Iowa practice tests
Iowa's knowledge test is a written test on traffic signs, Iowa traffic laws and safe driving, taken with a vision screening before your first instruction permit. Iowa DOT does not publish the number of questions, so our size is our own choice: 25 questions with 20 correct (80%) to pass, matching Iowa DOT's own online practice test, which says 80% or higher passes. You can take the test at a DMV, at a county treasurer's office, at a participating school, or at home with a parent as proctor, from age 14. Every answer in our free practice sets comes from the Iowa Driver's License Manual or Iowa DOT's own pages.
- 25 questions
- 20 to pass
The test in Iowa
Every figure links to the page it was read from, with the date it was checked. Formats change; the source wins over this table.
| What | Figure | Source · checked |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | Not stated (our own choice: 25)Iowa DOT does not publish how many questions the real knowledge test has. Its online practice test draws 25 questions from a larger bank that includes questions from the real test, so our size of 25 is our own choice, matching that practice test. The test covers traffic signs, rules of the road and safe driving from the Iowa Driver's License Manual. | Iowa DOT: Take a Practice Testchecked 2026-11-01 |
| To pass | 80% or higherIowa DOT's practice test page says a score of 80% or higher is needed for a passing score. Our sets apply that rule: 20 of 25 correct. | Iowa DOT: Take a Practice Testchecked 2026-11-01 |
| Time limit | Not statedIowa DOT does not publish a time limit for the knowledge test. Our sets have no time limit. | Iowa DOT: Instruction Permit for Under Age 18checked 2026-11-01 |
| Signs part | Not a separate testIowa DOT describes a single knowledge test plus a vision screening. Traffic signs are covered in Chapter 2 of the manual, and our sets mix sign questions with pictures into each test. | Iowa Driver's License Manual (complete book), PDFchecked 2026-11-01 |
| Where to test | DMV, county treasurer's office, participating school, or at homeFor the home test, a parent or guardian with a valid Iowa driver's license applies to proctor it (allow 7 to 14 days), and the student needs a computer, not a phone or tablet. The emailed test link expires after 72 hours. The permit page says the child must be at least 14; the Skip the Trip page says the student must be within 30 days of their 14th birthday and younger than 18. After passing at home or at school, you still visit a DMV or county treasurer to be issued the permit. | Iowa DOT: Online Permit Test (Skip the Trip)checked 2026-11-01 |
| Minimum age | 14 for an instruction permitUnder 18, you also need a parent's or guardian's written consent (in person or on form 430018). A special minor's restricted license for driving to school or work is available from 14 1/2 after driver education and six months with a clean record on the permit. | Iowa DOT: Instruction Permit for Under Age 18checked 2026-11-01 |
| Instruction permit rules | Always drive with adult supervision; no handheld devices; passengers no more than seat beltsThe supervising adult must hold a valid license and be your parent, guardian or custodian, an immediate family member aged 21 or older, a driver education instructor, or a person aged 25 or older with written permission from your parent, guardian or custodian. A first violation, conviction or crash brings a warning letter and possible suspension; a second brings a 30-day suspension, and each one delays your next license step by six months. | Iowa DOT: Instruction Permit for Under Age 18checked 2026-11-01 |
| Intermediate license | From 16, after driver education and 12 months with a permitYou need a clean record for the six months right before you apply. You may drive alone from 5 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.; between 12:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. you need adult supervision unless a parent signs a waiver (form 431170) for school or work. If the passenger restriction is accepted when the license is issued, you may carry only one unrelated minor passenger without adult supervision for the first six months; parents may waive it only at issuance. | Iowa DOT: Intermediate Licensechecked 2026-11-01 |
| Practice driving | Parent-taught program: 30 hours, 3 at night; full license: 10 more hours, 2 at nightStudents in Iowa DOT's parent-taught driver education program log 30 hours of street or highway driving, including 3 hours between sunset and sunrise. Approved driver education courses must include 30 clock hours of classroom and at least 6 clock hours of laboratory instruction. For the full license, you add 10 hours of supervised driving on the intermediate license, at least 2 between sunset and sunrise. | Iowa DOT: Parent-Taught Driver Educationchecked 2026-11-01 |
| Full license | From 17, after 12 months on an intermediate licenseThe 12 months must be consecutive and immediately before you apply, and a crash, conviction or restriction violation delays the upgrade. Licenses for drivers under 18 or 21 are marked "under eighteen" or "under twenty-one". | Iowa DOT: Full Licensechecked 2026-11-01 |
| Fee: instruction permit | $6Class C instruction permit, valid for 4 years. A special minor's restricted license is $16. Credit cards carry a $1.50 processing fee, and county locations may add a convenience fee. | Iowa DOT: Driver's License Feeschecked 2026-11-01 |
| Fee: operator license | $4 per year of the license termClass C operator license. Iowa DOT says licenses for drivers under 18 are issued with shorter renewal periods set by Iowa law, so the total depends on the term. | Iowa DOT: Driver's License Feeschecked 2026-11-01 |
| What to bring | Primary ID, proof of residency, proof of Social Security number, parental consentIowa DOT offers an online checklist that builds your document list. Under 18, a parent or guardian gives consent in person or on form 430018. Bring glasses or contacts if you wear them for the vision screening. | Iowa DOT: Instruction Permit for Under Age 18checked 2026-11-01 |
| Languages | Manual in English plus 25 archived translations; test languages not statedIowa DOT posts the manual in English and in archived translations including Arabic, Bosnian, Spanish, Swahili, Vietnamese and others. It does not list the languages the knowledge test is offered in. | Iowa DOT: Driver's Manualchecked 2026-11-01 |
| Manual edition | Iowa Driver's License Manual, M1170 (07/23/2026)The edition code and date printed on the back cover of the English manual downloaded from Iowa DOT. | Iowa Driver's License Manual (complete book), PDFchecked 2026-11-01 |
Full tests
- Test 125 questions · untimed · pass 20difficulty 1 of 6
- Test 225 questions · untimed · pass 20difficulty 2 of 6
- Test 325 questions · untimed · pass 20difficulty 3 of 6
- Test 425 questions · untimed · pass 20difficulty 4 of 6
- Test 525 questions · untimed · pass 20difficulty 5 of 6
- Test 625 questions · untimed · pass 20difficulty 6 of 6
Handbook chapters
- Chapter 1: Getting your permit and licenseHow Iowa's graduated driver's license works: the knowledge test and vision screening, testing at home or at school, the instruction permit from age 14, who may supervise you, the intermediate license, the full license, fees and what to bring.
- Chapter 2: Traffic signsIowa sign colors and shapes, regulatory signs such as STOP, YIELD, DO NOT ENTER and WRONG WAY, common warning signs, the slow-moving vehicle emblem, and guide, service and route signs.
- Chapter 3: Signals, railroad crossings and work zonesWhat each Iowa traffic light and arrow means, how to cross railroad tracks safely, which vehicles must stop at every crossing, what to do if you stall on the tracks, and how to drive through work zones.
- Chapter 4: Pavement markings and lanesIowa's yellow and white lines, yield lines, stop lines and crosswalks, reversible and shared left-turn lanes, reserved lanes, lane use and turning, bike lanes, sharrows and bike boxes, crosswalk beacons and sight-impaired pedestrians.
- Chapter 5: Right of way, school buses and parkingIowa right-of-way rules at controlled and uncontrolled intersections, pedestrian conveyances, emergency vehicles, school bus stopping rules, where you may not park, the Move Over or Slow Down law and the Steer It-Clear It law.
- Chapter 6: Preparing to driveVehicle checks for brakes, lights, glass, tires and mirrors, seat and mirror set-up, driver-assistance technology, blind spots, Iowa seat belt and child restraint law, loose objects, distractions and the hands-free law, drowsy driving and Iowa 511.
- Chapter 7: Alcohol and drugsIowa's Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) law: the 0.08 limit, any controlled substance, the 0.02 limit under 21, implied consent, the penalties for refusing a test, and the open container law.
- Chapter 8: Basic driving skillsBraking, stopping distances and the 3- to 4-second rule, required stops, ABS, Iowa's default speed limits, steering and backing, turn signals at 100 and 300 feet, turns on red, lane changes, passing rules, defensive driving, tailgaters, headlights, the horn and hazard lights.
- Chapter 9: Applying your driving skillsScanning intersections, crossing rural four-lane roads, interstate on-ramps, reduced-conflict intersections, diverging diamonds, roundabouts, gravel roads, night driving, deer, large trucks, motorcycles, bicyclists and pedestrians, and hot cars.
- Chapter 10: Weather, emergencies and crashesDriving in rain, fog, floods, tornadoes, ice and snow, sharing the road with snowplows, handling flat tires, brake failure, a stuck gas pedal and other breakdowns, what to do after an Iowa crash, and traffic stops.