Rules and Restrictions: Instructional Permit

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

Age 14 or older: once the instruction permit has been issued, the permit holder may:

• 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 the 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, even when driving with adult supervision
• 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).

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.

Rules and Restrictions: Minor School License or School Permit

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 Minor School License or School 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 minor school license.
• Live 1 mile or more from the school you are enrolled in, unless a special need exists or you live or work on a farm in Iowa. If you have more than one residence, where you live is the location you reside the majority of the time.
• If you are a public school student, you must have your school superintendent, principal, or school board chair AND your parent or guardian sign Affidavit for School License (form 430021) available at any driver’s license issuance site or online. If you are a student at an accredited nonpublic school (private school), you must have the authorities in charge of your school AND your parent or guardian sign Affidavit for School License (form 430021) .
• You may be required to complete a drive test at the driver’s license issuance site, 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 minor school license issued.

What can I do with a Minor School License or School Permit?

• This license allows you to drive without adult supervision between the hours of 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. for the following:
• Drive from your home to your school(s) of enrollment or school sponsored activities using the most direct and accessible route. Public school students are limited to driving within the school district of enrollment or a contiguous district and accredited nonpublic school students are limited to driving within a 50 mile driving distance. Activities must be at the school(s) you are enrolled in.
• Drive to a school that is not your school of enrollment to participate in extracurricular activities using the most direct and accessible route. Activities must be in a contiguous (bordering) school district for public school students, or not more than 50 miles driving distance for private school students, and must be held at a site, facility, or school designated for the activity under a sharing agreement between schools or conducted at a site or facility that the school you are enrolled in has designated to accommodate extracurricular activities.
• 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 50 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 the Minor School License or School permit?

• Drive to work without adult supervision, unless you live or work on a farm and are driving less than 50 miles for farm-related work.
• Use a cell phone, smartphone, tablet, or other electronic communication or entertainment device while driving.
• 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.
• Drive to a school that is not your school of enrollment to participate in extracurricular activities if the activities are not in a contiguous (bordering) school district for public school students, or not at a school that is within a 50 mile driving distance for private school students and are not held at a site, facility, or school designated for the activity under a sharing agreement between schools or are not conducted at a site or facility that the school you are enrolled in has designated to accommodate extracurricular activities.
• 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).

What if I mess up?

Your license may be suspended if you are convicted of a traffic violation (including, but 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 offense: Your license may be suspended for 30 days and you must pay a fee to reinstate your minor school license.
• Second offense: Your license will be revoked for 30 days and you must pay a fee to reinstate to an instruction permit for six months before you are eligible for a minor school license.

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

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 minor school license) for a total of at least 12 months.
• Maintain a clean driving record (while holding a valid instruction permit or minor school 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.

 

MAY A HOME-SCHOOLED AND DUAL-ENROLLED STUDENT GET A MINOR SCHOOL LICENSE?

If the student has completed an Iowa-approved driver education course, the student is eligible for a minor school license for the limited purpose of driving to the district academic program or activity that takes place 1 mile or more from the student's home, unless school transportation is an option. The minor school license is not valid for driving to home school academics or activities.

CAN A MINOR WHO HAS COMPLETED DRIVER EDUCATION IN ANOTHER STATE GET AN IOWA MINOR SCHOOL LICENSE?

To obtain an Iowa minor school 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 or private driving school and is at their discretion.

Rules and Restrictions: Intermediate License

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 had an instruction permit for a total of one year and a clean driving record for at least six consecutive months immediately before applying for your intermediate license.
• 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.

If you meet all the requirements above, you can get your intermediate license by visiting a driver’s license issuance site. You will need to schedule an appointment.

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?

• Be at least 17 years old.
• 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.

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.

Any time you have a conviction, violation, or crash your 12-month period to have a clean driving record will start over. Any time your license is suspended or revoked, your 12-month period to hold an intermediate license will start over.

FULL LICENSE

•  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

If you are 17 and meet all the conditions of the intermediate license, you can get your full license by visiting a driver’s license issuance site. You will need to schedule an appointment.

OUT-OF-STATE MINOR SCHOOL LICENSING REQUIREMENTS

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.
• 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.
• 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).