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An Iowa intermediate license lets 16 and 17 year olds drive alone between 5 a.m. and 12:30 a.m. For the first six months, you may carry only one unrelated minor passenger unless a parent waives that limit. This post covers who qualifies, every restriction, the waivers, and how to move up to a full license at 17. It is written for Iowa teens and the parents who sign their forms.
Key facts (Iowa Code section 321.180B, Iowa Code 2026)
- Age: 16 or 17.
- Permit held for at least 12 months immediately before you apply.
- 20 hours of supervised driving, including 2 after sunset and before sunrise, confirmed by a parent affidavit.
- Approved driver education completed, either a course or parent-taught.
- No crashes or violations, and no suspension, in the 6 months before you apply.
- Hours: an accompanying driver is required between 12:30 a.m. and 5 a.m.
- Passengers: one unrelated minor for the first 6 months unless a parent waives it, and never more than the number of seat belts.
Who can get an Iowa intermediate license?
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Age | 16 or 17 |
| Permit | Iowa instruction permit, or a comparable permit from another state, held 12 months immediately before you apply |
| Supervised driving | 20 hours, 2 of them at night, with a parent, guardian, custodian, instructor, person certified by Iowa DOT, or person 25 or older with written parent permission |
| Driver education | Approved course (Iowa Code section 321.178) or parent-taught course (section 321.178A) |
| Clean record | No crashes, violations, suspension, revocation or bar in the previous 6 months |
| Driving test | Waived after an approved course unless your parent, guardian or instructor asks for one; required after parent-taught driver education |
| Fee | License fee paid at issuance (Class C is $4 per year of validity under Iowa Code section 321.191) |
Details: supervised hours, parent-taught driver ed and the Iowa driving test.
Iowa intermediate license hours: the 12:30 a.m. rule
You can drive without a supervisor from 5:00 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Between 12:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., one of these people must sit beside you and hold a license valid for the vehicle:
- your parent, guardian or custodian
- an immediate family member 21 or older
- an approved driver education instructor
- a person 25 or older with written permission from your parent, guardian or custodian
School and work waiver (form 431170)
The law lets you drive alone between 12:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. to and from school-related extracurricular activities and work, if you have a waiver on the Iowa DOT form. Iowa DOT identifies this as form 431170. Keep the completed form in the vehicle whenever you drive during those hours.
Passenger limits on an Iowa intermediate license
- Always: no more passengers than there are seat belts.
- First 6 months: no more than one unrelated minor passenger when you drive without a qualified supervisor.
- Who counts as unrelated: anyone under 18 who is not your sibling or stepsibling and does not live in your household.
- Parent waiver: a parent or guardian can waive the six-month passenger limit only when the license is issued. If they do not, the license carries restriction code 9.
Scenario
Two months after getting your license, you drive your younger brother and two friends from school with no adult in the car. Your brother does not count, but two unrelated minors is one too many, unless your parent waived the limit at issuance.
Phones on an intermediate license
Iowa’s hands-free law (Iowa Code section 321.276) applies to every driver. You may not hold, view or manipulate an electronic device while driving. Voice-activated or single-touch hands-free use is allowed, but video calls, streaming and reading messages are not. See hands-free and texting laws for US drivers.
What happens if you break the rules?
- Breaking the hour or passenger restrictions is cited under section 321.180B. It is not treated as a moving violation, but Iowa DOT can suspend your license on evidence that you broke the restrictions.
- A moving violation or crash can lead to remedial driver improvement action or suspension.
- After a violation or crash, you cannot get a full license until you complete any remedial action and then stay accident and violation free for 12 months in a row.
Getting your full Iowa license at 17
- Be 17 or older.
- Hold the intermediate license, or a comparable one from another state, for at least 12 months immediately before you apply.
- Have a parent affidavit for 10 more hours of supervised driving, 2 of them at night.
- Have no crashes, violations or suspension in the previous 12 months.
- Pay the license fee.
Iowa DOT rules let you apply for the upgrade electronically if your intermediate license was issued in person and you meet the other conditions. Otherwise, visit a service center. A license issued before age 17 years 11 months lasts two years from your birthday; after that age, it lasts up to eight years.
Common questions
Can I drive after midnight on an Iowa intermediate license?
Yes, until 12:30 a.m. From 12:30 a.m. to 5 a.m. you need a qualified supervisor, unless you are driving to or from work or a school activity and carry the waiver form.
How many friends can I drive with on an intermediate license in Iowa?
One unrelated minor for the first six months, unless your parent waived it when the license was issued. After that, the seat belt limit is the only passenger rule.
Can my parent remove the passenger limit later?
The law allows the waiver only at the time the intermediate license is issued.
Do siblings count toward the passenger limit?
No. Siblings, stepsiblings and children who live in your household do not count.
I moved from another state. Does my out-of-state permit time count?
A comparable instruction permit from another state counts toward the 12 months. If you held a license in another state for a year, see moving to a new state and Iowa DOT’s page for minors moving to Iowa.
What if I turn 18 before getting a full license?
The GDL rules in section 321.180B apply to people under 18. Check with Iowa DOT how your license converts.
For the whole route, see learning to drive in Iowa. To compare states, see GDL laws by state.
Sources
- Iowa Legislature, “Iowa Code 2026, Section 321.180B: Graduated driver’s licenses for persons aged fourteen through seventeen” (legis.iowa.gov)
- Iowa Legislature, “Iowa Code 2026, Section 321.196: Expiration of license, renewal” (legis.iowa.gov)
- Iowa Legislature, “Iowa Code 2026, Section 321.276: Use of electronic device while driving” (legis.iowa.gov)
- Iowa Legislature, “Iowa Code 2026, Section 321.191: Fees for driver’s licenses” (legis.iowa.gov)
- Iowa Legislature, “Iowa Administrative Code 761, Chapter 605: License issuance” (legis.iowa.gov)
- Iowa Department of Transportation, “Intermediate License” and “Full License” (iowadot.gov)
- Iowa Department of Transportation, “Passenger Restriction for an Intermediate License” (iowadot.gov)