In-transit permits may be purchased in advance from Vehicle Central Programs for a fee of $2 each. The permits are used for:
- Vehicles not currently registered in Iowa that are purchased by a dealer for moving to their place of business.
- Vehicles purchased from a dealer by a nonresident. This allows the nonresident to drive the vehicle to the buyer's home state for any required titling and registration.
- Motor vehicles brought into the state on a temporary transit permit issued by another state for the purpose of installation of special equipment. The issuance of an in transit permit in this situation would ordinarily be necessary only when the transit permit issued by another state had expired prior to installation of the special equipment.
The permit must be displayed in the rear window of the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle must have a sales invoice verifying the sale, and the invoice shall be signed by the dealership.
All information required on the in-transit permit must be entered by the dealer. The permits are void 15 days after the date they are issued by the selling dealer.