Driver's Education in Iowa

HOW DO I GET A MINOR SCHOOL LICENSE?

• 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 THIS LICENSE?

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 THIS LICENSE

• 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 and is at their discretion.

Driver's Education in Iowa

If you're a teenager applying for your first driver's license, the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) requires you to complete a Driver's Ed program as part of the graduated driver's licensing (GDL) program.

IA Driver's Ed will provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to become a safe driver and pass your DMV road test.

On this page you'll find information about driver's education in Iowa, how you can complete the course, and how to obtain your unrestricted driver's license.

Iowa Driver's Ed Eligibility Requirements

Driver's Ed, a component of Iowa's GDL program, is required for all new drivers younger than 18 years old.

You will first need to obtain your Iowa learner's permit. You must:

• Be at least 14 years old.

• Visit your local IA DMV office with your parent or your parent's written consent.

• Provide proof of your identity.

• Pass a vision exam and the DMV written test.

• Pay the learner's permit fee.

About Your Iowa Driver's Ed Course

Your Iowa Driver's Ed course will consist of lessons and training covering topics including:

• Operating a vehicle.

• Safe and defensive driving habits.

• Iowa traffic laws and rules of the road.

• Alcohol and drug abuse and awareness.

• Sharing the road with other vehicles.

Your classroom sessions coupled with your in-car instruction will allow you to learn and practice the skills necessary to pass your road test and become a responsible driver.

Classroom & Behind-the-Wheel Hours

Regardless of which driver's education program you enroll in, the course will consist of:

• At least 30 hours of classroom lessons, which includes:

  • At least 4 hours of alcohol and drug abuse material.

• At least 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training and observation.

Apply for an Iowa Learner's Permit

To get your learner's permit in Iowa, you must be at least 14 years old. The permit is valid for 4 years and expires on your birthday. Your learner's permit must be held for a minimum of 6 months before applying for a driver's license.

Here's what you'll need to bring to your local Driver’s License station:

• Written consent from your parent or legal guardian. You can do this by either:

  • Having your parent/guardian accompany you when you apply.

  • Downloading the Parent's/Guardian's Written Consent Form (Form 430018), having your parent or guardian sign it, and having it notarized. (This form is available from the DOT.)

• Proof of identity (e.g. valid and unexpired U.S. passport or passport card, certified copy of a birth certificate).

• Verification of Social Security number (SSN) (e.g. Social Security card, Social Security Administration 1099 Form, pay stub with your SSN on it.).

• Payment for the $6 fee.

Taking the Written Learner's Permit Test in Iowa

The Iowa learner's permit test is based on information about Iowa traffic laws, road signs, and safe driving techniques contained in the Iowa Driver’s Manual. In addition to this exam, you'll also need to take and successfully pass a vision test.

Pass The Written Test On Your First Try

To help you prepare for the written exam, the MVD offers a basic practice test. If you really want to ensure passing on your first attempt, we suggest preparing with an online practice test that's offered from our approved partner.

Your Driver's Ed course must consist of:

• 30 hours of classroom instruction, including 4 hours of substance abuse education.

• A minimum of 20 minutes on railroad crossing safety, and information on organ donation.

• 6 hours laboratory instruction; 3 hours must be behind the wheel in a vehicle.

Behind-the-Wheel Training Requirements

In addition to Driver's Ed, you're required to complete 20 hours of behind-the-wheel supervised driving during your permit phase before getting your intermediate driver's license. This must include at least 2 hours of driving practice between sunset and sunrise. Your supervising driver must log your hours on the driving log located in the parent driving guide.

Note that once you get your intermediate driver's license, you'll need to complete an additional 10 hours of driving practice.

Iowa Learner's Permit Driving Restrictions

During the learner's permit phase of the GDL, you must adhere to certain driving restrictions:

• You must have your learner's permit in your possession at all times while driving.

• The amount of passengers you can carry is limited to the number of seat belts in your vehicle.

• You must always be accompanied by a supervising driver.

  • A supervising driver is defined by being one of the following:

    • A parent/guardian or immediate family member over 21 years old.

    • A driver education teacher.

    • A driver over 25 years old with written permission of parent/guardian.

Replacing Your Learner's Permit in Iowa

You may obtain a new driver's permit once your current permit expires, or replace one that has been lost or stolen by visiting an Iowa driver license station and presenting the documents mentioned above. For more information, please refer to our Replacing a Lost License page.

After Driver's Ed – Your Intermediate License

Your next steps involve obtaining your intermediate driver's license.

In addition to completing an Iowa driver's education course, you'll need to:

• Hold your instruction permit for at least 1 year.

• Have had no traffic violations for at least 6 months.

• Practice supervised driving for at least 20 hours, in addition to driving time as part of your Driver's Ed course, with 2 hours being driven at night.

• Be at least 16 years old.

• Pass your road test.

Getting Your Iowa Learner's Permit

According to the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), driving or riding in a vehicle is the most dangerous activity a teen can do. In an effort to save the lives of Iowa's teen drivers, the state has initiated a Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program where teens must reach certain milestones prior to getting a driver's license.

On your path to your Iowa driver's license, your first step is to obtain your learner's permit (or learner's permit). Below you will find all the relevant information, including behind-the-wheel driver training requirements and how to pass your written exam on your first attempt by using an online practice test.

If you need additional information, you can always call the DOT at (800) 532-1121.