Best Iowa Car Insurance (2025)

Iowa - Overview Table

Everyone knows Iowa for its cornfields. However, there is one Iowan invention that is a famous export all on its own: the sliced bread machine.

Invented by Otto Rohwedder in 1928, the sliced bread machine revolutionized the bread-making industry and led to a famous brand — Wonder Bread.

Today, Iowa is more than corn and bread —  it has a diverse economy with tech companies, finance companies, and corporations.  It is the Hawkeye State, the 30th-largest state in the Union.

There is one aspect of Iowa that is not as groundbreaking as sliced bread or rich as cornfields. But it is important; it can save you from financial ruin.

It is Iowa car insurance, and it’s why we’re here today.  If you’re on this page, you’re probably looking for car insurance for yourself, a family member, or a friend. And you’ve come to the right place.

With terms like GAP coverage and hard-braking incidents, deductibles and premiums, collision and comprehensive, you may believe car insurance to be confusing. You may have wanted to hit your head against a wall. You may have gotten a headache.

We understand. We feel your pain.

In this complete guide to car insurance in Iowa, we take the complicated and make it simple, t he complex and boil it down. A fter this guide, you’ll have all you need to make a decision about car insurance in Iowa.  Ready?

Start that engine and give it a little gas. We’re taking a tour of the Hawkeye State.  Keep some sliced bread on hand. You may want something to munch on.

Ready to the best discounts by company? Try our FREE online tool!

Iowa Car Insurance Coverage and Rates

Imagine this: you’re in the rural country of Iowa, working on your older model car, fixing it yourself.

Then, suddenly, dark clouds start to form in the sky. It’s crackling with lightning and you take cover in your home. The hail starts pouring down and you worry — is my car protected?

You almost certainly understand the insurance coverage that covers you if you’re in an accident. But there are other forms of car insurance for most other situations, as well.

It can be confusing researching all of them. We understand. We’ve got you covered. In this section, we go over different kinds of car insurance coverages, the car culture in Iowa, even some factors that influence your rates.

It’s Iowa Car Insurance Coverage and Rates. Here we go.

Minimum Auto Insurance Coverage

Minimum coverage is what it sounds like: the least amount of coverage you can have to drive.

In Iowa, the minimum insurance coverage is 20/40/15 according to the Iowa Insurance Division and AAA . That means:

• $20,000 for bodily injury or death of one person
• $40,000 for the bodily injuries or deaths of more than one person
• $15,000 for the injury to or destruction of property

This is called liability insurance, which takes effect when you are found at-fault in an accident.  When you are found at-fault, you’re legally financially responsible for all damages.

According to the Motor Vehicle Financial and Safety Act, car insurance in Iowa is not mandated. You can comply with the minimum insurance requirements in other ways:

• Posting a bond with the Driver & Identification Services
• Getting a legal release from other drivers or those involved in the accident
• Being found not liable in a civil suit
• Paying for the damages in an installment plan

While there are no minimum Iowa auto insurance requirements, it is still convenient for many drivers to get it to protect them from financial losses.

Forms of Financial Responsibility

Forms of financial responsibility are forms proving you have insurance. As the Iowa government writes about insurance certificates,

“Such certificate shall give the effective date of such motor vehicle liability policy, which date shall be the same as the effective date of the certificate, and shall designate by explicit description or by appropriate reference all motor vehicles covered.”

In terms of proof, there are at least three options:

• A valid physical version of your liability card (your insurance card)
• An electronic copy of your insurance card (according to Allstate )
• Insurance binder (a temporary form of car insurance)

The issue becomes a little more complicated if you’re a high-risk driver and need an SR-22 o r if you decide to show proof of insurance through a bond.

Premiums as a Percentage of Income

We know the cost of your car insurance is important. When that cost is too high, it can strain the bank.

That’s why we’ve come up with a statistic to show the financial burden of paying for car insurance. We call it Premium as a Percentage of Income.

It is what it sounds like: how much you pay for your premium as a percentage of your income. This shows the financial hit of your premium.

Iowans pay considerably less on premiums as a percentage of their income compared to the average U.S. citizen.

Iowa - PaPI with Nationwide

That range is between o.6- and 0.7-percent less.

They pay the least when compared to three of their neighboring states, as well.

Iowa - PaPI comparing states

Nebraska residents are the nearest, though still 0.1 percent higher in its closest year.

To figure out what your premium as a percentage of interest is, plug your information into the calculator below.

CalculatorPro

Average Monthly Car Insurance Rates in IA (Liability, Collision, Comprehensive)

If a helium atom’s core has one neutron and two protons, car insurance has a similar one: liability and two other coverages in comprehensive and collision.

What are they?

What is the average cost of auto insurance in Iowa? Liability is the minimum insurance coverage we talked about. It protects you when you’re in an accident and found at-fault; your insurance company pays the damages. The limits of liability coverage can vary.

Comprehensive is for everything other than an accident. Theft, vandalism, acts of God — even hitting a moose.

Collision pays for damages to your vehicle whether you’re at fault or not. It also covers damages when you’re hit by an uninsured motorist.

The average rates for these coverages in Iowa are less than the nationwide averages, except for comprehensive.

Iowa - Core Coverage Costs

Full coverage is over $300 lower in Iowa than in the U.S. at large. There are still additional coverages that’ll protect you further.

Additional Liability

Three additional coverages are personal injury protection (PIP), medical payments (MedPay), and uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM).

• PIP: reimburses you for medical bills and lost wages if you in an accident
• Med Pay: reimburses you for medical bills
• UM/UIM: pays for damages to your car if you are hit by an uninsured/underinsured motorist.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, 8.7 percent of Iowa’s drivers are uninsured, ranking the state 38th in the country. All three additional coverages are useful in different situations, but sometimes companies might not pay on claims.

So how do you know if companies are paying or not? That’s where a handy statistic called loss ratio comes in.

A loss ratio is the number of claims a company is paying out on divided by the number of premiums a company has written.

• Anything between 0.6 and 0.8 is good.
• Anything below 0.5 and the company might not be paying out on claims.
• Anything over one and the company is losing money.

These numbers come from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, which is a leading authority in the insurance field.

Iowa - UM and Med Pay Loss Ratios

In general, the loss ratios for MedPay and UM/UIM are good, with the exception of UM/UIM in 2013, which is below 0.5.

Add-Ons, Endorsements, & Riders

There are some other coverages and add-ons that protect your car even further.

• Guaranteed Auto Protection (GAP)
• Personal Umbrella Policy (PUP)
• Rental Reimbursement
• Emergency Roadside Assistance
• Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
• Non-Owner Car Insurance
• Modified Car Insurance Coverage
• Classic Car Insurance
• Pay-As-You-Drive or Usage-Based Car Insurance

Male vs. Female Rates

This is the start of car insurance factors — the parts of your life which you might or might not know impact your rates. We’re going to cover seven in this guide.

One of those factors is something that occasionally starts a heated debate: who are the betters drivers — males or females?

Males often have higher rates, as insurance companies believe that males take more risks while driving and are more likely to file a claim.

Research shows that they are not necessarily wrong about this.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, “Men typically drive more miles than women and more often engage in risky driving practices including not using safety belts, driving while impaired by alcohol, and speeding.”

This leads to higher rates.

The table below looks at two factors additional to gender: age and marital status. Everyone knows the story about the teenager who did something questionable and wrecked his parent’s car.

Insurance companies believe that being younger makes you a less experienced driver with riskier behavior. It’s the opposite for someone who is married.

Insurance companies believe that someone who is married is more settled in their life, less likely to take risks, and more financially secure.

The following numbers come from our partner Quadrant, which has the insider track in the insurance industry. Any raw data about car insurance rates likely comes from Quadrant.

Iowa - Carrier Demos

The highest rate overall is for a 17-year-old male with the Travelers; over $17,000.

The lowest rate overall is for a 60-year-old female with USAA; around $1,100.

The difference in rates can be explained partly by the company: Travelers is the most expensive across the board, while USAA is the cheapest for all but one category.

However, the table shows a trend: as you get older, your rates fall. And if you’re female, you’ll generally pay lower rates than males.

More and more people are calling for the removal of demographic factors to determine car insurance rates. For instance, California is the sixth full state to ban using gender to determine rates.

It’s a major issue, as people believe demographics arbitrarily affect rates.

Rates in Iowa’s 10 Largest Cities

Often, where you live plays a role. Typically, rural areas have lower rates than urban areas. Iowa is no exception to this, with a few of the 10 largest cities having some of the highest overall rates.

Iowa - Top 10 Cities

Overall, Council Bluffs has the highest rates with an average rate of $3,600. Ames and Iowa City have the lowest, with averages around $2,660.

Rates are often based on the likelihood on which a person will file a claim.

Some cities have worse drivers than others, vehicle-related crime is higher, or the demographics are more suited for higher rates, such as a city having a young median age.

Cheapest Rates by Zip Code

Have you heard this story?

Two neighbors have the same plans, same company, same agent. They’re talking one day and decide to compare rates. What they found was surprising: One neighbor paid more than $200 extra for their premium than the other. Why?

It was simple: They lived in different zip codes. According to the Consumer Federation of America, this is not uncommon.

It did a study analyzing premiums from six major companies in 10 large American cities. They found that often insurance premiums would rise between adjacent zip codes, sometimes for hundreds of dollars.

This occurred even when a zip code divided a neighborhood, separating two neighbors. Why is this? When comparing two adjacent zip codes, they may have differences in the likelihood for each resident to file a claim.

One zip code may have higher vehicle theft statistics than another or have more accidents, tickets, or general citations. They all affect the likelihood these residents will file a claim, which costs the insurance company money.

For a look at your zip code in Iowa, use the search bar to type in the number.

One thing seems clear from these statistics: Travelers has some of the highest rates in the state.

Cheapest Rates by Cities

Like with the largest cities and zip codes, rates can vary by city, sometimes significantly.

Iowa - Cheapest/Most Expensive City

In this list, some of the cities with the highest populations have the most expensive rates.

The ones at the bottom are interesting; a mix of some bigger cities like Ames, Iowa City, and Cedar Rapids and some of the smallest, like Roland and Le Grand.

Best Car Insurance Companies in Iowa

Your insurance company may be great. The customer service may be wonderful. But you may wonder: is there a more affordable option out there?

This section is all about the top insurance companies in Iowa, the ones that determine your rates, your coverages, and how easy it is to file a claim. You may have researched these on your own and become bogged down in statistics. You may have gotten a headache.

We understand. We’ve been there. And we’ve got you covered.

We’ll cover the heavy hitters: their long-term financial ratings, customer satisfaction ratings, and of course their rates. Ready to ride? Let’s go take a tour of the most-powerful insurance companies in the country.

The Largest Companies’ Financial Ratings

Just like you have a credit score, companies have financial ratings. These ratings are based on factors like financial stability, revenue, and debt.

They are a measure of trustworthiness; if you own a business in London and want to know Progressive’s ability to pay back a debt, you look at these ratings.

For these ratings, we looked at AM Best, which is one of the major credit rating agencies in the world.

Iowa - AM Best Company Ratings

Each company is rated A or higher. The A rating, according to AM Best’s ranking explanations, means the company has “an excellent ability to meet ongoing insurance obligations.”

All good, on that front.

Companies with Best Ratings

Financial strength is an important metric for a company; however, customer satisfaction is as well. For this, we turn to J.D. Power, which conducts a study every year to determine customer satisfaction — for companies throughout the U.S.

The following graph is from the Central Region, which includes Iowa and other midwestern states.

USAA is the top-rated company, with a 907 score. However, because it serves just the military and their families, it is not included in the overall list.

Of the major insurance companies in Iowa, the leader is Allstate, followed by Geico and Travelers. The lowest are Farmers and Nationwide.

Companies with Most Complaints in Iowa

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners does more than track loss ratios; they look at customer complaints, as well. Its complaint index is based on a company’s total complaints versus the number of premiums they’ve written.

The lower the complaint index the better.

Iowa - Complaints

The lowest complaint index is Travelers with .09, just having two complaints. The highest is Safeco with 1.68, having 124 complaints.

What’s ironic? Nationwide, which is rated as near the bottom for customer satisfaction in the J.D. Power study, has the second-lowest complaint index at .28.

State Farm, with 1,482 complaints, is third-lowest at .44. It has the most complaints but also writes the most premiums.

Cheapest Car Insurance Companies in Iowa

Who has the cheapest car insurance in Iowa? Within car insurance companies in a state, there is usually a difference of a few thousand dollars at least between the most-expensive company and the cheapest. In Iowa, that is no different.

Iowa - Cheapest Companies

The numbers are not surprising based on our table looking at Iowa car insurance rates by demographic.

• The company with the lowest average premium: USAA ($1,852), nearly 60 percent below the average.
• The company with the highest average premium: Travelers ($5,425), about 45 percent above average.
• The median: Allstate with a $2,965 average premium.

The rest are fairly scattered beneath or near the median. SafeCo ($4,415) and Travelers are much more expensive than the rest, driving the overall average up.

There are many reasons why one premium might be lower than another.

• One part is the competition: Everyone is trying to find the right price point
• A second part is the cost of doing business: Some companies might need more money to operate
• A third part is the customers themselves: Some may order more coverages on the whole or higher limits.

Often the companies pricing their premiums lower do more business, as it is more appealing to pay less for car insurance.

Commute Rates by Companies

Commute times do more than cause headaches and missed meetings. They affect your insurance rates too.

The reason for this is simple: Insurance companies believe that the more you drive, the more likely you are to get into accidents, get a ticket, or file a claim.

Iowa - Commute Rates

Five out of 10 companies change their rates according to commute rate or average mileage.

All are roughly between $70 and $130, with the two most expensive changes coming from USAA and Allstate and the least expensive being American Family.

Coverage Level Rates by Companies

Coverage levels can vary according to coverage limits and any additional coverages you might add. You might add $20,000 to your liability insurance; you’ll pay more each premium. Or you add collision coverage. Same deal.

But different companies price their high coverages and low coverages differently. It can be helpful to look at the difference between those.

Iowa - Coverage Level Rates

The company with the biggest difference is Travelers with a $560-difference between high and low coverages.

The company with the smallest difference is one we haven’t mentioned so far: Geico, at a $110 difference.

The others are scattered generally between $150 and $400 differences between high and low coverages.

Credit History Rates by Companies

Your credit score determines whether you’ll get a home loan, affects the interest rate on your car loan, and permits you to rent an apartment.

But did you know it can also impact your car insurance rates?

According to Consumer Reports, which did a massive study looking at over 10 years of insurance premiums, insurers look at your credit score to determine rates.

However, they don’t look at your total FICO. They cherry-pick 30 out of 130 elements to determine how likely you are to file a claim.

Rates can fluctuate wildly due to credit scores, with the difference between a good score and poor score being thousands of dollars.

Iowa - Credit History

The difference between the most expensive rate and the cheapest is $5,150.

• A poor credit score with Travelers: nearly $6,300.
• A good credit score with USAA: $1,150.

Liberty Mutual has the largest difference between good and poor credit scores at $3,200. Farmers has the smallest difference at $600. Looking at the credit scores averaged between all companies shows the financial damage of having a poor credit score.

A poor credit score, on average, costs you $1,250 more than a good credit score.

There are lawmakers calling for the ban on car insurance companies using credit scores to set rates. A representative from Michigan, for instance, wants block credit bureaus from sending information to car insurance companies.

The goal? To use just one factor: Your driving record.

Driving Record Rates by Companies

Your driving record can cost (or save) you thousands of dollars. Mistakes happen. And with cars, a mistake that dings your record might cost you hundreds (or thousands) of dollars.

Iowa Driving Record

Travelers and Liberty Mutual are the most expensive companies for all three categories, while the companies at the bottom (USAA, Geico, State Farm, Nationwide, Farmers) are all pretty bunched up.

To take a look at the best companies for each infraction, we’ll eliminate USAA here; it is generally the most inexpensive company but is just for the military and their families.

• The best company for one DUI: Progressive at $2,100
• The best company for one accident: State Farm at $2,400
• The best company for one speeding ticket: Geico at $1,865

Averaging them out shows how much each infraction costs against the other.

Iowa - Driving Records Averaged

A DUI is the most costly: $400 more than one accident and $1,150 more than a clean record.

One speeding ticket is the least costly: $370 more than a clean record.

Each will spike your rates hundreds of dollars, however.

Largest Car Insurance Companies in Iowa

When looking at market shares for each company in Iowa, it helps to look at their market shares nationwide.

• State Farm: 17.01 percent
• Geico: 13.41 percent
• Progressive: 10.97 percent
• Allstate: 9.19 percent
• Liberty Mutual: 4.77 percent
• Farmers: 4.26 percent
• Nationwide: 2.73 percent
• Travelers: 1.90 percent
• American Family: 1.90 percent

Now, let’s compare those numbers to the companies with the largest market shares in Iowa.

Iowa - Largest Companies

Read more:

• West Bend Mutual Insurance Review & Complaints: Auto, Home & Business Insurance
• Grinnell Mutual Insurance Review & Complaints: Auto, Home, Business & Farm Insurance 

State Farm, Progressive, Nationwide, and American Family all have a higher percentage of the market share in Iowa than they do nationwide.

Geico and Allstate are big droppers (roughly 9.80 percent and 5.9 percent drops respectively).

Travelers and Liberty Mutual, the companies with the highest-priced plans we’ve seen so far, are nowhere to be found.

Numbers of Insurers in Iowa

Iowa has 73 domestic insurers and 860 foreign. What does this mean?

When most people think of domestic and foreign, they think of the United States and other countries. The same logic can be applied, just to states.

What is a domestic insurer? A domestic insurer is an insurer that was founded in the state and does business solely in the state. Think of your mom and pop insurance company.

What is a foreign insurer? A foreign insurer is an insurer that does business in a state they were not founded in or does business in more than one state. Your State Farms would apply.

For legal purposes, there is no difference between them; however, if you are looking to move, you won’t be able to take your domestic insurance with you.

If you have a foreign insurance company, odds are likelier you can keep your company when moving and possibly keep your plan.

State Laws

Knowing your state laws are important: they can keep you from getting pulled over, from getting tickets and citations, or from going to jail.

But they can be confusing. Pouring through state statutes, legislative documents, all those technical terms on the state’s website . . . you may want to hit your head against the wall. We’ve got you covered.

In this section, we’ll cover 22 aspects of state laws, everything from windshield coverage to marijuana penalties.

Bear with us, we know this is a lot of information. We’re going to boil the sections down to their important points and remove the technical terminology.

Ready? Shift that car into the next gear.

Car Insurance Laws

First, let’s start with Iowa car insurance laws. They are like the fruit salad of the state laws section: important and refreshing.

In this section, we’ll cover everything from the statute of limitations to high-risk insurance, from windshield coverage to insurance fraud — and many things in-between.

Get ready. This potluck is just getting started.

How State Laws for Insurance Are Determined

Every state determines laws in roughly the same way: a bill is proposed in the legislature, it is weighed, considered, passed, and then signed into law.

State laws for car insurance are the rules and regulations by which procedures are done. Such as, where your insurance company can get the parts to repair your car after an accident.

And that’s not all. There are rules in place to prohibit companies from charging excessively high rates.

These rules and regulations are detailed in a report by the NAIC, from which the information in this section is taken.

According to the NAIC, there are seven rules: determined by the commissioner, prior approval, modified prior approval, flex rating, file and use, use and file, and no file.

Iowa is considered a use and file state, which means rates must be filed with the state insurance department sometime after the insurance company puts them into use.

This means the state department can take a look at the rates after they’ve been used, and talk to the company if the rates are in some way unjust or unfair.

Windshield Coverage

Getting your windshield busted is tough. So, what are the laws in Iowa regarding repair and replacement?

CarWindshields.info is a site that researches the windshield replacement laws in every state. As it writes, there’s nothing particularly special about Iowa compared to other states in the ways they regulate the replacement of windshields.

They write that the code Iowa 191-15.45 specifically excludes windshields being replaced with after-market products.

“. . . you can insist on OEM parts, but may have to pay the difference. . .”

High-Risk Insurance

There are many cases where you might need high-risk insurance.

• You’ve had too many moving violations
• You’ve been caught driving without insurance
• You’ve had an OWI

Iowa residents will need to get an SR-22, which is a certificate of insurance for high-risk drivers. According to the Iowa Department of Transportation, the SR-22 must be filed by your insurance company.

This goes through Driver & Identification Services, which is comprised of several groups handling driver identification and driving credentials. The SR-22 will likely cost extra from your insurance company, as it signals you are a high-risk driver.

If you don’t have luck with your insurance company and can’t find any others, you can try the Iowa Automobile Insurance Plan. This is a last-ditch market for high-risk drivers.

Low-Cost Insurance

There are three states that have a low-cost car insurance plan, but Iowa is not one of them. If you’re really hurting for money but need insurance, you can always go with the minimum coverage.

Iowa’s system provides other options (such as not carrying formal insurance) but those are riskier than being insured at the minimum level.

We also have company guides for State Farm, Geico, Nationwide, Travelers, Farmers, and more if you are looking to see who has the most discounts.

Automobile Insurance Fraud in Iowa

Insurance fraud accounts for 10 percent of the property and casualty insurance industry’s losses.

From 2013 – 2017, that amounted to $30 billion per year. Fraud can occur within all sides of the process: claimants, professionals, and third-party agents.

Iowa takes this seriously; Iowa Insurance Division has a fraud bureau. The penalties for committing fraud, for whichever side, are steep.

For the claimant and any salesperson, the penalty for committing fraud is a Class D Felony, according to document 507E of the state legislature.

This comes with a penalty of up to five years in prison, along with a fine between $750 – $7,500.

• Some examples of fraud for the claimant: false proofs of loss, medical records, invoices, accounts, and estimations of property damage.
• Some examples for the salesperson: suppression of facts, misrepresentation of facts, and employing deception with intent to defraud.

If you suspect fraud, you can report it to the Iowa Insurance Division’s fraud bureau through its online system or with a paper copy. There are some confidentiality laws as well.

Statute of Limitations

If you’re in an accident, there is a chance you will have a personal injury and/or your vehicle will be damaged.

In Iowa, there are two deadlines to file a civil suit; one if you suffered an injury and one if your car was damaged. These are called the statute of limitations.

According to NOLO, the time you have to file a personal injury lawsuit is two years. The time to file for a property damage lawsuit is five years. Anything after that and your case will only be granted in rare cases.

State-Specific Laws

There are no unusual state-specific laws that we could find, an example being California’s Automobile Mediation Program.

There are some unusual laws, according to 94.1 KRNA, like throwing bricks on highways and the Ice Cream Man, but they are only slightly related to car insurance.

Vehicle Licensing Laws

Vehicle licensing laws are like the potatoes of the State Laws section: a little tasteless, but healthy and nutritious.

They certainly aren’t flashy; you won’t play trivia about the teen driver laws in Iowa, for instance. But without them, you run the risk of fines — even jail time.

In this section, we cover six topics; they range from teen driver laws to license renewal procedures. And of course: driving without insurance.

So, get your fork and spoon and get ready to dig in. We’ll write like salt and pepper, just to give it some flavor.

Real ID

In response to September 11th, Congress enacted the Real ID Act in 2005.

The Act, according to the Department of Homeland Security, “establishes minimum security standards for license issuance.”

Meaning licenses from states would have to meet the security standards in the Act if the citizens wanted access to various security-related facilities.

These include planes, federal facilities, and nuclear plants. REAL ID has caused a great deal of controversy, with some decrying the problems it will cause for immigrants.

And according to the ACLU, Homeland Security underestimated how much money it would cost for states.

Now, what does this mean for Iowans? Iowa is one of the 47 states that are REAL ID–compliant, which means you can get a REAL ID at the driving center.

The Iowa Department of Transportation has an entire page of its website devoted to applying and receiving Real IDs. The process, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation, is the same as getting a regular driver’s license, with the same documents used.

It writes, “If your license or ID will expire before October 1, 2020, you can just wait until it’s time to renew and do it then.” It also writes that if your license expires on or after that date, you can come in earlier and apply for a REAL ID at one of the driving centers.

It’s not possible to get a Real ID from a kiosk or through online renewal.

The documents, which are again the same as when you apply for a regular driver’s license, will be covered a couple of sections down in New Residents.

REAL ID will have a major impact on domestic flights starting October 1, 2020, as the TSA won’t take your old license as a form of identification.

Penalties for Driving Without Insurance

The penalties for driving without insurance are steep.

• Found driving without insurance in an accident: a fine of $500, possible license suspension
• Found driving without insurance but not in an accident: a fine is $250, possible community service.

For the second, it’s possible the government will remove your plates and registration, which will be reissued when you pay the fine or finish community service.

There is also the possibility of impoundment of the vehicle.

Because of Iowa’s law, it is possible to drive without proof of insurance and not receive as harsh of a penalty as in other states.

However, if you’re in an accident and convicted of driving without insurance, the state could suspend your license and force you to get an SR-22.

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Teen Driver Laws

When you’re a teen, you long for a car. The ability to go where you want, to drive to school, to go out with friends.

In Iowa, there are laws that regulate when you can get your license, determine how much practice you need, and add restrictions to your driving.

Iowa Learner's Permit Requirements

For a learner’s permit, the earliest age you can apply is at 14. There’s a mandatory period of 12 months before you can apply for a driver’s license.

The minimum age to get your license is 16.

Iowa Unrestricted License Requirements

After you get your driver’s license, there are some restrictions. Iowa is a bit more relaxed than other states, with lower passenger restrictions.

Unsupervised nighttime driving is also limited to just the dead of night, which is one of the dangerous times to drive for all age groups.

Older Driver License Renewal Procedures

Older drivers have their own set of challenges, some of which are physical and some of which are mental. The National Institute of Aging notes five.

• Stiff joints and muscles
• Trouble seeing
• Trouble hearing
• Slower reaction times and reflexes
• Medications that affect driving

As such, they have different license renewal procedures than people who are younger.

Iowa Older Driver License Renewal Procedures

For someone 72 or older, renewal is mandatory every two years. A vision test is required at every renewal, and in-person renewal is required.

Older drivers may be subject to knowledge or road tests if they are under investigation for unsafe driving or have changes to their health.

The Iowa government may also impose restrictions or modifications to a senior’s driving, such as:

• Wearing eyeglasses or contacts
• Not driving at night
• Having an additional right-side mirror

The Iowa Department of Transportation wrote a piece about older drivers that included facts about seniors, mobility, and driving.

– New Residents

New residents: Welcome to the Hawkeye State. Before you have all the fun, you’ll need to get a few things in order for you and your vehicle.

Although there is a paucity of information about the deadline to get an Iowa driver’s license, you’ll need a few things:

• Proof of identity and residency
• Proof of social security number
• Pass a vision test
• Pay fees

You have 30 days upon moving to Iowa to get an Iowan vehicle registration. For this, you’ll want to take documents to the Iowa Treasurer’s office.

• Certificate of ownership
• A completed application for registration

Then, you’re good to go.

License Renewal Procedures

For the rest of the drivers in Iowa, getting a license renewed is much easier and doesn’t happen nearly as often.

Iowa Regular Driver License Renewal Procedures

The renewal period is every eight years or your 74th birthday, with vision tests only required at in-person renewals. Online renewals are permitted every other renewal.

Reckless Driving

Iowa has penalties for reckless driving.

“Any person who drives any vehicle in such manner as to indicate either a willful or a wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving.”

A person will be guilty of a simple misdemeanor if charged and convicted. According to Puryear Law, it can result in license suspension and a hike in insurance rates.

Rules of the Road

Within state laws, the section Rules of the Road is chicken. Why?

Chicken will keep you full and happy and give you the right nutrients (information) to keep your muscles strong, and Rules of the Road will keep you safe.

In this section, we’ll cover all the major laws: seat belts, keep right and move over, fault versus no-fault, and many more. Unlike the other sections, these can make a difference in your everyday driving, keeping you from citations, injuries, and accidents. Let’s chow down.

Fault vs. No-Fault

Iowa is considered an at-fault state, otherwise known as a tort state. At-fault means being responsible for the accident.

Iowa is also a modified comparative fault state, which means that a person needs to show the other driver is more responsible for the accident in order to prove fault (and avoid liability).

The person who is found at-fault in an accident is responsible for all the damages in the accident — to their own vehicle and the other drivers’. This also means any damage to the person themselves — the injuries they sustain and the medical bills they accumulate.

It is possible in Iowa (like other states) to take someone to court over a car accident. This is why insurance coverage is so important. Even a minor accident can cause hundreds of dollars in damage.

A major accident? Thousands, if not tens of thousands.

Seat Belt & Car Seat Laws

Seat belts save lives. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seat belts saved nearly 15,000 lives in 2017 alone.

The estimated seat belt usage in 2018 was 90 percent, which is not high enough. 47 percent of people killed in 2017 were not wearing seatbelts.

In Iowa, the law is fairly straightforward. This information (and information for the speed limits and automation sections) comes from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Iowa Seat Belt Laws

People in the rear seats are not required to wear seat belts.

According to the University of Iowa Public Policy Center, Iowans do a good job abiding by this law, with 94 percent of front-seat occupants wearing belts. However, only 36 percent always use a belt in the backseat. The reason: respondents said because it’s not against the law.

Car seats and rules for toddlers/children are fairly standard when compared to some other states.

Iowa Car Seat Laws

It appears there are no weight requirements for anyone over one year of age (or under 20 pounds). Adult belts are permissible from six years of age to 17. For violating this, the fine is $60. There is also no preference for rear seats.

Keep Right & Move Over Laws

Everyone hates the slowpoke driver, the one that is just hanging out in the left-hand lane, going under the speed limit, probably listening to smooth jazz. The rules in Iowa are simple: keep right if driving slower than the average speed of traffic around you.

The Iowa DOT also adds that drivers are required to move over when there’s a police officer or other car with flashing lights on the side of the road. A fine for violating these rules is $100 plus court costs.

Speed Limits

The NHTSA estimates that 9,700 lives were lost on the road due to speeding in 2017, accounting for 25 percent of all traffic fatalities in that year.

Iowa has speed limits to prevent that. Following the speed limits saves lives.

Iowa Speed Limits

Rural interstate speed limits are higher (70 mph) than urban interstate speed limits (55 mph), and so are limited-access roads and others.

People are trying to prevent speeding-related fatalities. As some would say, the grim reaper needs a different day job.

WheelHouse delves deep into whether they work or not.

Ridesharing

If you’re a rideshare driver, you may have wondered about your insurance. You may have asked questions like:

• Will my insurance company cover me in an accident?
• Is my liability insurance enough?
• Is there an extra amount of protection I can buy?

For that, we’ve got you covered. In Iowa, there are three options when it comes to ridesharing insurance: Farmers, State Farm, and USAA.

Each offers its own packages. When you talk to an agent, remember to ask questions about usage, cost, and coverage. Many coverages are only in effect under certain conditions — when you have a passenger in the car, for instance.

Some companies even offer usage-based, so you pay for only when you’re logged into the app. Extra coverage never hurts.

Automation on the Road

Iowa has a few laws and regulations governing the use of autonomous vehicles on the road.

Iowa - Automation

It is trying to stay ahead of the curve on this, as the legislature passed Senate File 302 earlier this year, laying down laws for autonomous vehicles.

This is for good reason: autonomous vehicles are coming soon, and Iowa happens to be home to one of the top-10 automated proving grounds in the nation, with The National Advanced Driving Simulator.

The future is coming soon:

Safety Laws

So, your potatoes have been eaten and the other law sections are healthy food. This section, however, is like swordfish: at first, it’s tasty, but too much leads to poisoning.

The issues in this section can lead to violations, fines, and court costs — if you’re lucky. If you’re not, you’re looking at serious injury or death.

This is the section on safety laws, covering three major categories — drinking, marijuana, and texting.

OWI Laws

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), 30 people die every day as a result of a drunk driving accident. That’s one every 48 minutes.

Drunk driving as a whole costs the United States $132 billion; about $500 per person in the country.

According to the IIHS, blood alcohol content plays a major role in serious wrecks. In Iowa, the offense is called Operating While Under the Influence (OWI).

• The BAC threshold for a regular OWI is .08
• The BAC threshold for an aggravated OWI is .15

As IIHS writes, “Drivers with very high BACs (at or above 0.15 percent) have a very high risk of dying in a crash or getting severely injured . . .”

The escalation of crimes in Iowa is this: the 1st offense is a serious misdemeanor, the 2nd an aggravated misdemeanor, and the 3rd or more are class D felonies.

The penalties are steep.

Iowa OWI penalties

All penalties after the 3rd are the same as those for the 3rd. There’s a 12-year lookback/washout period, which means that the offense stays on your record for 12 years.

You can apply for a temporary restricted license immediately after the first offense, and after 45 days for subsequent offenses.

Iowa is in the middle of the pack when it comes to OWI arrests. In 2016, around 9,800 people were arrested, which is 4,092 out of 1 million people.

Iowa ranked 26th in the United States. Overall, 11 percent of total arrests are for OWIs, which ranks 19th in America.

Marijuana-Impaired Driving Laws

Marijuana may not have the same stigma when it comes to driving, but smoking and driving can still affect drivers.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Marijuana significantly impairs judgment, motor coordination, and reaction time . . . studies have found a . . . relationship between blood THC concentration and impaired driving ability.”

Iowa has just one specific restriction against driving while high, according to Responsibility.org: zero tolerance for THC only. CBD is apparently fine.

Distracted Driving Laws

Distracted driving is a serious problem, claiming 3,100 lives in 2017 alone, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTHSA). Iowa has laws in place to deter distracted driving, including texting and driving.

Iowa Cell Phone Laws

Texting and driving is banned for all drivers; however, there is only a handheld ban for drivers with a restricted license. Everyone else is free to use their phones, for everything other than texting (not that it’s particularly safe).

Driving in Iowa

Imagine this:

You’re sitting in your kitchen one morning, drinking a cup of coffee. Suddenly, you hear a window shattering outside and a car gunning up.

It sounds like your car.

You run out the door, still in your bathrobe and slippers, and see a person driving your car out of the driveway and roaring down the street. Your cup of coffee is forgotten.

Although this may seem like an extreme situation, vehicle theft happens every day. What can you do to prevent it? That’s what we’ll address in this section. From vehicle theft rates to road fatalities, we’ll show you just how safe Iowa’s roads are.

Vehicle Theft in Iowa

Back to that scenario. In Iowa, certain cars are stolen more than others. At the top? The Chevy Pickup.

Iowa Vehicle Thefts

Three of the top four vehicles stolen are trucks, with all cars made in 2007 or before. Like with models stolen, there are certain cities that have more vehicles stolen per year than others. The following is a list for 2017 from the FBI.

Iowa Vehicle Theft by City

Generally, urban centers have more vehicle thefts than rural areas, as there are more people and more vehicles to be stolen. This is not an exception in Iowa, with Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Sioux City having some of the highest totals.

Road Fatalities in Iowa

While it’s difficult to picture, road fatalities happen every day, caused by numerous factors. Some of those include weather conditions, speeding, driving while intoxicated, and EMS response times.

Some counties, cities, roads, and highways have more than others.

In this section, we’ll cover everything from the most-fatal highway to the five-year fatalities trend for the five-most-populous counties.

Let’s get on the road.

Most Fatal Highway in Iowa

Every state has its most fatal highway. In Iowa, that highway is I-80. The stats are not pretty.

• 0.6 fatal crash rate
• Over 15 fatal crashes per year

As Trooper Bob Conrad tells Fox28, I-80 is the highway “that never sleeps.” He says, “Whether it’s morning, afternoon, or nighttime, you’ve got to have your guard up.”

Its designation as the most fatal highway in Iowa may come from its length: it is a transcontinental highway with plenty of tired drivers.

Fatal Crashes by Weather Condition & Light Condition

Weather and visibility also impact fatalities. Often, sleet, snow, rain, and darkness can lead to more fatal crashes.

Iowa Weather Conditions Fatalities

While it’s hard to measure the impact of weather with these statistics, they show a clear relationship between reduced visibility and fatal crashes.

• Fatal crashes during daylight: 160
• Fatal crashes in dark, dark but lighted, and dawn or dusk: 139

As Pines Salomon Injury Lawyers note, “Despite 60 percent less traffic on the roads, more than 40 percent of all fatal car accidents occur at night.”

It certainly is a thing.

Fatalities (All Crashes) by County

Generally, the counties that have the largest populations have the highest fatalities. All statistics about fatalities (until the Teen Drinking and Driving section) comes from the NHTSA.

Iowa Counties Fatalities

Within Iowa, that is no different — the counties with the highest fatalities are the ones with the major cities (Des Moines, Sioux City, others).

To find your county, plug the name into the search bar.

Traffic Fatalities

Often, there are more fatal crashes in rural areas than urban. Is this the case in Iowa?

Iowa Fatalities Rural vs Urban

Significantly. Four in five fatal crashes happen in rural areas in the Hawkeye State, even though just one-third of the population lived in rural areas.

Dolman Law Group posed several reasons for the larger number of fatal crashes that happen in rural areas.

• Speed limits: They are generally higher in rural areas
• Dangerous roads: There are windy, tricky roads in rural areas
• Alcohol use: There is no public transport to safely get someone home
• Not wearing a seat belt: Fewer people wear them in rural areas

EMS times are also longer in rural areas, sometimes double that of urban areas.

Fatalities by Person Type

It is also possible to break down fatal crashes by the person type.

Iowa Fatalities by Person Type

Fatalities of occupants of cars are the highest, with occupants of light trucks not far behind. Motorcyclist fatalities are also high; however, Iowa was ranked third with one motorcycle for 18 people. Pedestrians make up about 1/17 of the total.

Fatalities by Crash Type

Fatalities can also be sorted into crash types.

Iowa Fatalities by Crash Type

Of the nearly 1,700 fatalities, 1,000 were categorized as roadway departures. This is consistent with the number of rural area deaths.

According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), two-thirds of deaths on rural roads were categorized as roadway departures in 2016.

The FHWA goes further and says 28 percent of roadway departures occur on horizontal curves, where a person is more likely leave their lane.

There have been some initiatives to reduce the number of roadway departures and deaths on rural roads in general. However, it is a difficult issue, as some state and local governments have not made the steps to repair or add safety measures to rural roads.

Five-Year Trend for the Top 10 Counties

The top 10 Counties in Iowa have the largest cities. So what are their trends?

Iowa Top 10 Counties Fatalities

Total, they comprise 600 out of the 1,700 traffic fatalities in the area in 2017. An interesting part here is the variance; for instance, Scott County has the second-highest fatality total but is ranked 10th in population.

There are three counties with a steady rise in fatalities for the period: Cerro Gordo, Marshall, and Dubuque.

Overall, the top 10 counties comprised nearly 60 percent of the total of all other counties. This is not necessarily unusual, as the top counties usually are urban areas and have much higher population densities than the others.

Fatalities in Crashes Involving an Alcohol-Impaired Driver

Then there is the issue of the alcohol-impaired driver.

Iowa Drunk Driving Fatalities

The top five counties were Polk (36), Scott (28), Pottawattamie (18), Dallas (15), and Woodbury (14).

There are some interesting notes: Linn County, the second-most populous county in Iowa and home to Cedar Rapids, does not make the top five, while Dallas County, which doesn’t make the top 10 counties, makes this list.

The rest have large urban areas; Polk with Des Moines, Scott with Davenport, Pottawattamie with Council Bluffs, and Woodbury with Sioux City.

Teen Drinking & Driving

There are some factors that exacerbate traffic fatalities, and one of those is alcohol. We’ve seen general statistics. So what about those for teens? In 2016, 71 people under the age of 18 were arrested for OWIs: that’s 97 per 1 million people.

That’s good for 20th in the country. For every one minor, 139 adults were arrested.

Fortunately, Iowans are working on this issue.

EMS Response Time

EMS response times often influence traffic fatalities. What are the numbers in Iowa?

Iowa EMS Times

Overall, the numbers are good, with both rural and urban response times less than 50 minutes. The average rural response time is nearly double the urban average, which might lead to more traffic fatalities.

Transportation

Imagine that you’re on your way to work, traveling that busy highway, when suddenly the brake lights from cars in front of you start lighting up. You brake, slowing to 30 mph, then 20 mph, then 10, then you stop. It’s that morning traffic again.

Traffic is a serious issue in many cities. It can cause lost time, missed meetings, and a rise in your blood pressure.

So what are the commute times in Iowa?

In this section, we answer that question and many more. This is the final hurrah, the action sequence, the long goodbye.

Transportation in Iowa.

Ready player one?

Car Ownership

The breakdown goes like this: a plurality of Americans own two cars, followed by three and then one.

What are the car ownership numbers in Iowa?

The following graphs and data come from Data USA, which is an organization with a team of data scientists that pull together public data for profiles.

Overall, pretty much the same. A slightly higher number of Iowan households own three, four, and five cars than the average American household.

A fewer number of Iowan households own one or zero.

Commute Time

Now, about that commute time. The average American commute is 25.5 minutes. What is the average commute time in Iowa?

The average commute in Iowa is 18.4 minutes, a full seven minutes below the national average.

The majority of commutes are between five and 24 minutes, with the fifth-largest category being 30-34 minutes. Around 12 percent have commutes longer than 35 minutes.

Commuter Transportation

Most Americans drive to work alone. Is this the case for residents of Iowa?

Very much so, if not more so. Over 80 percent of Iowans drive to work alone, which is more than the national average. Public transit is next to nothing, and more people in Iowa walk to work compared to the U.S. average.

Traffic Congestion in Iowa

The good news: Iowa has such little traffic congestion that its top three cities didn’t make the major traffic indexes of TomTom and INRIX.

However, Des Moines, the most populous city in Iowa, made it onto a third major index — Numbeo.

For different cities around the world, Numbeo creates five indexes — one overall traffic index and four other indexes.

The four other indexes are a time index, a time experience index, an inefficiency index, and a CO2 emissions index.

• Overall index: 106.30
• Time index (in minutes): 20.68
• Time experience index: 20.68
• Inefficiency index: 90.02
• CO2 emission index: 5,124

The overall index is a composite of all of the minor indexes. The average one-way trip takes 20.68 minutes in Des Moines, with a normal amount of dissatisfaction.

The inefficiency is 90; as a comparison, New York City’s inefficiency index is 194. The CO2 emission index is 5,124; as a comparison, Los Angeles’s index is 12,468.

But traffic is fairly normal in Iowa, if not above-average compared to much of the country, with commute times and traffic being low.

Okay, that’s it! You’ve made it. Now you should have all the information you need to make a decision about car insurance in Iowa.

Clear eyes, full hearts! Happy driving.

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