Iowa suspends driving privileges for no less than 6 months after a first DUI conviction, in addition to other penalties such as fines; later offenses lead to far longer suspensions.
Drivers under 21 are held to a zero-tolerance rule: a reading of 0.02% or more brings penalties such as license suspension, far below the 0.08% adult limit. Even a single drink can bring a young driver close to that level, so the only safe plan is not to drink before driving.
Iowa gives you 30 days after a move to update your address with the DMV, so that renewal notices and other official mail reach you.
The liver breaks down alcohol at a fairly steady pace of about one standard drink, such as a 12-ounce beer, per hour. Coffee, a cold shower, or exercise cannot speed this up; only the passing of time lowers your BAC.
One standard drink equals either 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits; each holds about the same amount of alcohol. Choosing beer or wine over liquor does not make you any less impaired.
A written report is required when a crash causes more than $1,500 in property damage or injures anyone; an injury alone is enough, whatever the damage. A crash with only a few hundred dollars of damage and no injuries does not call for one.
Alcohol makes it hard to hold a lane, judge speed, and react smoothly, so impaired drivers often weave, drive unusually slowly, and brake or stop without warning. If you notice these signs, keep well back and report the driver to police when it is safe.
Courts can require a person convicted of operating while intoxicated (OWI) to complete an OWI Education Program, a state-approved course on alcohol and drug use, and finishing it may be a condition for getting driving privileges back.
Under implied consent, getting a license and driving on public roads count as advance agreement to chemical testing, such as a breath test, when you are arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. Refusing the test usually brings its own penalties, including loss of your license.
Iowa law requires you to stop and either find the owner or leave a written note in plain view on the damaged car with your contact details. You must notify the police only if someone is hurt or killed, and you must send a written report to the Iowa DOT when damage reaches $1,500 or more.
Iowa's intermediate license does not allow unsupervised driving from half past midnight until 5 in the morning; a special waiver can permit certain trips during those hours, such as to school or work.
Iowa requires bodily injury liability coverage of at least $20,000 for any one person hurt or killed in a crash; $10,000 falls short of that, and $30,000 is more than the legal minimum.
The examiner checks the car first and will not begin the test if it is unsafe, if seat belts are missing, or if a console or other equipment keeps the examiner from getting to the brake pedal; any one of these is enough.
For drivers 21 and older, the standard legal limit is a BAC of 0.08%. Drivers under 21 are covered by zero-tolerance laws with a far lower limit, so 0.08% is not the cutoff for 18- to 20-year-olds, and 0.06% is not the standard adult limit.
Tip Watch the decimal point closely: the adult limit is 0.08% BAC, not 0.8%.
New Iowa residents have 30 days to get Iowa registration for a vehicle brought from another state; continuing to drive on the old plates after that deadline breaks the law.
Every question in this set has its own page with the correct answer and an explanation.
