An interested person may start certain involuntary commitment or hospitalization proceedings by filing a verified application with the district court, and the clerk must help complete it.
1. a. Proceedings for the involuntary commitment or treatment of a person with a substance use disorder to a facility pursuant to this chapter or for the involuntary hospitalization of a person pursuant to chapter 229 may be commenced by any interested person by filing a verified application with the clerk of a district court. b. If the verified application was filed in a district court of a county where the respondent is not located and does not reside, the court shall transfer jurisdiction of the case to the district court of the county where the respondent is presently located or which is the respondent’s place of residence. c. The clerk, or the clerk’s designee, shall assist an applicant in completing the verified application. 2. The application shall: a. State the applicant’s belief that the respondent is a person who presents a danger to self or others and lacks judgmental capacity due to either of the following: (1) A substance use disorder as defined in section 125.2. (2) A serious mental impairment as defined in section 229.1. b. State facts in support of each belief described in paragraph “a”. c. Be accompanied by one or more of the following: (1) A written statement of a licensed physician and surgeon or osteopathic physician and surgeon or mental health professional in support of the application. (2) One or more supporting affidavits corroborating the application. (3) Corroborative information obtained and reduced to writing by the clerk or the clerk’s designee, but only when circumstances make it infeasible to obtain, or when the clerk considers it appropriate to supplement, the information under either subparagraph (1) or (2). 3. Prior to the filing of an application pursuant to this section, the clerk or the clerk’s designee shall inform the interested person referred to in subsection 1 about the option of requesting a preapplication screening assessment pursuant to section 125.74. 4. The supreme court shall prescribe rules and establish forms as necessary to carry out the provisions of this section. [C75, 77, §125.19(1, 2); C79, 81, §229.51; 82 Acts, ch 1212, §3] 90 Acts, ch 1085, §13; 2011 Acts, ch 121, §42, 43, 62; 2013 Acts, ch 130, §37; 2017 Acts, ch 34, §5; 2018 Acts, ch 1026, §41; 2023 Acts, ch 19, §113, 114; 2025 Acts, ch 95, §1 Referred to in §125.2, 125.44, 125.74, 125.75A, 125.77, 125.78, 125.79, 125.85, 125.91, 229.21, 331.910 Summary of involuntary commitment procedures available from clerk; see §229.45 Subsection 1 amended