2009 Iowa Code
Title 8 - Transportation
Subtitle 2 - Vehicles
CHAPTER 321 - MOTOR VEHICLES AND LAW OF THE ROAD
321.196 - EXPIRATION OF LICENSE -- RENEWAL.

        321.196  EXPIRATION OF LICENSE -- RENEWAL.
         1.  Except as otherwise provided, a driver's license, other than
      an instruction permit, chauffeur's instruction permit, or commercial
      driver's instruction permit issued under section 321.180, expires
      five years from the licensee's birthday anniversary occurring in the
      year of issuance if the licensee is between the ages of seventeen
      years eleven months and seventy years on the date of issuance of the
      license.  If the licensee is under the age of seventeen years eleven
      months or age seventy or over, the license is effective for a period
      of two years from the licensee's birthday anniversary occurring in
      the year of issuance.  A licensee whose license is restricted due to
      vision or other physical deficiencies may be required to renew the
      license every two years.  If a licensee is a foreign national who is
      temporarily present in this state, the license shall be issued only
      for the length of time the foreign national is authorized to be
      present as verified by the department, not to exceed two years.
         2.  Except as required in section 321.188, and except for a
      motorcycle instruction permit issued in accordance with section
      321.180 or 321.180B, a driver's license is renewable without a
      driving test or written examination within a period of one year after
      its expiration date.  A person shall not be considered to be driving
      with an invalid license during a period of sixty days following the
      license expiration date.  However, for a license renewed within the
      sixty-day period, the date of issuance shall be considered to be the
      previous birthday anniversary on which it expired.
         3.  For the purposes of this section, the birthday anniversary of
      a person born on February 29 shall be deemed to occur on March 1.
         4.  The department in its discretion may authorize the renewal of
      a valid driver's license other than a commercial driver's license
      upon application without an examination provided that the applicant
      satisfactorily passes a vision test as prescribed by the department
      or files a vision report in accordance with section 321.186A which
      shows that the applicant's visual acuity level meets or exceeds those
      required by the department.  An application for renewal of a driver's
      license shall include a statement for the applicant to sign that
      acknowledges the applicant's knowledge of the requirement to notify
      the department of a mailing address change under section 321.182,
      subsection 1.
         5.  A resident of Iowa holding a valid driver's license who is
      temporarily absent from the state or incapacitated, may, at the time
      for renewal of such license, apply to the department for a temporary
      extension of the license.  The department upon receipt of the
      application shall, upon a showing of good cause, issue a temporary
      extension of the driver's license for a period not to exceed six
      months.  

         Section History: Early Form

         [C31, 35, § 4960-d15, -d30; C39, § 5013.21; C46, 50, 54, 58,
      62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, § 321.196] 

         Section History: Recent Form

         84 Acts, ch 1219, § 25; 85 Acts, ch 195, §35; 86 Acts, ch 1220, §
      30; 87 Acts, ch 167, §3; 89 Acts, ch 296, §31; 90 Acts, ch 1230, §
      41; 93 Acts, ch 51, § 1; 98 Acts, ch 1073, §9; 98 Acts, ch 1112, §9,
      14, 16; 2000 Acts, ch 1133, §5; 2001 Acts, ch 32, §43; 2001 Acts, ch
      180, §8; 2002 Acts, ch 1063, §28; 2008 Acts, ch 1018, §22; 2009 Acts,
      ch 124, §1