Polygraph Testing in Iowa

Mandatory polygraph testing of Iowan employees working in the private sector is prohibited by the federal Employee Polygraph Protection Act.

A polygraph instrument is a machine that measures cardiovascular, respiratory and sweat-gland activity through sensors that attach to different parts of your body. Examiners then pose questions and assess the truthfulness of your answers according to the diagnostic data collected from the machine.

Iowa Employees

Iowa employees are not required to submit to polygraph testing to work for commercial enterprises. The federal Employee Polygraph Protection Act does, however, require Iowans working for federal, state or local governments, as well as certain Iowans working in national-security-related activities, to submit to polygraph testing.

Sexual Crime Victims

In Iowa, adults and juveniles claiming to be either witnesses or victims or sexual crimes are not obligated to submit to a polygraph test in order for a law enforcement agency to investigate the alleged event.

Suspects

The Iowa Department of Public Safety contains a polygraph unit, overseen by the Division of Criminal Investigation. Law enforcement agents in this division are responsible for creating, administering and interpreting polygraph tests used for investigating potential suspects in criminal and civil cases, as well as tests for potential law enforcement recruits at the federal, state and local levels.

References

• U.S. Department of Justice: Use of Polygraph Examinations
• U.S. Department of Labor: Employee Polygraph Protection Act
• Iowa General Assembly 2009: Code 915.44
• Iowa Department of Public Safety: July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009--Annual Report
• Iowa General Assembly 2001: Code 730.4

Resources

• Iowa Department of Human Services: Civil Commitment Unit for Sexual Offenders