Iowa Insurance & Collisions practice test

Practice required coverage and what to do after a crash: 22 questions based on the Iowa Driver's License Manual, 12 of them on Iowa's own rules.

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Key Iowa facts: Insurance & Collisions

  • Iowa's minimum liability coverage is $20,000 for injury or death of one person, $40,000 for two or more people and $15,000 for property damage in one accident. §321A.1(11) and §321A.21
  • You may not drive unless liability coverage is in effect and the proof-of-coverage card is in the vehicle; the card may be shown on a phone. §321.20B(1)(a)
  • A driver stopped without proof of coverage may get a warning or a citation, and the officer may also remove the plates and registration or impound the vehicle. §321.20B(4)(a)
  • The scheduled fine for driving without proof of coverage is $325, or $645 when charged in connection with a crash. §805.8A(14)(f)
  • A driver in a crash that injures or kills someone must notify the sheriff, state patrol or another officer immediately by the quickest means. §321.266(1)

Sample Insurance & Collisions questions

A crash causes $2,000 in damage and no officer investigates it. What must you do?

  • Mail a report to the county within 30 days
  • Send a written report to the Iowa DOT within 72 hours
  • Nothing, since no one was injured in the crash at all
  • Tell your insurance company and no one else at all
Show the answer

Send a written report to the Iowa DOT within 72 hours

The report is needed for injury, death, or apparent damage of $1,500 or more.

Source: Iowa Code 2026, §321.266, §321.266(2)

After a crash with no injuries, your car still runs. What does Iowa law require?

  • Leave it where it stopped until police come
  • Stay inside it until a tow truck arrives
  • Drive home first and report the crash later
  • Move it off the traveled road if it is safe
Show the answer

Move it off the traveled road if it is safe

Pull to the shoulder, emergency lane or median, then stop and exchange information.

Source: Iowa Code 2026, §321.262, §321.262(1)-(2); Manual Chapter 2, 2.28, p. 22

What is Iowa's minimum liability coverage for injury or death of one person in a crash?

  • $50,000
  • $25,000
  • $20,000
  • $10,000
Show the answer

$20,000

The minimums are $40,000 for two or more people and $15,000 for property damage.

Source: Iowa Code 2026, §321A.21, §321A.1(11) and §321A.21

May you show your Iowa proof-of-insurance card on your phone?

  • Only if the officer agrees to it
  • Only when driving a rental car
  • Yes, an electronic card is accepted
  • No, only a paper card is valid
Show the answer

Yes, an electronic card is accepted

The card must be in the vehicle whenever you drive.

Source: Iowa Code 2026, §321.20B, §321.20B(1)(a)

Why does Iowa want damaged but drivable vehicles moved out of interstate lanes?

  • Because police officers cannot reach blocked lanes
  • Each blocked minute raises the risk of another crash
  • To leave enough parking room for arriving tow trucks
  • To avoid getting a ticket for illegal parking
Show the answer

Each blocked minute raises the risk of another crash

The secondary crash risk rises about 2.8 percent per minute.

Source: Iowa Driver's License Manual (MM1170), Chapter 2, 2.28 Steer It-Clear It, p. 22

What information must you give others involved in a crash?

  • Your name, address and vehicle registration number
  • The name and street address of your employer
  • Your phone passcode and your email password
  • Your bank's name and your checking account number
Show the answer

Your name, address and vehicle registration number

Show your license on request and give reasonable help to anyone hurt.

Source: Iowa Code 2026, §321.263, §321.263(1)

A driver leaves the scene of a crash that caused a death. What is the offense?

  • A scheduled violation
  • A class D felony
  • A serious misdemeanor
  • A simple misdemeanor
Show the answer

A class D felony

Leaving the scene of a crash that injures someone is at least a serious misdemeanor. A driver who knows their vehicle caused a death can face a class C felony.

Source: Iowa Code 2026, §321.261, §321.261(2) and (4)

You are stopped and cannot show proof of insurance. What can the officer do besides a citation?

  • Take your driver's license for a full year
  • Remove the plates or impound the vehicle
  • Suspend your vehicle registration for life
  • Nothing more than a spoken reminder
Show the answer

Remove the plates or impound the vehicle

The officer may also simply issue a warning.

Source: Iowa Code 2026, §321.20B, §321.20B(4)(a)

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About these questions

We wrote these practice questions from the facts in the Iowa Driver's License Manual (Iowa Driver's License Manual, form MM1170 dated 07/23/2026 on the back page (68 PDF pages), downloaded 2026-11-10 from https://iowadot.gov/media/7308/download?inline, linked from the Iowa DOT Driver's Manual page (https://iowadot.gov/drivers-licenses-ids/driver-education/manuals-practice-tests/drivers-manual). Page numbers cited are the printed page numbers, which equal PDF pages. The manual does not cover the graduated license steps, insurance minimums or the exam format; those come from Iowa DOT pages (Instruction Permit for Under Age 18, Intermediate License, Passenger Restriction, Full License, Special Minor's Restricted License, Practice Test; read 2026-11-10), Iowa Code 2026 (chapters 321, 321A, 321J and section 805.8A on legis.iowa.gov; the Code 2026 text includes 2025 session laws; 2026 session laws were not reviewed in full) and Iowa Administrative Code 761, chapter 604 (as of IAB 10/1/25). Manual statements that differ from the current Iowa Code, and how they were handled: (1) Section 3.7 (p. 36) still describes the old texting-only rule and says drivers under 18 with a permit, intermediate license or special minor's restricted license may not talk on the phone; 2025 Iowa Acts ch. 14 (SF 22) replaced §321.276 with a hands-free rule for all drivers and struck the teen device bans in former §321.180B(6), §321.194(5)(d) and §321.178(2)(a)(2). The Iowa DOT permit, intermediate and SMRL pages also still list a device ban for teens. Questions follow §321.276 as amended; no teen-only phone question is included, and common-phone-0007 and common-phone-0009 are excluded. (2) Section 4.5 (p. 42) lists unposted limits of 60 mph on primary roads, urban interstates and secondary roads and 45 mph for a vehicle towing another; §321.285 sets 55 mph generally, 65 mph on fully controlled-access divided multilane highways and 70 mph on interstates, and no towing limit was found; questions use §321.285 only. (3) Implied consent (p. 37) is described as consent to a field sobriety test; §321J.6 deems consent to a chemical test of blood, breath or urine; questions follow the statute. (4) Test refusal (p. 37) is said to bring a minimum $1,250 fine; §321J.9 sets only a one-year revocation (two years after an earlier revocation), and $1,250 is the first-offense OWI fine in §321J.2(3)(c); the refusal fine is not tested. (5) Seat belt fines (p. 34: up to $50, $100 per passenger under 18) and the open container fine (p. 37: up to $200) differ from the scheduled fines in §805.8A(14)(c) and (e) ($70 belt, $135 child restraint, $260 open container); questions use §805.8A. (6) The move-over section (p. 22) says no speed is specified; §321.323A requires a speed below the posted limit when a lane change is not possible; questions follow the statute. (7) The 500-foot rule for following any emergency vehicle with lights and sirens (p. 19) is narrower in §321.367 (fire apparatus answering an alarm); questions use the statute wording. (8) The manual (p. 63) says a crash with injury or damage over $1,500 must be reported to police within 72 hours; §321.266 requires immediate notice of an injury crash to law enforcement and a written report to the DOT within 72 hours for injury, death or damage of $1,500 or more unless a law enforcement agency investigated; questions follow the statute. Also noted: the at-home knowledge test age differs between DOT pages (Skip the Trip page: within 30 days of the 14th birthday; permit page: at least 14), so no question tests it. edition) and from official sources on road signs. Every answer links to its source, so you can check it and read more.

DMV Decoded is an independent guide, not a government agency. This practice test is not connected to the Iowa DOT Motor Vehicle Division, and your actual test will have different questions. Study the handbook, and check the agency's website for current rules.