CyRide Changes Firearms Policy Following Lawsuit by Iowa State University Student
The board replaced the ban with a campus warning notice after an Iowa State University student sued, saying the policy violated state law.
- On November 5, the Ames Transit Board unanimously updated CyRide policies to allow passengers to lawfully carry firearms on buses, reversing a previous prohibition challenged by Iowa State University student Natalie Gibson.
- Gibson filed suit October 13 in Story County District Court, arguing the city's ban violated Iowa Code Section 724.28. The Iowa Firearms Coalition had previously notified Ames in October 2025 that the prohibition clashed with state law.
- Previously, city officials defended the ban by arguing CyRide routes traverse Iowa State University property where firearms are restricted. Under the new instructions, employees cannot refuse service or demand carry permits simply because a passenger is lawfully armed.
- The Iowa Firearms Coalition celebrated the move as a Second Amendment victory on November 6. Attorney Alan Ostergren stated Gibson's pending lawsuit seeking damages—up to $25,000—remains unresolved despite the city's reversal.
- Back in 2017, Gibson helped push through House File 517 with her sister Meredith, contributing to legislation signed by then-Gov. Terry Branstad that allowed children younger than 14 to handle handguns with direct adult supervision.
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It took college student just 4 weeks to end transit authority’s no guns rule - The Daily Bo Snerdley
An Iowa State University student needed just 23 days to get the city of Ames to end a policy banning guns on its transit system. Natalie Gibson, an animal science major, sued Ames on Oct. 13, saying its gun ban on CyRide buses was a violation of Iowa’s firearms preemption law, according to the Iowa Capitol Dispatch. In a Nov. 5 memo, the Ames Transit Board announced it was ending the policy following a unanimous vote, the Iowa Capitol Dispatch r…
CyRide drops firearm ban after Iowa State student sues Ames
Iowa Capital Dispatch
The Daily Nonpareil - Council Bluffs, Iowa…CyRide bus system changes firearms policy for Ames riders
CyRide, the bus system in Ames, has updated its firearms policy amid a lawsuit from an Iowa State University student who alleges the bus system’s former firearms ban went against Iowa code. In a Nov. 5 meeting, the Ames Transit Board unanimously adopted a motion to change CyRide policies “insofar as they prohibit the possession […]
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