📋 What to Bring
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Proof of identity & residency
Documents accepted by the Iowa DOT (e.g. passport or birth certificate, Social Security number, two proofs of Iowa residency); REAL ID needs specific documents
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Application & fee
Complete the application and pay the fee at a DOT Service Center or County Treasurer's Office
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Parent/guardian (if under 18)
Applicants under 18 need parent/guardian consent and must complete Iowa's Graduated Driver License steps (instruction permit at 14, intermediate at 16)
📅 How to Schedule
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Study the manual and practice
Read the Iowa Driver's Manual and take practice tests covering signs, rules of the road, and safe driving.
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Visit a DOT Service Center
You can take the knowledge test for an instruction permit from age 14. Bring your documents and fee; the test is offered in English and Spanish.
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Pass the vision and knowledge tests
Pass a vision screening, then the 35-question knowledge test (28 to pass). When you pass, you receive your instruction permit and enter Iowa's graduated licensing.
💡 Test Day Tips
- •The Iowa knowledge test has 35 questions; you must answer 28 correctly (80%) to pass.
- •The legal BAC limit is 0.08 (0.04 for commercial drivers); drivers under 21 have a 0.02 zero-tolerance limit.
- •Iowa's Move Over / Slow Down law: move over a lane or slow down for stopped emergency, maintenance, tow, and other vehicles with flashing lights.
- •On gravel/rural roads — common in Iowa — reduce speed, watch for loose surfaces and limited sight distance at uncontrolled intersections.
- •You must stop for a stopped school bus with flashing red lights; on an undivided road, traffic in BOTH directions must stop.
📚 Driver Handbook
All practice questions are based on the chapters below. Click any chapter to read it on the official DMV website.
🎯 Practice by Topic
Your Driver's License
Your Iowa driver's license: who needs one, residency, what to carry, required health screenings, and license basics.
Traffic Signs & Rules of the Road
Traffic signs and rules of the road: sign shapes and colors, signals, railroad crossings, work zones, pavement markings, lane use, intersections, emergency vehicles, school buses, parking, and Iowa's Move Over law.
Preparing to Drive
Preparing to drive: vehicle maintenance, seats and mirrors, advanced driver-assistance systems, blind spots, seat belts and child restraints, securing loads, eliminating distractions, alcohol and drugs, and drowsy driving.
Basic Driving Skills
Basic driving skills: starting, shifting, accelerating, braking and stopping, appropriate speed, steering, backing, turning, lane changes, passing, defensive driving, and communicating with lights and horn.
Applying Your Driving Skills
Applying your driving skills: intersections, interstate and highway driving, roundabouts, rural/gravel roads, night driving, deer and animals, sharing the road with trucks/motorcycles/bicyclists/pedestrians, inclement weather, equipment failure, crashes, and law-enforcement stops.