A person generally commits the criminal offense of public lewdness or lewd conduct in public if the person knowingly engages in any of the following acts in a public place—or, if not in a public place, the person is reckless about whether another is present who will be offended or alarmed by the person’s (1) act of sexual intercourse; (2) act of deviate sexual intercourse; (3) act of sexual contact with a person’s own private parts or those of another.

Public lewdness laws vary from state to state, and some states define and charge such criminal offenses under indecent exposure laws. Public lewdness is usually a misdemeanor offense, but may be a felony offense under some circumstances. And in some states a conviction for public lewdness may require the defendant to register as a sex offender.

In Iowa, the criminal offense of public lewdness is typically addressed under the state's indecent exposure laws. According to Iowa Code section 709.9, a person commits indecent exposure when they purposefully expose their genitals or pubes to another person not their spouse, or perform a sex act in the presence of or viewable by a third-party, under circumstances that the person should recognize as likely to cause offense or alarm. This includes acts of sexual intercourse, deviate sexual intercourse, or sexual contact in public places or in private where there is a risk of being observed by others who may be offended or alarmed. Indecent exposure in Iowa is generally classified as a serious misdemeanor. However, if the individual has prior convictions for indecent exposure, it can be elevated to an aggravated misdemeanor or even a class D felony. Additionally, depending on the circumstances and the age of any witnesses, a conviction for indecent exposure in Iowa could potentially lead to the requirement to register as a sex offender under Iowa's sex offender registry laws.