DMV

An instruction permit is the first step on the road to a driver’s license.

How do I get an instruction permit?

• Be at least 14 years old.
• Pass the knowledge and vision test. You have three options for taking the knowledge test.
  
  
  • Schedule an appointment to take the knowledge exam at a service center location.
  • Take the knowledge test at home. A parent will be required to administer the test and the student will need an electronic device (not a phone or tablet) connected to the Internet. Due to the high volume of applications coming through, it may take 7-14 days to process your application. To apply to take the test at home, the child must be at least 14 years old. First, the parent will need to complete and submit the Application to Proctor Knowledge Exam Form. Upon approval of the application, the parent and student will receive an email with instructions for taking and administering the test. The link sent in the email will expire after 72 hours. If it expires, you will need to fill out the application to apply again. After the test is completed, the student will receive an email with the test results and instructions.
  • Take the knowledge test at your school if available. Some Iowa schools and agencies offer the knowledge test at their schools, saving you a trip to a driver’s license service center to complete the written test. Find a list of schools participating in the Skip the Trip – DOT Test Program.
  
  
• Your parent or guardian must provide written consent, either in-person at a driver’s license issuance site or complete the Parent’s/Guardian’s Written Consent Form (form 430018) and bring it with you when you come in to get your permit issued. You will need an appointment to get the permit issued.
• Provide a primary form of identification, proof of residency, and proof of Social Security number. Create a list of documents to take with you to the driver’s license issuance site.

What can I do with this permit?

• Drive at any time with adult supervision. Adult supervision means your parent, guardian, custodian, an immediate family member at least 21 years of age, a driver education instructor, or a person at least 25 years with written permission from your parent, guardian, or custodian. The supervising adult must possess a valid driver's license.

What can't I do with this permit?

• Drive without adult supervision.
• Use a cell phone, smartphone, tablet, or other electronic communication or entertainment device while driving. This doesn't apply to equipment permanently installed in your vehicle.
• Carry more passengers than the number of seat belts in your vehicle.
• Drive a commercial motor vehicle, a motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 16,001 or more pounds, or a motorcycle (unless you have a motorcycle privileges).

How do I move to the next step: an intermediate license?

• Be at least 16 years old.
• Complete an Iowa-approved driver education course.
• Must hold a valid instruction permit for a total of at least 12 months and maintain a clean driving record for at least six consecutive months immediately before applying for an intermediate license.
• Your parent or guardian must provide written consent. Either in-person at a driver's license issuance site or complete the Parent's/Guardian's Written Consent Form (form 430018).
• Complete 20 hours of supervised driving including any driving you completed in driver's education. At least two of those hours must be between sunset and sunrise.

What if I mess up?

Your permit may be suspended if you are convicted of a moving traffic violation (examples include, but are not limited to, speeding, reckless driving, failure to obey a traffic signal), violate any of the restrictions on your permit, or are involved in a crash you caused or contributed to.

• First conviction, violation, or crash: Your permit may be suspended or you may receive a safety advisory letter.
  
• Second conviction, violation, or crash: Your permit will be suspended for 30 days.

Any time you have a conviction, violation, or crash, or any time your license gets suspended or revoked, your six-month period to have a clean driving record will start over.

Driving yourself to school is an adult responsibility that you need to take seriously to keep you and others safe and protect your privilege to drive.

How do I get a special minor's restricted license (school/work permit)?

• Be at least 14 1/2 years old.
• Complete an Iowa-approved driver education course.
• Hold an instruction permit and a clean driving record for at least six consecutive months immediately before applying for your special minor's restricted license.
• If you are a public-school student, your parents must download and fill out the Affidavit for Special Minor's Restricted License  (form 430021) and sign it with a live signature. Then, they must have your school superintendent, principal, or school board chair sign it with a live signature. This form is available at any DMV or online.
• If you are a student at an accredited nonpublic school (private school), your parents must download and fill out the Affidavit for Special Minor's Restricted License (form 430021) and sign it with a live signature. Then, the authorities in charge of your school must sign it with a live signature. This form is available at any DMV or online.
• If you are a home-schooled student (you receice competent private instruction or independent private instruction), your parents must download and fill out the Affidavit for Special Minor’s Restricted License (form 430021) and sign it with a live signature. Then, your primary instructor must sign it with a live signature. This form is available at any DMV or online.
• You may be required to complete a drive test at the DMV, if your driver’s education instructor requires it, or if you completed the Parent-Taught Driver’s Education Program.
• Once the form is completed, schedule an appointment to bring in the completed form and get your special minor's restricted license issued.
• Have your parent or guardian complete a Parental Consent for Special Minor’s Restricted License (form 430022). You must carry this completed form with you in the vehicle. Present it to law enforcement when requested.

What can I do with this license?

This license allows you to drive without adult supervision in the hour before and after the beginning and ending of the following:

• Drive from your home to your school(s) of enrollment for class or school sponsored activities using the most direct and accessible route. Public school students are limited to driving within the school district of enrollment and accredited nonpublic school students and students that are home-schooled are limited to driving within a 25-mile driving distance.
• Drive to participate in extracurricular activities using the most direct and accessible route. Activities must be held at a location within a 25-mile driving distance.
• Drive for work. The driving distance between the origin and destination must be 25 miles or less.
• Drive to complete farm work to assist your parents, guardians, or employers in connection with any farm employment or farm-related work using the most direct and accessible route, if you live on or are employed by a farm in Iowa. The driving distance between the origin and destination must be 25 miles or less.
• Drive to and from your home to the closest school bus stop.
• Stop for fuel while on route or at the closest filling station off route.

You may also drive at any time with adult supervision. Adult supervision means your parent, guardian, custodian, an immediate family member at least 21 years of age, a driver education instructor, or a person at least 25 years of age with written permission from your parent, guardian, or custodian. The supervising adult must possess a valid driver’s license.

What can't I do with this license

• Use a cell phone, smartphone, tablet, or other electronic communication or entertainment device while driving.
• You are not allowed to carry more than one minor passenger who is not a relative when driving without adult supervision. A relative includes your brother, sister, step-brother, step-sister, or any other minor living in your household.
• The license holder cannot drop off or pick up passengers at any location other than their school of enrollment for classes or school-sponsored activities.
• Drive to participate in extracurricular activities if the activities are not at a location within a 25 mile driving distance.
• Carry more passengers than the number of seat belts in your vehicle, even when driving with adult supervision.
• Drive a commercial motor vehicle, a vehicle with more than two axles, a vehicle towing another vehicle, or a motorcycle (unless you have a motorcycle privileges).
• Drop off a sibling at a location other than your own school of enrollment.
• Drive to a school or school activity as a spectator at a school where you are not enrolled.

What if I mess up?

• The requirement to maintain a clean driving record for six months before upgrading to the next level will start over after you have reinstated your driving privileges.
• You will have to wait an additional three months after your 16th birthday to become eligible to apply for the next level (Intermediate License)

How do I advance to the next step: an intermediate license?

• Be at least 16 years old.
• Hold a valid instruction permit (or instruction permit and special minor's restricted license) for a total of at least 12 months.
• Maintain a clean driving record (while holding a valid instruction permit or special minor's restricted license) for at least six consecutive months immediately before applying for an intermediate license.
• Your parent or guardian must provide written consent. Either in person at a driver’s license issuance site or complete the Parent’s/Guardian’s Written Consent Form (form 430018).
• Complete 20 hours of supervised driving including any driving you completed in driver’s education. At least two of those hours must be between sunset and sunrise.

Can a minor who has completed driver education in another state get an Iowa special minor's restricted license?

To obtain an Iowa special minor's restricted license, the student must provide an Iowa driver education completion certificate from their Iowa school. If a student completed driver education in another state, they can ask their Iowa school district if the course meets the same program requirements as the Iowa school district’s course. If it does, the Iowa school may issue a driver education completion certificate. This decision is made by the local school district and is at their discretion.

An intermediate license is an important step on the road to a full license. This license gives you more driving freedom and also more responsibility. Know how to keep you and others safe, and protect your privilege to drive.

How do I get an intermediate license?

• Be at least 16 years old.
• Complete an Iowa-approved driver education course.
• Have a valid instruction permit (or instruction permit and special minor’s restricted license) for a total of 12 months.
• For each violation while you had a special minor’s restricted license, you will be delayed an additional three months before you can upgrade to an Intermediate License after your 16th birthday.
• You may be required to complete a drive test at the driver’s license issuance site if your driver’s education instructor feels it is necessary, or if you completed the Parent-Taught Driver’s Education Program.
• Your parent or guardian must provide written consent.

What can I do with this license?

• Drive without adult supervision between 5 a.m. and 12:30 a.m.
• Drive at any time with adult supervision. Adult supervision means your parent, guardian, custodian, an immediate family member at least 21 years of age, a driver education instructor, or a person at least 25 years with written permission from your parent, guardian, or custodian. The supervising adult must possess a valid driver's license.

What can't I do with this license

• Drive without adult supervision between 12:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. Your parent, guardian, or custodian can complete a Waiver of Intermediate Driver's License Hour Restriction form (form 431170) to waive this restriction for school or work purposes. Once completed, the form needs to be carried in the vehicle when driving after hours.
• Use a cell phone, smartphone, tablet, or other electronic communication or entertainment device while driving. This doesn’t apply to equipment permanently installed in your vehicle.
• If the back of your license says you have a passenger restriction, for the first six months you have your intermediate license, you cannot carry more than one minor passenger that is not a relative when driving without adult supervision. A relative means someone that is your brother, sister, step-brother, step-sister, or another minor living in your household.
• Carry more passengers than the number of seat belts in your vehicle, even when driving with adult supervision.

How do I move to the final step: a full license?

• Hold your intermediate license with a clean driving record for at least 12 consecutive months before applying for a full license.
• Maintain a clean driving record for at least 12 consecutive months immediately before applying for a full license.
• Complete 10 hours of supervised driving while holding your intermediate license. At least two of those hours must be between sunset and sunrise.

Once you turn 18 you can obtain a full license without meeting these requirements.

What if I mess up?

Your license will be suspended if you are convicted of a traffic violation (examples include, but are not limited to, speeding, reckless driving, failure to obey a traffic signal), violate any of the restrictions on your license, or are involved in a crash you caused or contributed to.

• First conviction, violation, or crash: Your license may be suspended or you may receive additional restrictions. Additional restrictions may include, but are not limited to, additional passenger restrictions and additional reductions on the hours you may operate without supervision.
  
• Second conviction, violation, or crash: Your license will be suspended for 30 days.
  

The requirement to maintain a clean driving record for 12 consecutive months will start over each time you have a conviction, violation, contribute to a crash. The 12-month period will start over after you have reinstated your driving privileges if your license is suspended or revoked.

• Available at age 17
• Must meet all conditions of intermediate license (Once you turn 18 you can obtain a full license without meeting these requirements.)
  • Keep your intermediate license for at least 12 consecutive months immediately before applying for a full license.
  • Maintain a clean driving record for at least 12 consecutive months immediately before applying for a full license.
  • Complete 10 hours of supervised driving while holding your intermediate license. At least two of those hours must be between sunset and sunrise.
• If you are under the age of 18, your parent or guardian must provide written consent.
• Full driving privileges with no restrictions.
• For drivers under age 18 or 21, the license will have the words "under eighteen" or "under twenty-one"

How to get my full license

Intermediate license

• The minor must be at least 16 years of age.
• The minor must have held an instruction permit or comparable intermediate license in the previous state for 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the application for an Iowa license.
• The minor must qualify for a reciprocity waiver or complete an Iowa-approved course in driver education. To qualify for a reciprocity waiver, the minor must:
  • Reside with a parent or guardian
  • Have driven under a valid driver’s license for at least one year in the prior state of residence. Six months of the one year period may include driving with an instruction permit.
  • Have had no moving traffic violations on the minor’s driving record.
  • Pass the knowledge and driving skills tests at an Iowa driver’s license service center, but is not required to have taken a driver education class.
• The minor's driving record must be free of contributive accidents and for moving violations for six months.
• Written approval of parent/guardian.
• Minor must have met the required supervised driving time (20 hours, two hours between sunset and sunrise).

Full privilege license

• The minor must be at least 17 years of age.
• Minor must have held a full privilege license or comparable intermediate license in the previous state for 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the application for an Iowa license.
• The minor must qualify for a reciprocity waiver or complete an Iowa-approved course in driver education. To qualify for a reciprocity waiver, the minor must:
  • Reside with a parent or guardian
  • Have driven under a valid driver’s license for at least one year in the prior state of residence. Six months of the one year period may include driving with an instruction permit.
  • Have had no moving traffic violations on the minor’s driving record.
  • Pass the knowledge and driving skills tests at an Iowa driver’s license service center, but is not required to have taken a driver education class.
• The minor’s driving record must be free of contributive accidents and for moving violations for the 12 months immediately preceding application for the Iowa license.
• Written approval of parent/guardian.
• Minor must have met the required supervised driving time (10 hours, two hours between sunset and sunrise).

To obtain an Iowa identification (ID) card, you must provide the consent of a parent or legal guardian.  A Parent's/Guardian's Written Consent Form must be filled out. This form is also available at any driver's license station.

The cost of an Iowa ID card is $8 for eight years.