iowaIowa State Law

Iowa has two sets of procedures that you must attend to when you have been charged with an OWI—administrative and judicial. We suggest that you consult with an OWI attorney immediately to make sure you get the best advice for your particular situation as laws are always changing.

Administrative License Revocation (ALR) Procedures
Iowa Department of Transportation
Iowa is one of 42 states that has implemented ALR which means that your license will be confiscated immediately if your BAC is above .08 OR if you refuse a BAC test. Your license will either be suspended or revoked at that point, even though you have not been officially convicted in a criminal trial. In fact, you can be charged with an administrative license suspension even if you are not later charged with driving under the influence offense. This action was designed to be in addition to and separate from the traditional OWI judicial conviction penalties such as license suspension, jail time, community service hours, ignition interlock device, and alcohol and drug rehabilitation.

You will be given a 10 day grace period during which you can drive under a temporary driving permit issued by the officer at the scene. During that time, you can request a hearing to challenge this case. This case will be heard by an administrative law judge. If you do not request a hearing, your license will be automatically suspended on the 11th day for 6 months, although first-time offenders can request a work permit after 30 days. After the suspension period, you will be required to get an ignition interlock device if your BAC is .15 or higher.

Remember that this is a separate case from the judicial case, with separate authorities and separate rulings. This can be a very important influence upon the judicial procedures, but you must act very quickly if you wish to challenge this.

Judicial Procedures
In Iowa, the drunk driving law prohibits a person from driving when they have a BAC of .08% or higher. Courts are required to order the installation and monitoring of an interlock device for any driver whose BAC levels are .15% or higher, even for your first offense.

License Revocation, Fines and Jail

  • First Offense – Misdemeanor: up to $1,250 fine (possible community service in lieu of fine), 48 hours to 1 year in jail (may be deferred/suspended), 180-day license revocation, mandatory substance abuse evaluation and complete treatment, possible 6-month probation after completion of any treatment program, and restricted license as follows:
    • BAC 0.08 – 0.10: eligible immediately with no ignition interlock requirement
    • BAC 0.10 – 0.15: eligible immediately with ignition interlock restriction
    • BAC 0.15 or above: eligible after at least 30 days with ignition interlock restriction
  • Second Offense – Misdemeanor: $1,875 to $6,250 fine (possible community service in lieu of fine), 7 days (minimum) to 2 years in jail, 2-year license revocation, eligible for a restricted license after 1-year revocation (must install ignition interlock device), mandatory substance abuse evaluation and complete treatment, possible 6-month probation after completion of any treatment program, and the vehicle may be impounded or immobilized.
  • Third Offense – Felony: $3,125 to $9,375 fine, 30 days (mandatory) to 5 years imprisonment, 6 years license revocation, eligible for a restricted license after 1-year revocation (must install ignition interlock device), mandatory substance abuse evaluation, and complete treatment as necessary, possible community service program, possible 6-month probation after completion of any treatment program, and the vehicle may be impounded or immobilized.

Guardian Ignition Interlock Solutions

Guardian Interlock offers complete installation and monitoring of an ignition interlock device on a wide range of vehicles to help you maintain compliance with DUI conviction restrictions.

  • Most affordable interlock solution
  • Accurate technology – no false positives
  • Expert technicians to help you every step of the way
  • Direct communication with the state monitoring authorities to reduce hassles and keep you in compliance with state reporting requirements
  • 24/7/365 customer service, so you’ve always got the support you need

Get started now. Call 1-800-499-0994 for more information on Iowa ignition interlock installation.