Iowa Department of Education

Students, Alcohol, and Breath Tests

Some school officials new to Iowa may have come from a state where suspicionless, random breath testing of students by school officials is legal.  In Iowa, such testing is prohibited by Iowa Code chapter 808A, the Student Search and Seizure Law.  It is a violation of chapter 808A to subject all students to a breathalyzer as a condition of entry into a school activity such as a dance or athletic contest. School officials have always had - and still retain - the right to use a breath test when the official has a reasonable suspicion that the student has been consuming alcohol.  Here is the link to Chapter 808A: http://coolice.legis.state.ia.us/Cool-ICE/default.asp?category=billinfo&service=IowaCode&ga=82.  Type 808A into the box and click on "Search."