DMV

The driver's license of a person under age 21 who submits to a chemical test that indicates an alcohol level of .02 or more, but less than .08, will be revoked for 60 days on a first violation and 90 days on subsequent violations. If a person is suspected of operating a motor vehicle with an alcohol level of .02 or more, and refuses chemical testing, the driver's license revocation will be one year for a first violation and two years on a second or subsequent violation. These revocations (.02/"zero tolerance") are administrative and are not dependent upon criminal charges being filed. If a driver's license is revoked for a .02/"zero tolerance" violation, the driver is not eligible for a temporary restricted license at any time during the revocation period.

A person who drives while their driver's license is revoked under the OWI law (whether the revocation is administrative or court ordered, and whether for an OWI or for a .02 violation) commits a serious misdemeanor and must pay a fine of $1,000. Law enforcement officers may impound vehicles, if the individual's driver's license is revoked for an OWI. If a driver is convicted of a second or subsequent offense of driving with a revoked license, the vehicle that is being operated must be seized and forfeited to the state. The owner of a vehicle who lends the vehicle to a person whose license is revoked for an OWI commits a simple misdemeanor and is jointly liable for any damages the driver causes, if the owner knew, should have known or gave consent to the operation of the vehicle by a driver with a revoked license.

A person arrested for second or subsequent OWI offense, or for driving while their driver's license is revoked for an OWI, may have the motor vehicle they are operating seized and impounded immediately upon arrest. The impoundment (or immobilization) continues for at least 180 days, or until the driver's license revocation is completed, whichever period is longer. If the vehicle is not impounded at the time of arrest, it must be impounded or immobilized upon conviction for the second or subsequent OWI offense. If a vehicle is operated in violation of an order of impoundment or immobilization, it shall be seized and forfeited to the state, and operation of the vehicle is a serious misdemeanor.

If a driver's license or nonresident operating privilege has been revoked for any OWI offense under Iowa Code § 321J (whether as a result of a court order or administrative action), the license or privilege may not be reinstated until the person:

• Pays a $200 civil penalty.
• Attends and satisfactorily completes an approved drinking driver course. The provider must submit proof of course completion to the DOT. Information on approved drinking driver courses can be found at the Iowa Department of Education OWI website.
• Completes an approved substance use disorder evaluation and treatment or rehabilitation service. The provider must submit proof of completion to the DOT. Information on substance use disorder evaluation providers can be found at the Iowa Department of Education OWI website.
• Complies with financial responsibility law, by presenting satisfactory proof of SR-22 insurance, if applicable.
• Complies with interlock requirement, by presenting satisfactory proof of Ignition Interlock Device installation on all vehicles owned or operated, if applicable.

Criminal penalties for OWI offenses are determined by the court.

Iowa law provides for persons who have had their driver's license revoked for an OWI (i.e., operating while intoxicated or drugged) to be eligible for a temporary restricted license if an ignition interlock device is installed on all vehicles operated for a first OWI offense. If it is a second or subsequent OWI offense, the person must install an ignition interlock device on all vehicles owned or operated. An ignition interlock device is designed to prevent a person from operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Connected directly to the electrical system of a motor vehicle, it prevents the vehicle from starting when the alcohol level of the driver's breath is above a preset limit.

The following is a list of ignition interlock device service providers installing ignition interlock devices that have been approved by the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) for use in the State of Iowa:
 

How can I find out how much I owe for my court fines that are suspending my license?

You may find the balance for your fines by looking them up using Iowa Courts Online. You can pay your fines online using the Iowa Courts Online payment service. Otherwise, you can call or visit the clerk of court in the county where the fine is owed to determine the current balance. Their contact information is on the official notice of suspension.

How can I pay my fines?

Court fines can be paid in full directly to the clerk of court either online or in person. Please provide your receipt or confirmation of online payment to the Iowa DOT to end your suspension.

I am not able to pay the fine in full, is there a payment plan available?

A payment plan referred to as either the License Reinstatement Program or County Attorney Payment Plan (CAPP) may be available. You can apply for this program by contacting the county attorney’s office* in the county where the fine is due. If that county does not offer the program, contact the county attorney’s office in the county where you live or the county nearest you that offers the program.

Find your county attorney’s office contact information.

*Note: The License Reinstatement Program in Linn County is administered through the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.

Do I pay interest or additional fees with my payment plan?

If the payment plan is through the applicable county attorney office, there is no interest involved. Iowa law authorizes the Judicial Branch to contract with a private debt collector for collection of debt owed to the state of Iowa. If a payment plan is established through this entity, there will be a fee up to 25% added to the total debt owed.

How does a payment plan with the county attorney’s office work?

Staff with the county attorney’s office will work with you to set up the details of your payments. Once the plan is finalized, your first payment will be sent to the clerk of court. The clerk of court will then ask the Iowa Department of Transportation to withdraw the suspension(s) for failure to pay the fine(s).

If I start a payment plan will I automatically get my license back?

A payment plan with the county attorney only ends suspensions for non-payment of fines. If your license is suspended, revoked, or barred for another reason, you can check with the DOT to see if you are eligible for a Temporary Restricted License (TRL/work permit) and to see if you have other reinstatement requirements to meet. You can view your reinstatement requirements by logging into https://mymvd.iowadot.gov.

Who do I set up a payment plan with ?

Court debt: If you owe court debt, who you set up a payment plan with will depend on the situation. It may be the judge, the clerk of court, the county attorney, the sheriff’s office or the Department of Revenue. The rules about who collects these debts are complicated. If you owe court debt for more than one case, more than one of these agencies may be in charge of collecting the different debts.

Clerk of Court: Court debt stays with the clerk of court for the first 30 days. You cannot get a payment plan with the clerk for a debt that is $300 or less. If you already have a payment plan with the clerk that you are current on, you may be able to add a new court debt of less than $300 to that plan.

Department of Revenue: If you default on your court debt, it is first sent to the Department of Revenue. They may charge a collection fee. The Department of Revenue is under no limitations as to how low monthly payments may be, and there is no minimum total to qualify for a payment plan.

County Attorney: In some (but not all) counties in Iowa, the county attorney may collect delinquent debt 90 days after imposition. Like the Department of Revenue, county attorneys under no limitations as to how low monthly payments may be, and there is no minimum total to qualify for a payment plan. Many county attorneys have developed their own programs which have varied rules. You should contact the county attorney in the county where your debt is.

What if the county I owe the fines does not have an installment agreement program?

If the person enters into an installment agreement with the county attorney or the county attorney’s designee, the person shall execute an installment agreement in the county where the fine, penalty, surcharge, or court cost was imposed. If the county where the fine, penalty, surcharge, or court cost was imposed does not have an installment agreement program, the person shall execute an installment agreement in the person’s county of residence. If the county of residence does not have an installment agreement program, the person may execute an installment agreement with any county attorney or county attorney’s designee.

I owe court fines out of state. What can I do to end the suspension for failure to pay the fine?

If you owe court fines to another state, you must contact that state to determine a way to pay the fine or make a payment arrangement. The contact information for the court in the other state is included on your official notice of suspension from the Iowa Department of Transportation.

Once the suspension(s) for failure to pay the fine has ended, you may be able to reinstate your driver’s license if you are otherwise eligible to do so. You can monitor your driving record and reinstatement requirements by visiting mymvd.iowa.gov. To reinstate, you will need to visit an Iowa driver’s license issuance site and pay a $20 reinstatement fee and $10 license fees for a duplicate.

If your license is still suspended, revoked, or barred for another reason you may be able to apply for a temporary restricted license (TRL/work permit).  

If it has been more than one year since you have had a valid driver’s license, whether due to a license sanction or because your license has expired, you will be required to pass a knowledge test and a driving test before you can reinstate your license.
 

How long does it take to update my driving record once I enter into a payment plan with a county attorney’s office or with the Iowa Department of Revenue’s central collection unit?

The length of time it will take to clear the suspension(s) for failure to pay the fine(s) may vary depending on whether you owe fines in more than one county, the age of the cases (older cases may take longer to process), and whether civil penalties were included in your installment agreement. You can monitor your driving record and reinstatement requirements by visiting mymvd.iowa.gov.
 

I am already making payments on my fines, why is my license still suspended?

The clerk of court will notify the Iowa Department of Transportation to suspend someone’s driving privileges when court fines are not paid in full and are more than 60 days past due. You may want to contact the party receiving your payments to check the status of your payments and to see which fines are included. You may also want to look into a payment plan offered by a county attorney’s office.

Money from my income tax return is supposed to be applied toward my fines, why is my license still suspended for failure to pay these fines?

If the Iowa Department of Revenue held your income tax return in order to apply it to unpaid court fines, you may wish to contact the Iowa Department of Revenue to see if they have forwarded payment to the clerk of court in the county where the fine is owed. Once the clerk of court receives full payment for that fine, the Iowa Department of Transportation will be notified and the suspension for the failure to pay the fine(s) will end.

My ticket was dismissed in court, why is this case still causing my license to be suspended?

If your ticket was dismissed in court, you may still owe court costs. Contact the clerk of court or visit Iowa Courts Online to determine if you owe court costs.

You may be eligible for a temporary restricted license while you are working to pay off your fines. Your driving record must be reviewed for eligibility.

If you received notice of your sanction in an Official Notice, form number 431010, from the Iowa Department of Transportation, it will state whether you are entitled to an appeal.

Example statement #1

If you received notice of your sanction in a Request and Notice Under Iowa Code Chapter 321J/Section 321.208, form number 432013 (also known as OWI Implied Consent form) from a law enforcement officer, your right to appeal is explained in that notice.

Example #2:

 

Yes. If you received an Official Notice, DOT form number 431010, which states that you have a right to appeal the sanction, the Official Notice will also include an appeal deadline. The appeal deadline may be different from the date the sanction will begin. Please read your notice carefully.

If a law enforcement officer gave you a Request and Notice under Iowa Code Chapter 321J/Section 321.208 (an OWI Implied Consent form), the deadline for appealing is 10 days from the date the officer gave you the form.

Your request for an appeal must be received by the Iowa DOT’s Driver & Identification Services on or before the date indicated in the notice the DOT or law enforcement officer issued to you, which may be different from the date the sanction will begin. Please read your notice carefully.

If the appeal deadline falls on a day where neither USPS nor the Iowa DOT is open, we will accept a physical or electronic delivery or a postmark for the next business day that either USPS or an Iowa DOT location is open.

You do have the option to fax and/or email your appeal request at any time to driverservices.appeals@iowadot.us or or 515-239-1837.

The appeal may be made by completing the Request to Appeal Loss of Driving/Registration Privileges, Form 432034. Your request may be completed online and emailed to DriverServices.Appeals@iowadot.us, or it may be printed, signed, and mailed or faxed to:

Office of Driver Services
Iowa Department of Transportation
P.O. Box 9204
Des Moines, IA  50306-9204
Fax:  515-239-1837

The completed form may also be hand delivered to any Iowa DOT driver’s license issuance site.

To provide quality customer service to you, please include a copy of the Official Notice, form number 431010 you received from the Iowa DOT's Office of Driver Services or a copy of the Request and Notice Under Iowa Code Chapter 321J/Section 321.208, form number 432013 (also known as OWI Implied Consent form) you received from the law enforcement officer who stopped you.

If you have retained the services of an attorney, include your attorney’s name, address and phone number. If you have not yet secured an attorney but plan to, you may still submit your request for an appeal and notify the Iowa DOT of your attorney’s information once you have it.

A list of all of the information you may need in order to expedite your request is provided here for your convenience.

• Your full name (last, first and middle)
• Your date of birth
• Your driver's license number, Social Security number or customer number (customer number is printed on the Official Notice issued by the DOT)
• Your current mailing address (if different from your driver's license or identification (ID) card)
• Attorney information (attorney's name, address and telephone number)
• If notice of your sanction came from the DOT, a copy of the Official Notice, form number 431010, you received from the Iowa DOT. If you have received multiple sanction notices, provide a copy of each notice that you wish to appeal)
• If notice of your sanction came from a law enforcement officer, the OWI Implied Consent, form number 432013, you received from the law enforcement officer who stopped you
• Miscellaneous documents: any other information/documents that you would like to have considered by the reviewing officer
• Request for subpoena (if you are requesting production of any documents held by the DOT or a law enforcement agency for use at the hearing)
   

If you are entitled to an appeal, you may be eligible to stay/stop the loss of your driving/registration privileges while your case is being reviewed.  Your driving/registration privileges will remain in the status you previously held at the time the Iowa DOT issued the sanction you are appealing.

• If you are already sanctioned for another violation, the Iowa DOT may be able to temporarily stop the new sanction against your driving and/or registration privileges while your case is being reviewed, but you will NOT have valid driving and/or registration privileges because you are currently sanctioned for other violations.
• If your driving/registration privileges were valid at the time the sanction was issued, the Iowa DOT may be able to temporarily stop the action against your driving/registration privileges while your case is being reviewed and you will have valid driving/registration privileges until a decision has been made on the appeal.

Not all sanctions will be stayed.  A sanction that is not stayed will go into effect as scheduled while your appeal is being reviewed.

You will receive a stay order explaining whether you have been granted a stay and the status of your driving and/or registration privileges during this period. You are not authorized to operate and/or register motor vehicles until you have received a stay order that indicates you are authorized to do so. The following sanctions cannot be stayed during an appeal to the DOT:

• A suspension for incapability.
• A disqualification from operating a commercial motor vehicle.
• A suspension issued to a minor holding a graduated driver's license under Iowa Code section 321.180B.
• A suspension or revocation for driving while denied, canceled, suspended, or revoked under Iowa Code section 321.218 or for driving while suspended, denied, revoked, or barred under Iowa Code section 321J.21.

A denial cannot be stayed pending an appeal.

Most sanctions have three levels of appeal.

• At the first level, an Iowa DOT compliance officer will review your driving record, review any written statements and documentation you or your attorney submit on your behalf, and then mail the decision to you. If the sanction is upheld, you may be able to request another appeal at the second level. Your new official notice form will indicate whether or not you may continue through the appeal process.
• At the second level, the Iowa DOT will forward any documents submitted by you or your attorney, to the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) to be used in a telephone hearing with an administrative law judge and you or your attorney. If you withdraw your request for this appeal, the sanction will be upheld, and you will not be entitled to any further appeal of this sanction. If the telephone hearing is held and the sanction is upheld, you may be able to request another appeal at the third and final level. Your new official notice form will indicate whether or not you may continue through the appeal process. Appeal of an OWI revocation, a habitual offender bar, or a CDL disqualification will start at the second level of appeal.
• At the third and final level is a "Director's Review." The administrative law judge’s decision and all supporting documents are reviewed by a designee of the Iowa DOT’s director, who will issue a decision that will be mailed to you and your attorney. If the sanction is upheld, you will not be entitled to any further appeal of this sanction.

If you have further questions regarding the appeal processes, please refer to Iowa Administrative Rules available on the Internet at https://www.legis.iowa.gov/DOCS/ACO/IAC/LINC/Rule.761.615.38.pdf

Regardless of fault, an accident report must be filed with the Iowa DOT's Office of Driver Services within 72 hours if an accident results in bodily injury, death or total property damage of $1,500 or more. However, you will not be required to file a personal accident report if the accident was investigated by a law enforcement agency and the investigating officer files a report.

If you cause personal injury or damage exceeding $1,500 to the other party, you must next prove your financial responsibility. Otherwise, your license will be suspended.

You can prove financial responsibility in one of these ways:

• Show that you are covered by automobile liability insurance at the time of the accident.
• Post cash, cashier's check, certified check, bank draft or postal money order payable to the Office of Driver Services.
• Get releases from all other damaged or injured parties.
• Obtain a decision resulting from a civil damage action relieving you of all liability.
• File an agreement to pay the other damaged or injured parties on an installment plan.
• Execute a warrant for confession of judgment which includes an agreement upon payment schedule.
• File evidence of a complete settlement of all damages or injuries.

Both owner and driver of the vehicles involved in an accident must prove their financial responsibility. This means if you owned the vehicle involved in an accident but were not driving it at the time, you would still have to show financial responsibility by using one of the ways already discussed. Otherwise, you would lose all your registrations. The driver of your vehicle would also have to show financial responsibility or lose all licenses to operate motor vehicles.

Proof of financial responsibility after an accident is not needed in these cases:

• Your vehicle was legally stopped, standing or parked.
• Your vehicle was driven without your permission.
• No damage occurred to any person or property other than yourself.

Future proof of financial responsibility is required from the first day of your suspension or revocation for a conviction, unsatisfied judgment or violation of the OWI law, and lasts for two years. Failing to show or maintain future proof suspends your license and registrations.

All license and registration privileges are limited to those vehicles for which you have shown proof. In other words, reinstated licenses are valid only for the motor vehicles that are covered by your future proof filing.

For example, your operator's license that is also valid for motorcycles is reinstated following suspension. Even though your license shows the motorcycle validation, you cannot legally drive your motorcycle until your future proof of financial responsibility covers it.

Financial responsibility after an accident and future proof of rules apply to nonresidents as well. Nonresidents cannot operate or register any vehicle in Iowa until all requirements are met.

A former Iowa resident who applies for an non-Iowa driver's license and must meet Iowa's SR-22 requirements should fill out a Residency Statement form.  The form must also be completed by a driver's license official of the new state of residence. This form should be mailed to:

Iowa Department of Transportation
Office of Driver Services
P.O. Box 9204
Des Moines, Iowa  50306-9204.

Driving while your license is suspended is a misdemeanor. A conviction may result in a $1,500 fine and up to one year in jail if you are convicted of a serious misdemeanor. The length of your suspension or revocation for some convictions may also be doubled if you are convicted of driving while your license is suspended. You may be eligible for a temporary restricted license. You could also be barred from driving (under the provisions of Iowa Code § 321.555) if you are convicted for driving while under suspension (Iowa Code § 321.218 and 321A.32 [1]).
 

You will be barred for two to six years (Iowa Code Section 321.555 Paragraph 1) if you receive three or more of any combination of the following convictions in a six-year period:

• manslaughter with a motor vehicle;
• conviction of operating while under the influence of alcohol or drugs (Iowa Code Chapter 321J);
• conviction for driving while your license is suspended, revoked or barred; eluding or attempting to elude pursuing law enforcement vehicles; or serious injury by vehicle;
• failure to stop and leave information or render aid at the scene of an accident in which you were involved as required by Iowa Code 321.263

Conviction of six moving violations committed within a two-year period may cause you to be barred for one year from the date of judgment (Iowa Code Section 321.555 Paragraph 2).   Speeding convictions will count here if they are for 15 miles per hour or more over the speed limit.

Conviction for driving while barred under either Paragraph 1 or 2 of Section 321.555 listed above can result in a prison term.

Any suspension as a result of moving convictions or revocation for OWI and implied consent (Chapter 321J) requires compliance with Iowa's financial responsibility law. This requirement is normally met by filing proof of at least $55,000 insurance coverage.  Otherwise, you must post security of $55,000 by certified check, cashier's check, money order, or surety bond.  This filing must be maintained for two years.

The completion of a driver improvement course, probation period, or a suspension does not clear your driving record of any entries showing violations or accidents. Your driving record will show all convictions, accidents, or suspensions during at least the last five years. A license revocation for OWI will remain on your record for 12 years.
 

Convictions for moving traffic violations in other states count against your driving record in determining what action the Iowa DOT will take concerning your driving privileges.

The dates of the offenses occurred, not the dates you are convicted of traffic violations, are considered when determining how many violations have taken place in a specified time period.

Operators of commercial motor vehicles may be subject to additional penalties.