facts. Iowa has no fixed number of months for abandonment. It depends on the parent's overall conduct (Iowa Code § 600A.8). For that kind of situation, talk to the District Court clerk or an attorney about your case.

What to expect on timing and cost:

• Iowa requires a 180-day period from filing to finalization. Stepparent adoptions in Iowa typically take 3-6 months.
• Iowa has no minimum residency period before you can file (Iowa Code § 600.3).
• The home study is waived in stepparent adoptions (Iowa Code § 600.8).
• Court filing fees typically run $150-$250, and the total cost is typically under $1,000. Attorneys commonly charge $3,000-$5,000+ for the same case.
• Iowa has 99 counties, and your filing goes to the District Court in yours. Cities such as Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City and Iowa City each fall under their own county's court.

Make the day meaningful: Many teens want a role in the day itself. Ask them what would make it special, whether that is family present, photos, or a small celebration afterward. Ask the clerk about the hearing schedule and what to expect so your teen feels prepared.

How we help: StepParent Adoption 360 is a document preparation service, not a law firm. You answer questions online, and we prepare the complete court document package for your county. You then file it yourself without an attorney. The price is $349 for the first child and $99 for each additional child. Court-ready documents are delivered within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions, and we back them with a 100% court acceptance guarantee. We have helped 521 families in Iowa and more than 34,000 families nationally since 2001.