{"data":{"id":"us-ia/iowa-code-504.1502","jurisdiction":"us-ia","citation":"Iowa Code § 504.1502","heading":"Consequences of transacting business without authority.","body":"1. A foreign corporation transacting business in this state without a certificate of authority shall not maintain a proceeding in any court in this state until it obtains a certificate of authority.\n2. The successor to a foreign corporation that transacted business in this state without a certificate of authority and the assignee of a cause of action arising out of that business shall not maintain a proceeding on that cause of action in any court in this state until the foreign corporation or its successor obtains a certificate of authority.\n3. A court may stay a proceeding commenced by a foreign corporation, its successor, or assignee until the court determines whether the foreign corporation or its successor requires a certificate of authority. If it so determines, the court may further stay the proceeding until the foreign corporation or its successor obtains the certificate.\n4. A foreign corporation is liable for a civil penalty of an amount not to exceed a total of one thousand dollars if it transacts business in this state without a certificate of authority. The attorney general may collect all penalties due under this subsection.\n5. Notwithstanding subsections 1 and 2, the failure of a foreign corporation to obtain a certificate of authority does not impair the validity of its corporate acts or prevent it from defending any proceeding in this state.","path":["Title XII - BUSINESS ENTITIES (Ch. 486 - 504C)","Chapter 504 - REVISED IOWA NONPROFIT CORPORATION ACT","Subchapter XV - FOREIGN CORPORATIONS","Part 1 - CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORITY"],"source_url":"https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/2026/504.1502.pdf","current_through":"Iowa Code 2026 edition","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T19:40:12Z","sha256":"e8585217401f38c3f7b1f0811106312390fe0c5721c5df19ec2ee1a9cd35ddbd","source_id":"us-ia","stale":false,"prev":"us-ia/iowa-code-504.1501","next":"us-ia/iowa-code-504.1503"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}