There are five types issued.
- Regular dealer plates for display on cars, motor homes, multipurpose vehicles, trailers, travel trailers and trucks.
- Motorcycle dealer plates for display on motorcycles and motorized bicycles.
- Limited use plates Application for Special Plates form for display on vehicles solely for the purpose of disposing of vehicles acquired as a result of a damage settlement or recovered stolen vehicles acquired as a result of a loss settlement. Additionally, these plates are used for the purpose of disposing of vehicles acquired or repossessed and for the purpose of delivering, testing and demonstrating special body equipment and new ambulances, rescue and fire vehicles manufactured and owned by the manufacturer.
- Transporter plates Application for Special Plates form for use by persons engaged in the business of delivering vehicles owned by the person or delivering vehicles owned by other persons for compensation.
- Dealer plates can be used only by licensed and registered dealers. Dealer plates are issued by the department for purposes of demonstration, delivery and testing vehicles a dealer may have in inventory. A new car dealer or a used car dealer may operate or move upon the highways a new or used car or trailer owned by the dealer for either private or business purposes without registering it if the new or used car or trailer is in the dealer's inventory and is continuously offered for sale at retail and there is displayed on it a dealer plate issued to the dealer. In addition, while a service customer is having his or her own vehicle serviced or repaired by the dealer, a vehicle —- other than a truck or truck tractor — that is in the dealer's inventory can be loaned to the customer, and that vehicle may display dealer plates.
Dealer plates cannot be displayed on:
- Rental vehicles
- Leased vehicles
- Loaded trucks, unless provisions of demonstration permits are followed
- Trucks or truck tractors loaned to service customers
- Dealer plates expire on the last day of December, every two years, starting with December 2008
Section 321.62 of the Code of Iowa requires that every dealer keep a written record of the vehicles displaying dealer plates. The Iowa DOT's Bureau of Investigation and Identity Protection will periodically inspect the dealership and records, and at that time the records of dealer plates will be checked.