Iowa traffic tickets
Points, traffic school, deadlines and what a ticket does to your insurance in Iowa.
Speeding ticket$89.50–$216state schedule
License at risk7 ticketsin 12 months
Driver improvement program (in place of suspension)No
Insurance after 1 ticket+35%on $2,040 a year
What will my ticket really cost? Check my points
What kind of ticket did you get?
- Speeding
- Work zone
- Red light
- Stop sign
- Texting
- No insurance
- Expired registration
- Seat belt
- School bus
- Failure to yield
- Parking
Which court is on your ticket?
One statewide schedule sets most fines. Pick the court named on your ticket.
Iowa county courts
Phone, pay-online link and traffic school steps for 5 courts. Tap a county to open it.
Black Hawk County319-833-3331Pays online
Iowa District Court for Black Hawk County. Fines follow the Iowa statewide schedule.
- Address
- 316 E. 5th Street, Waterloo, IA 50703
- Phone
- 319-833-3331
- Traffic school
- Iowa has no ticket-dismissal course. The DOT may send drivers with repeat violations to a driver improvement program in place of a suspension.
Johnson County319-356-6060Pays online
Iowa District Court for Johnson County. Fines follow the Iowa statewide schedule.
- Address
- 417 South Clinton Street, Iowa City, IA 52240
- Phone
- 319-356-6060
- Traffic school
- Iowa has no ticket-dismissal course. The DOT may send drivers with repeat violations to a driver improvement program in place of a suspension.
Linn County319-398-3411Pays online
Iowa District Court for Linn County. Fines follow the Iowa statewide schedule.
- Address
- 51 Third Avenue Bridge, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
- Phone
- 319-398-3411
- Traffic school
- Iowa has no ticket-dismissal course. The DOT may send drivers with repeat violations to a driver improvement program in place of a suspension.
Polk County515-561-5718Pays online
Iowa District Court for Polk County. Fines follow the Iowa statewide schedule.
- Address
- 500 Mulberry Street, Room 212, Des Moines, IA 50309
- Phone
- 515-561-5718
- Traffic school
- Iowa has no ticket-dismissal course. The DOT may send drivers with repeat violations to a driver improvement program in place of a suspension.
Scott County563-326-8647Pays online
Iowa District Court for Scott County. Fines follow the Iowa statewide schedule.
- Address
- 400 West 4th Street, Davenport, IA 52801
- Phone
- 563-326-8647
- Traffic school
- Iowa has no ticket-dismissal course. The DOT may send drivers with repeat violations to a driver improvement program in place of a suspension.
What are your options with an Iowa ticket?
Paying is the fastest route, and it usually puts the ticket on your record. Here is every route Iowa offers, and what each one changes.
What does the Iowa state schedule charge for speeding?
Every fine gets a 15% crime services surcharge, plus $55 in court costs.[4][6][7]
Every fine on the Iowa schedule (22)
| Ticket | State fine | With court costs |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding, 1–5 mph overPrinted as: Excessive speed, 1 to 5 mph over (321.285)Total is the fine, the 15% surcharge and $55 court costs. | $89.50[4][5] | $89.50 |
| Speeding, 6–10 mph overPrinted as: Excessive speed, 6 to 10 mph over | $118.25[4][5] | $118.25 |
| Speeding, 11–15 mph overPrinted as: Excessive speed, 11 to 15 mph over | $175.75[4][5] | $175.75 |
| Speeding, 16–20 mph overPrinted as: Excessive speed, 16 to 20 mph over | $193[4][5] | $193 |
| Speeding, 21+ mph overPrinted as: Excessive speed, 21 mph and overThe fine is $135 plus $5 for each mph over 20, so the total rises $5.75 per mph. | $216[4][5] | $216 |
| Work zone speeding, 1–10 mph overPrinted as: Excessive speed in a road work zone, 1 to 10 mph over | $279.25[4][5] | $279.25 |
| Work zone speeding, 11–20 mph overPrinted as: Excessive speed in a road work zone, 11 to 20 mph over | $503.50[4][5] | $503.50 |
| Work zone speeding, 21–25 mph overPrinted as: Excessive speed in a road work zone, 21 to 25 mph over | $796.75[4][5] | $796.75 |
| Work zone speeding, 26+ mph overPrinted as: Excessive speed in a road work zone, more than 25 mph over | $1,532.75[4][5] | $1,532.75 |
| Vehicle fails to respond to steady red signal | $210.25[4][5] | $210.25 |
| Fail to obey stop sign and yield right of way | $210.25[4][5] | $210.25 |
| Fail to yield upon left turnOther right-of-way violations carry the same $135 fine. | $210.25[4][5] | $210.25 |
| Fail to obey traffic control device | $210.25[4][5] | $210.25 |
| Use of electronic communications device while drivingIowa bans holding, viewing or using a phone or other device while driving. | $170[4][5][12] | $170 |
| Following too closely | $210.25[4][5] | $210.25 |
| Improper lane change on a road with 3 or more lanes | $210.25[4][5] | $210.25 |
| Careless driving (321.277A) | $112.50[4][5] | $112.50 |
| Fail to change lanes or slow down for a stopped emergency vehicle (321.323A(1)) | $210.25[4][5] | $210.25 |
| Failure to wear or maintain safety beltsNot a moving violation and not counted toward suspension. | $135.50[4][5] | $135.50 |
| Failure to prove security against liability, no accident (321.20B)If there was an accident the fine is $645 ($796.75 total). | $428.75[4][5] | $428.75 |
| Operating a non-registered vehicle | $135.50[4][5] | $135.50 |
| Unlawful passing of a school bus, first offenseNot a scheduled fine, so you must go to court. | $345–$930[4][13] | $452–$1,125 |
With court costs is an estimate. It uses the same add-ons Iowa's own schedule shows on other tickets, which adds 15% of the fine plus $55.[4][5][12] Your notice shows the exact total.
How many points is each Iowa ticket?
Iowa has no point system. The DOT counts moving-violation convictions instead.[2][3][10]
Commercial driver? Points and disqualifications work differently. How tickets affect a CDL →
When can you lose your license?
- Habitual violator (within 12 months)[2][3]
- Speeding 25 mph or more over the limit[2][3]
- First offense of passing a stopped school bus[2][3][13]
- Habitually reckless or negligent driver (within 12 months)[3]
- 6 countable moving violations within 2 years can bar you from driving for 1 year as a habitual offender. (within 24 months)[2]
- Probation (within 12 months)[15][3]
Full wording of each rule
- Habitual violator: 3 convictions in 12 months is at least a 90-day suspension, 4 is 120 days, 5 is 150 days, 6 is 180 days and 7 or more is 1 year. For 3 convictions the DOT may send you to a driver improvement program instead.
- Speeding 25 mph or more over the limit: at least 60 days, rising to 350 days at 48 over. At 25 to 29 over you may be sent to a driver improvement program instead.
- First offense of passing a stopped school bus: suspension or a required driver improvement program.
- Habitually reckless or negligent driver: 3 or more crashes you helped cause, or a mix of such crashes and moving-violation convictions, in 12 months brings at least a 60-day suspension.
- 6 countable moving violations within 2 years can bar you from driving for 1 year as a habitual offender.
- Probation: after a suspension for a moving violation you serve 12 months of probation. A second moving-violation conviction during probation can bring another suspension as long as the first one, up to 1 year.
Getting your license back after a suspension costs $20 in Iowa, before any course or court costs.[14]
Drivers under 21
A driver with a minor's restricted (school) license can be suspended for at least 30 days after a single moving-violation conviction.[3]
Can Driver improvement program (in place of suspension) keep a ticket off your record in Iowa?
No. Replaces a suspension. It doesn't clear the ticket from your driving record.[2][3]
How often: Not more than once in 2 years in place of a suspension.
Is it worth it for your ticket? Get a yes or no →
Who qualifies, CDL drivers and cost
Replaces a suspension. It doesn't clear the ticket from your driving record. After you finish you are on probation for 1 year, and one moving-violation conviction in that year can bring back the original suspension.[2][3]
Who can use it: The DOT enrolls you itself if you have 3 countable moving violations in 12 months, a speeding conviction of 25 to 29 mph over, or a first offense of passing a stopped school bus. You don't sign up on your own.[2][3]
Do school and work zones cost more?
When is your ticket due?
- Date on noticePay or respondset by the court[8][9][4]
Details
Pay the scheduled fine or appear by the court date on the citation. If you miss it: If you signed the bond and don't appear, the court can convict you and enter judgment for the bond amount, which is 1.5 times the fine and surcharge plus court costs.
- 10daysLast day to appealfrom conviction[16][7]
Details
File a notice of appeal with the clerk. If you miss it: The magistrate's judgment becomes final.
- 30daysPay fines and fees the court ordersfrom conviction[17]
Details
Pay fines and fees the court orders. If you miss it: After 30 days the debt is past due and goes to the county attorney or the state Central Collections Unit.
- 60daysPay after the clerk's past-due noticefrom the notice date[11]
Details
Pay after the clerk's past-due notice. If you miss it: The clerk reports you to the DOT, which suspends your license until you pay or sign an installment agreement.
What happens if you don't respond
If you signed the citation's appearance bond and don't show up, the court can convict you and enter a judgment for the bond amount, which is 1.5 times the fine and surcharge plus court costs. If that stays unpaid 60 days after the clerk's notice, the DOT suspends your license until you pay or sign an installment agreement.[9][4][11]
Work out your exact dates → · Already missed it?
Will an out-of-state ticket follow you home?
- Shares convictions with other states (Driver License Compact)Yes[1]
- Can suspend you over unpaid out-of-state tickets (Nonresident Violator Compact)Yes[1]
Out-of-state moving violations count toward Iowa's habitual violator and serious violation rules. If another state reports an offense that would bring a suspension in Iowa, the DOT suspends your Iowa license for the same period as an Iowa offense.[2][3]
How out-of-state tickets work →
How much will it raise your insurance in Iowa?
One speeding ticket raised a full-coverage premium by about 35% on average in Iowa[1], from a clean-record average of $2,040 a year.[1] If that increase stays for three years, that's about $2,142 on top of the fine.
Averages from ValuePenguin State of Auto Insurance in 2026, not a quote. Insurers differ, and many look back three to five years.
Where are the official pages?
What else do people ask?
How do points work in Iowa?
Iowa has no point system. The DOT counts moving-violation convictions instead. Three or more countable convictions for offenses within 12 months make you a habitual violator, and the DOT can suspend your license. Your first two speeding tickets in 12 months at 10 mph or less over in a 35 to 55 mph zone don't count. Seat belt, parking, equipment and registration tickets don't count either. Out-of-state tickets do count.
Is there traffic school for tickets in Iowa?
Replaces a suspension. It doesn't clear the ticket from your driving record. After you finish you are on probation for 1 year, and one moving-violation conviction in that year can bring back the original suspension.
Will an out-of-state ticket follow me home to Iowa?
Iowa is a member of the Driver License Compact, so convictions in other member states are reported to Iowa. Out-of-state moving violations count toward Iowa's habitual violator and serious violation rules. If another state reports an offense that would bring a suspension in Iowa, the DOT suspends your Iowa license for the same period as an Iowa offense.
How much does a speeding ticket raise insurance in Iowa?
About 35% on average for full coverage, according to ValuePenguin State of Auto Insurance in 2026. Your insurer's rate can differ a lot from the average.
Sources
Iowa law and DMV sources (17)
- AAMVA DLC/NRVC Member Joinder Dates (rev. April 2026), AAMVA.
- Iowa DOT: Suspension for Habitual Violators & Serious Violations, Iowa Department of Transportation.
- 761 Iowa Admin. Code ch. 615 Sanctions, Iowa Legislature / Iowa DOT.
- State of Iowa Compendium of Scheduled Violations and Scheduled Fines, July 2026, Iowa Department of Public Safety.
- Iowa Code 805.8A (motor vehicle scheduled violations), Iowa Legislature.
- Iowa Code 911.1 (crime services surcharge), Iowa Legislature.
- Iowa Code 602.8106 (criminal court fees), Iowa Legislature.
- Iowa Code 805.9 (admission of scheduled violations), Iowa Legislature.
- Iowa Code 805.6 (citation and unsecured appearance bond), Iowa Legislature.
- Iowa Code 321.210 (suspension), Iowa Legislature.
- Iowa Code 321.210A (suspension for failure to pay), Iowa Legislature.
- Iowa Code 321.276 (use of electronic device while driving), Iowa Legislature.
- Iowa Code 321.372 (school bus stops), Iowa Legislature.
- Iowa Code 321.191 (license and reinstatement fees), Iowa Legislature.
- Iowa Code 321.210C (probation period), Iowa Legislature.
- Iowa Rules of Criminal Procedure ch. 2, Rule 2.72 (simple misdemeanor appeals), Iowa Supreme Court / Iowa Legislature.
- Iowa Judicial Branch: Pay a Fine or Court Debt, Iowa Judicial Branch.
Insurance sources (4)
- State of Auto Insurance in 2026, ValuePenguin (LendingTree).
- Car Insurance Rate Increases with a Speeding Ticket in 2026, ValuePenguin (LendingTree).
- How Does a DUI Affect Your Auto Insurance Rates in 2026?, ValuePenguin (LendingTree).
- How Much Will My Car Insurance Rates Go Up After a Crash in 2026?, ValuePenguin (LendingTree).