A truant is a student who stays away from school without permission or an explanation. Truancy laws are designed to encourage school attendance by creating simple court procedures through which children are held accountable for excessive school absences. The courts focus on the best interest of the child when addressing the truant conduct of a child.

Truant conduct is usually prosecuted or addressed as a civil (noncriminal) matter, and the definition and procedures for dealing with truancy are usually located in a state's statutes—often in the family code or education code.

In Iowa, truancy laws are established to promote regular school attendance and address absenteeism without valid reasons. Under Iowa Code Section 299.1A, a child who is of compulsory attendance age, which is between 6 and 16 years old, is required to attend school. If a child is habitually absent from school without reasonable excuse, this is considered truant behavior. The Iowa Department of Education sets forth regulations that schools must follow to address truancy, including notifying parents, developing attendance plans, and potentially referring the matter to juvenile court. The juvenile court system then handles truancy as a civil matter, focusing on the best interests of the child, with possible interventions including counseling, educational support programs, and involvement of social services. The goal is to address the underlying issues causing truancy and to help the child return to regular school attendance rather than to punish the behavior.