Iowa Auto Insurance

Iowa follows a Tort insurance system. If you cause an accident, you and your insurance company will be responsible for taking care of everybody’s medical expenses and reinstating all damaged property to its previous state.

Minimum insurance requirements

The minimum mandatory coverage in Iowa is Liability insurance with limits of 20/40/15:

• $20,000 in Bodily Injury Liability per person and $40,000 per accident,
• $15,000 for property damage per accident.

Average insurance rates in Iowa

The average Liability coverage in Iowa costs $829, which puts Iowa on the list of the cheapest states to buy insurance in. However, it costs more in larger metropolitan areas: $1,185 in Des Moines, $1,005 in Cedar Rapids, $1,162 in Davenport and $1,383 in Council Bluffs.

Laws regarding the use of cellphones when driving

The State Senate has ruled that no drivers are allowed to use mobile phones for text-based communication while operating a vehicle. Moreover, aspiring teenage drivers with a restricted or intermediate license may not use a cellphone altogether when driving, except for emergency purposes. All other drivers must use hands-free devices when engaging in a phone conversation.

Teenage driving regulations

Iowa uses the Graduated Driver License (GDL) program, a system that attempts to minimize the risk of young drivers getting into risky situations, while still allowing them to get used to driving on public roads. The GDL is meant for aspiring drivers between 14 and 16, and several restrictions apply:

• they may not drive unaccompanied unless they are coming from or going to work, school, a school-related event or in case of an emergency;
• they may only transport as many passengers as the number of seatbelts;
• must have a spotless driving record before applying for a full license, otherwise more restrictions will be put in place.

Penalties for driving uninsured in Iowa

The average ticket for driving without insurance (or underinsured) in Iowa starts at around $250. Additionally, should you cause an accident, your vehicle operating and registration privileges will be suspended immediately and, in order to have them reinstated, you will have to submit proof of financial responsibility as per a judge’s request (which, usually, means filing a SR22 certificate for three years).