Traffic & Safety Manual

The Iowa DOT currently uses the 2009 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) except for exceptions noted in 761 IAC 130.1.

Call 515-239-1557 for questions related to the content of this manual.

Chapter 1 - Introduction

Chapter 1 - Introduction
Title	Description	Last Updated
1A General
	1A-1 About This Manual (134.93 KB) .pdf	7/1/25
	1A-2 Purpose of Traffic Control Devices (125.48 KB) .pdf	7/1/25
	1A-3 Traffic Control Device Application (184.23 KB) .pdf	7/1/25

Chapter 2 - Signing

Chapter 2 - Signing
Title	Description	Last Updated
2A General
	2A-1 Introduction to Signs (152.24 KB) .pdf	9/9/25
	2A-2 - Reserved
	2A-3 - Reserved
	2A-4 - Reserved
	2A-5 Sign Design (797.45 KB) .pdf	11/05/15
	2A-6 Installation Guidelines (61.68 KB) .pdf	11/05/15
	2A-7 Sign Mounting Requirements (586.11 KB) .pdf	12/17/01
	2A-8 Sign Placement (703.36 KB) .pdf	10/20/25
	2A-9 Miscellaneous Requirements (559.24 KB) .pdf	10/02/06
	2A-10 Typicals and Additional Figures (9.38 MB) .pdf	11/05/15
2B Regulatory Signs
	2B-1 Regulatory Signs - General (13.97 KB) .pdf	10/20/25
	2B-2 Stop and Yield Signs (42.17 KB) .pdf	10/02/06
	2B-3 Speed Limits Signs (119.48 KB) .pdf	6/26/20
	2B-4 Alignment and Movement Signs (31.82 KB) .pdf	12/12/05
	2B-5 Parking Signs (32.94 KB) .pdf	12/12/05
	2B-6 Other Regulatory Signs (188.06 KB) .pdf	7/18/18 4/23/07
2C Warning Signs
	2C-1 Warning Signs - General (48.62 KB) Archived .pdf	10/20/25
	2C-2 Traffic Related Signs (222.37 KB) .pdf	10/13/06
	2C-3 Supplemental Plaques (105.57 KB) .pdf	12/16/05
2D Guide Signs
	2D-1 Conventional Roads (302.88 KB) .pdf	6/10/20
	2D-2 Community Wayfinding Signs (229.29 KB) .pdf	3/18/19
	2D-3 Freeway and Expressway (220.91 KB) .pdf	6/10/20
2E Portable Changeable Message Signs
	2E-1 Guidelines for Portable CMS (112.95 KB) .pdf	12/16/05
2F Permanent Changeable Message Signs
	2F-1 General (188.76 KB) .pdf	12/16/05
	2F-2 Guidelines (179.22 KB) .pdf	12/16/05
	2F-3 Operating Fundamentals (238.23 KB) .pdf	12/16/05
	2F-4 Message Design (960.73 KB) .pdf	12/16/05
2G Scenic Byways Signs
	2G-1 Iowa Byways Signage Policy (4.46 MB) .pdf	5/17/11

Chapter 3 - Pavement Markings

Chapter 3 - Pavement Markings
Title	Description	Last Updated
3A General
	3A-1 Purpose of Pavement Markings (132.72 KB) .pdf	1/27/04
	3A-2 General Requirements (130.06 KB) .pdf	1/27/04
3B Pavement Markings Standards
	3B-1 Pavement Marking Standards (213.96 KB) .pdf	01/04/21
	3B-2 Typical Pavement Marking Layouts (7.61 MB) .pdf	4/26/13
3C Manual on Pavement Marking Programs
	3C-1 Application of Pavement Markings (138.69 KB) .pdf	1/27/04
	3C-2 Traffic Control (1.02 MB) .pdf	1/27/04

Chapter 4 - Signals

Chapter 4 - Signals
Title	Description	Last Updated
4A General
	4A-1 General (91.41 KB) .pdf	12/17/01
4B Installation Justification
	4B-1 Installation Justification (147.77 KB) .pdf	12/17/01
4C Design
	4C-1 General (94.79 KB) .pdf	12/17/01
	4C-2 Standards and Guidelines
	4C-3 Plan Requirements
	4C-4 Specifications and Special Provisions
4D Construction
	4D-1 Shop Drawings and Catalog Cuts
	4D-2 Daily Inspections
	4D-3 Final Inspection
	4D-4 Turn On (15.47 KB) .pdf	6/06/06
4E Operations
	4E-1 General (88.71 KB) .pdf	12/17/01
	4E-2 Timings
	4E-3 Phasing
	4E-4 Coordination
	4E-5 Flashing Operation
	4E-6 Pre-emption
4G Removal
	4G-1 Justification
	4G-2 Procedure

Chapter 5 - Speed Limits

Chapter 5 - Speed Limits
Title	Description	Last Updated
5A Process for Establishing Speed Limits
	5A-1 Process for Establishing Speed Limits (45.78 KB) .pdf	04/04/06

Chapter 6 - Lighting

Chapter 6 - Lighting
Title	Description	Last Updated
6A General
	6A-2 Funding (162.17 KB) .pdf	12/17/01
6B Rural Intersections
	6B-1 Intersection Lighting Warrants (151 KB) .pdf	12/17/01
6C Interchanges
	6C-1 Interchange Lighting Warrants (148.24 KB) .pdf	12/17/01
6D Freeways
	6D-1 Freeway Lighting Warrants (121.81 KB) .pdf	12/17/01
6E Freeways
	6E-1 Bridge Lighting (241.16 KB) .pdf	12/01/11

Chapter 7 - Traffic Engineering Studies

Chapter 7 - Traffic Engineering Studies
Title	Description	Last Updated
7A No Passing Zones
	7A-1 General (36.37 KB) .pdf	05/07/13
	7A-2 Rope Method (126.64 KB) .pdf	02/07/06
	7A-3 Distance Measuring Instrument Method (128.06 KB) .pdf	2/07/06
	7A-4 Safety and Equipment (28.42 KB) .pdf	2/07/06
7B Curve Speed
	7B-1 Curve Speed Study (43.1 KB) .pdf	10/02/06
7C Curve Speed Study
	7C-1 County Road
	7C-2 Rural Primary
	7C-3 Primary Highway Extension
7E Traffic Control Warrant Studies
	7E-1 Traffic Signal Warrants
	7E-2 Multiway Stop Warrants
7F-1 School Crossing Study
	7F-1 School Crossing Study (230.6 KB) .pdf	10/02/06
7G Sight Distance Studies
	7G-1 Access Control (64.24 KB) .pdf	2/07/06
	7G-2 Intersection (52.26 KB) .pdf	7/18/18
	7G-3 School Bus Stop (75.19 KB) .pdf	10/02/06
7H Delay Studies
	7H-1 Intersection Delay Studies (50.75 KB) .pdf	2/19/07
7I Traffic Volume
	7I-1 Traffic Volume Studies (282.38 KB) .pdf	2/19/07
7J Signing and Pavement Marking Audits
	7J-1Signing Audits (45 KB) .pdf	2/07/06
	7J-2 Pavement Marking Audits

Chapter 8 - Automated Traffic Enforcement

Chapter 8 - Automated Traffic Enforcement
Title	Description	Last Updated
8A Automated Traffic Enforcement	8A-1 Automated Traffic Enforcement (129.8 KB) .pdf	01/04/2021

Chapter 9 - Temporary Traffic Control

Chapter 9 - Temporary Traffic Control
Title	Description	Last Updated
9A General
9B Traffic Control Standards	Chapter not available Standard Road Plans TC
9C Offsite Detours

Chapter 10 - Access

Chapter 10 - Access
Title	Description	Last Updated
10A Access - General
10B Access - Frequently Asked Questions	Chapter not available

Chapter 11 - Advertising Management

Chapter 11 - Advertising Management
Title	Description	Last Updated
11 Sign Program
	11a: Outdoor Advertising Signs (95.98 KB) .pdf	08/22/22
	11b: City Welcome Signs (555.8 KB) .pdf	08/22/22
	11c: Roadside Memorials (126.7 KB) .pdf	08/22/22
	11d: Overhead Banners (55.17 KB) .pdf	08/22/22
	11e: Political Campaign Signs (103.13 KB) .pdf	08/22/22

Chapter 15 - Sign Shop

Chapter 15 - Sign Shop
Title	Description	Last Updated
15A General	Sign Catalog available (internal DOT users only)	10/11/2021
15C How to Order Signs

Chapter 16 - Sample Plans

Chapter 16 - Sample Plans
Title	Description	Last Updated
16A General		4/04/06
16B Signals		4/04/06
16C Signing		4/04/06
16D Lighting Plans		4/04/06

Chapter 20 - Instructions

Chapter 20 - Instructions
Title	Description	Last updated
20A General
	20A-01 Import Signs from SignCAD to Microstation (3.77 MB) .pdf	7/1/18
	20A-02 Placing Mile Markers and Delineators in Microstation (192.66 KB) .pdf	7/1/18
	20A-3 Creating Incident Bypass Signs in Microstation (822.92 KB) .pdf	7/1/18