Iowa Permit Test Sample Questions
Real, Iowa-specific sample questions from our practice question bank, with the correct answer, a full explanation, and a source reference for each. See our national sample questions for topics that apply to every state, or take the full Iowa permit practice test to test yourself instead of just reading the answers.
Licensing Provisional Rules
1. How many questions are on Iowa's permit knowledge test, and what's the passing score?
Iowa's permit knowledge test has 35 questions, and an applicant needs at least 28 correct (80%) to pass.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
2. What is the minimum age to apply for an Iowa instruction permit?
An Iowa teen may apply for an instruction permit starting at age 14, one of the youngest starting ages nationally, with parent or guardian consent.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
3. What restricted license can an Iowa teen qualify for at just 14½, before the standard intermediate license path?
Iowa's Special Minor's Restricted License (SMRL) is available at 14½ to a teen who completes driver education and holds a clean-record instruction permit for 6 consecutive months.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
4. What driving is a Special Minor's Restricted License (SMRL) holder allowed to do?
An Iowa SMRL holder may drive unsupervised to school, extracurricular activities, work, or farm-related work, generally within 25 miles using the most direct route.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
5. How long must an Iowa teen hold an instruction permit before applying for an intermediate license?
Iowa requires holding the instruction permit for a total of at least 12 months before applying for an intermediate license at 16.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
6. How many hours of supervised driving does Iowa require before an intermediate license?
Iowa requires 20 hours of supervised driving before an intermediate license — fewer hours than most states require.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
7. What must an Iowa teen complete before an intermediate license, besides the permit hold and supervised hours?
An Iowa teen must complete an Iowa-approved driver education course before qualifying for an intermediate license.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
8. What is Iowa's curfew for an intermediate license holder driving unsupervised?
An Iowa intermediate license holder can't drive unsupervised between 12:30 a.m. and 5 a.m.; supervised driving during those hours is allowed.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
9. Who decides whether Iowa's passenger restriction applies to a specific intermediate license holder?
Iowa uniquely lets a parent or guardian waive the passenger restriction entirely when their teen's intermediate license is issued, rather than making it mandatory statewide.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
10. If a parent accepts Iowa's passenger restriction, how many unrelated minors can an intermediate license holder carry unsupervised in the first 6 months?
If the parent accepts the restriction, an Iowa intermediate license holder can't carry more than one unrelated minor passenger while driving unsupervised in the first 6 months.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
11. Does Iowa's passenger restriction apply to a teen driver's own siblings?
Iowa's passenger restriction doesn't apply to brothers, sisters, step-siblings, or other minors living in the same household.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
More Questions
12. Can an Iowa intermediate license holder use a device permanently installed in the vehicle, like built-in navigation?
Iowa's device ban for an intermediate license holder covers phones, smartphones, tablets, and similar devices, but doesn't apply to equipment permanently installed in the vehicle.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
13. What BAC threshold triggers Iowa's zero-tolerance law for a driver under 21?
Iowa's zero-tolerance law flags a BAC of 0.02% or higher for a driver under 21, far below the standard 0.08% adult threshold.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
14. What is the license revocation for a first zero-tolerance violation in Iowa (BAC 0.02%-0.08%)?
A first zero-tolerance violation in Iowa (BAC 0.02% to just under 0.08%) brings a 60-day license revocation, rising to 90 days for a later violation.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
15. What happens if an under-21 Iowa driver refuses chemical testing after a suspected zero-tolerance violation?
Refusing chemical testing after a suspected zero-tolerance violation brings a harsher penalty than testing positive — a one-year revocation on a first refusal, two years on a later one.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
16. What following distance should an Iowa driver keep in good conditions?
A 3-second following gap in good conditions gives an Iowa driver enough time to react if the vehicle ahead brakes suddenly.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
17. What is Iowa's official driver handbook called?
Iowa's official handbook is the Iowa Driver's Manual, published by the Iowa Department of Transportation.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
18. What is generally true about headlight use in Iowa?
Iowa generally requires headlights starting a half hour after sunset through a half hour before sunrise, along with any time visibility is poor.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
19. What does a double solid yellow line mean for passing in Iowa?
A double solid yellow line prohibits passing for vehicles traveling in either direction.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
20. What should an Iowa driver do at a railroad crossing with no gates or lights?
Even without gates or warning lights, a driver should slow down, look both directions, and listen for an approaching train before crossing.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
21. Without signs or signals, who has the right-of-way at an Iowa intersection?
At an uncontrolled intersection, an Iowa driver yields to the vehicle approaching from the right.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
22. What must Iowa drivers do when approaching a stopped school bus with flashing red lights on an undivided road?
Iowa requires traffic in both directions on an undivided road to stop for a school bus with flashing red lights, and to remain stopped until the lights stop flashing.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
23. Who must wear a seatbelt in a moving vehicle under Iowa law?
Iowa law requires the driver and all passengers, in every seating position, to wear a seatbelt.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
24. What does Iowa's basic speed law require regardless of the posted limit?
Iowa's basic speed law requires a safe speed for current conditions, which can mean driving below the posted limit even when it's technically legal to go faster.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual
25. What does a flashing yellow traffic signal mean in Iowa?
A flashing yellow signal means proceed with caution, unlike a flashing red, which requires a full stop.
Source: Iowa Driver's Manual