A person commits the crime of indecent exposure by exposing the person’s body or private parts (usually genitals, anus, buttocks, or female breasts) in a public place and in the presence of another person who might be offended, alarmed, or annoyed. Laws vary from state to state—including definitions of exposed body parts—and some states require the exposure to have been made with the intent to attract attention or to sexually gratify the person making the indecent exposure, or to sexually gratify another person, or to offend another person.

Indecent exposure laws are generally located in a state’s statutes—often in the penal or criminal code.

In Iowa, indecent exposure is addressed under Iowa Code Section 709.9. The law defines the crime as knowingly exposing one's genitals or pubes to another person with the intent that the other person see them, and either the person exposing themselves does so to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of any person, or the exposure is likely to cause affront or alarm. Indecent exposure in Iowa is considered a serious misdemeanor. It is important to note that the intent behind the act is a critical element of the offense; accidental exposure or exposure without the intent to cause alarm or arousal is not typically considered indecent exposure under Iowa law. Additionally, the context of the exposure and the presence of consent from the person exposed to are also relevant factors in determining whether the act constitutes a criminal offense.