Iowa
Vehicle Resource Center
Iowa is well-known for its farmland, with more than 85% of its land going to agriculture. The state is home to millions of drivers, and each of those drivers and vehicle owners has essential information they need to understand. Iowa vehicle owners must renew registrations, maintain insurance, and more, all while following a strict set of rules.
Ownership and Maintenance
Vehicle owners in Iowa have regular rules and restrictions they have to think about. It can feel overwhelming trying to remember to renew the registration and the driver's license and maintain proper insurance coverage for the vehicle, but these maintenance items are essential for Iowa vehicle owners and drivers. This guide is meant to simplify those requirements.
While many states require either emissions or safety inspections, Iowa does not have either requirement. Residents in the state do not have to worry about having annual vehicle inspections performed.
Each vehicle in Iowa must be protected by liability insurance that meets specifications outlined by the government. If enough coverage is not provided, it is not legal to drive the vehicle on public roads.
The minimum liability coverage limits in Iowa are the following:
Every vehicle owner must insure their vehicle for the minimums mentioned above, but it's advisable to obtain more coverage than the minimum amount for added protection against legal expenses in serious accidents.
To learn more about the Iowa insurance requirements, visit this government page for details.
Each Iowan must renew their vehicle registration once a year, during the month that they were born. The renewal process is simple and is completed online. Vehicle registrations are handled by each county's local treasurer's office. To renew online, vehicle owners can use the link above and input their vehicle's license plate number as well as the PIN supplied on the renewal notice. If no notice is received, owners can input their audit number from the previous year's registration receipt.
After the appropriate information is entered, the owner is taken to the renewal page, where a specific amount is listed. The owner can pay the amount using a bank transfer or credit or debit card. Once the amount is paid, the individual can print out a receipt immediately, and they will receive a registration sticker in the mail.
Renew by post or in person. While registration renewals are fastest online, it's possible to renew through the mail or in person as well. Individuals can send a check to their local treasurer's office along with their renewal notice to go through the renewal process. They can also call the office and pay using a credit card to finalize their registration renewal.
Maintaining a valid registration is essential for driving legally, and failure to renew the registration can result in fines and tickets if caught driving.
Get more information about the registration renewal process using this Iowa government web portal.
Most drivers in Iowa must renew their driver's license once every eight years. All residents enjoy a 60-day grace period where they are legally able to drive without facing any sort of punishment. Drivers are expected to renew their licenses as soon as they expire so they can get a fresh license before the original is illegal to use. Fortunately, renewing the license is a simple process that can be completed online for some and in person for everyone else.
Renewing Online
All drivers who are eligible can renew their Iowa driver's license online quickly. The renewal process begins by inputting a few pieces of data and finishes a few moments later by paying the fee. The new license will arrive by mail within 21 days after a successful renewal.
To renew, online drivers must:
In-Person Renewal
For those who aren't eligible to renew their driver's license online, an in-person license renewal is the only other option. To renew in person, schedule an appointment at one of the 100 possible issuance sites.
Get more particulars about renewing an Iowa driver's license with this Department of Transportation guide page.
License Renewal
A standard Iowa driver's license comes with a $4 per year renewal fee. That means a standard license costs $32 to renew. Individuals over 73 years old will pay less because their licenses expire more frequently. After 73, the license expires a year sooner each year until it expires once every two years after age 78.
Get more Iowa license fee specifics from the government fee schedule.
Registration Renewal
Registration renewal fees are highly variable in Iowa and are based on the type of vehicle and its year. Vehicle owners can see their renewal fee on their notice, or they can contact their local treasurer's office to ask about the total fee for renewal.
Buying & Selling
Buying and selling vehicles in Iowa comes with special requirements. The right paperwork must be filed, and buyers need to title and register their purchases. Not to mention that new vehicle purchases should be researched with care before they're made. All these considerations require some thought, but this section is meant to help.
Remove the License Plates
Before allowing the buyer to go away with the vehicle, it's essential to remove its license plates. Take the plates off and return them to the county treasurer, or install them on a new vehicle. The plates cannot pass to the new owner.
File a Notice of Sale Form
Each seller is expected to complete and file a Notice of Sale of Vehicle and Delivery of Title form. The form notifies the county that the vehicle has been transferred to a new owner, and the original owner is no longer held responsible for damage to the vehicle or lapsed paperwork.
Research the Purchase
Before buying any vehicle, the buyer should spend time thoroughly researching the vehicle. The most effective way to research a vehicle is by using a Vehicle VIN Check or a License Plate Lookup from GoodCar. These services provide in-depth information on ownership history, title brands, open recalls, odometer readings, vehicle specifications and features, and more. All this data makes selecting the right vehicle simpler to do.
Fill Out an Application for a Certificate of Title or Registration
While buying the vehicle, the buyer should fill out an Application for Certificate of Title or Registration to be used to title and register the vehicle with the county treasurer. The document will gather all the information required to go through the full title and registration process effectively.
Obtain the Original Title
When purchasing the vehicle it's essential to obtain the original vehicle's title from the seller. The seller must fill out their information on the back of the title and sign the title. After completing those steps, the title becomes useful for registering and titling the vehicle.
Obtain a Bill of Sale
Every buyer should bring a Bill of Sale form along with the purchase of a vehicle. Have the seller fill out all the relevant details about the sale and sign the document as proof that the purchase took place. This document is important when registering the vehicle.
Obtain Liability Insurance
Buyers must work with an accredited Iowa insurance provider to obtain liability insurance for the vehicle before it can be registered for use.
Title and Register the Vehicle
After officially purchasing the vehicle, the buyer must visit a local Treasurer's Office to register and title the vehicle. The buyer should bring along the following items to register the vehicle.
Provide the required documents and pay the title, plate, and registration fees to prepare the vehicle for use on the road.
There are fees for most of the transactions required when purchasing a vehicle in Iowa. Buyers must pay for license plates, a title, and vehicle registration, along with taxes.
Taxes
Iowa vehicle purchases are subject to a 5% sales tax. This must be paid when registering the vehicle for the first time, and new taxes are reassessed each year during registration.
Title
Buyers must pay a flat $25 fee when titling a new vehicle. This is the title transfer fee.
Registration
Registration costs are confusing for a purchased vehicle. The cost varies based on the model year of the vehicle, the weight of the vehicle, and its type. Use the fee calculator to determine exactly what the vehicle will cost overall.
If the buyer and seller both follow the guidelines above, they can protect themselves while meeting all the legal requirements that come with selling a vehicle in Iowa.
Laws and Regulations
The regulations that govern driving and vehicle ownership in Iowa are essential for anyone who uses a vehicle in the state to understand. The descriptions below should help you understand those regulations.
Iowa maintains strict seat belt and car seat laws governing how passengers, as well as drivers, secure themselves. All front-seat passengers must be buckled, and individuals under 18 must be buckled in the rear seats according to state law.
Children ages six and younger are required by law to be fastened in a compatible child safety seat or car seat. Children should start off in a rear-facing car seat and remain there until they are over the age of 1 and 20 pounds. Then, children should be graduated to a front-facing car seat with a three-point harness.
Children should remain in a forward-facing car seat until they outgrow the specifications listed on the seat. Finally, children are legally required to remain in a booster seat until they are at least seven years old, but they are expected to remain in a booster until they are 4'9" in height or greater.
Interested drivers in Iowa can get information about which car seats to use and specific regulations for different-sized children from this Iowa Child Restraint Law guide page.
All drivers within the Iowa state borders are subjected to the state's OWI (operating while intoxicated) laws. These laws state that drivers can be charged with an OWI if they operate a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.
Any driver caught with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher, as proven by a breathalyzer test, can be charged with an OWI. OWI charges lead to significant fines, license suspensions, and jail time in many instances. Drivers pulled over with a BAC of 0.15 or higher are given harsher penalties than those that exceed the minimum BAC violation percentage of 0.08.
For more information about Iowa's OWI laws and penalties, see the state's Operating While Intoxicated legal documents here.
Specific vehicles purchased in Iowa are protected by the state's Lemon law. This law states that vehicles must not suffer from a defect that makes them unsafe to drive or that significantly diminishes their value if they are new enough. Any vehicle that is less than two years old and has fewer than 24,000 miles should be protected by the state's Lemon law.
If the vehicle is defective because of an issue that should be covered by the manufacturer, the company has a few chances to fix the problem before
To get all the details about the state's Lemon law and what can be done when a vehicle is considered a Lemon, see this information page from the Iowa Department of Justice.
Useful Things to Know
Drivers in Iowa are expected to know a great deal of information. Drivers and vehicle owners must file paperwork regularly to avoid fines and penalties. Meeting these requirements can be overwhelming without access to the right information. This guide offers most of the crucial information above, and the data resources below help fill in any remaining knowledge gaps.
See the Iowa Driver's Manual
Any drivers interested in learning the laws of the road and preparing for the state's written driving exam should read through the Iowa Driver's License Manual. The manual is online and easily accessible for everyone. Iowa Driver's License Manual
Find Local EV Charging Stations
Iowa residents with electric vehicles can use this locator tool to find the nearest public charging stations. This search tool shows options based on a location inputted. Iowa EV Charging Station Locator
Visit County Websites for Iowa Treasurers
Registration renewals and many other automotive tasks must be completed at a treasurer's office. To find the local office, view the options divided by county. Iowa Treasurers Separated by County
Iowa Car Crash Trends
Iowa is a relatively safe state to drive in, according to car accident statistics gathered by the IIHS. In 2021, the drivers in the state suffered from 356 fatalities over 329 accidents, and approximately 1.08 fatalities occurred per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. Those figures make Iowa one of the safest 15 states to drive in, according to IIHS statistics. Get the complete picture using Iowa car crash statistics from GoodCar.
Iowa Resources
Get the Latest Iowa Vehicle Information with GoodCar
Iowa vehicle owners owe it to themselves to have the most up-to-date information about state laws, maintenance requirements, recalls, and more. Refer to this useful resource for residents looking for help and GoodCar's VIN Check and license plate lookup tools for help getting additional information about specific vehicles.