HOW DO I GET AN INSTRUCTION PERMIT?
WHAT CAN I DO WITH THIS PERMIT?
- 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 THIS 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.
HOW DO I MOVE TO THE NEXT STEP: AN INTERMEDIATE LICENSE?
- Be at least 16 years old.
- Complete an Iowa-approved driver education course.
- Must hold an instruction permit for a total of at least 12 months and maintain a clean driving record 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 in addition to any driving you completed in driver's education. At least two of those hours must be between sunset and sunrise.
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.