2009 Iowa Code
Title 8 - Transportation
Subtitle 2 - Vehicles
CHAPTER 321 - MOTOR VEHICLES AND LAW OF THE ROAD
321.24 - ISSUANCE OF REGISTRATION AND CERTIFICATE OF TITLE.

        321.24  ISSUANCE OF REGISTRATION AND CERTIFICATE OF
      TITLE.
         1.  Upon receipt of the application for title and payment of the
      required fees for a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer, the
      county treasurer or the department shall, when satisfied as to the
      application's genuineness and regularity, and, in the case of a
      mobile home or manufactured home, that taxes are not owing under
      chapter 423 or 435, issue a certificate of title and, except for a
      mobile home or manufactured home, a registration receipt, and shall
      file the application, the manufacturer's or importer's certificate,
      the certificate of title, or other evidence of ownership, as
      prescribed by the department.  The registration receipt shall be
      delivered to the owner and shall contain upon its face the date
      issued, the name and address of the owner, the registration number
      assigned to the vehicle, the amount of the fee paid, the type of fuel
      used, a description of the vehicle as determined by the department,
      and a form for notice of transfer of the vehicle.  The name and
      address of any lessee of the vehicle shall not be printed on the
      registration receipt or certificate of title.  Up to three owners may
      be listed on the registration receipt and certificate of title.
         2.  The county treasurer shall maintain in the county record
      system information contained on the registration receipt.  The
      information shall be accessible by registration number and shall be
      open for public inspection during reasonable business hours.  Copies
      the department requires shall be sent to the department in the manner
      and at the time the department directs.
         3.  The certificate of title shall contain upon its face the
      identical information required upon the face of the registration
      receipt.  In addition, the certificate of title shall contain a
      statement of the owner's title, the title number assigned to the
      owner or owners of the vehicle, the name and address of the previous
      owner, and a statement of all security interests and encumbrances as
      shown in the application, upon the vehicle described, including the
      nature of the security interest, date of perfection, and name and
      mailing address of the secured party.
         4.  If the prior certificate of title is from another state and
      indicates that the vehicle was rebuilt, the new certificate of title
      and registration receipt shall contain the designation "REBUILT"
      printed on its face together with the name of the state issuing the
      prior title.  The designation shall be retained on the face of all
      subsequent certificates of title and registration receipts for the
      vehicle.
         5.  If the prior certificate of title is from another state and
      indicates that the vehicle was junked, an Iowa junking certificate
      shall be issued according to section 321.52, subsections 2 and 3.  If
      the prior certificate of title from another state indicates that the
      vehicle is salvaged and not rebuilt or is a salvage certificate of
      title, an Iowa salvage certificate of title shall be issued and a
      "SALVAGE" designation shall be retained on all subsequent Iowa
      certificates of title and registration receipts for the vehicle,
      except as provided under section 321.52, subsection 4, paragraph
      "b".  The department may require that subsequent Iowa
      certificates of title retain other states' designations which
      indicate that a vehicle had incurred prior damage.  The department
      shall determine the manner in which other states' rebuilt, salvage,
      or other designations are to be indicated on Iowa titles.
         6.  If the prior certificate of title is from another state and
      indicates that the vehicle was returned to the manufacturer pursuant
      to a law of another state similar to chapter 322G, the new
      registration receipt and certificate of title, and all subsequent
      registration receipts and certificates of title issued for the
      vehicle, shall contain a designation indicating the vehicle was
      returned to the manufacturer.  The department shall determine the
      manner in which other states' designations are to be indicated on
      Iowa registration receipts and certificates of title.  The department
      may determine that a "REBUILT" or "SALVAGE" designation supersedes
      the designation required by this subsection and include the "REBUILT"
      or "SALVAGE" designation on the registration receipt and certificate
      of title in lieu of the designation required by this subsection.
         7.  The certificate shall contain the name of the county treasurer
      or of the department and, if the certificate of title is printed, the
      signature of the county treasurer, the deputy county treasurer, or
      the department director or deputy designee.  The certificate of title
      shall contain upon the reverse side a form for assignment of title or
      interest and warranty by the owner, for reassignments by a dealer
      licensed in this state or in another state if the state in which the
      dealer is licensed permits Iowa licensed dealers to similarly
      reassign certificates of title.  However, titles for mobile homes or
      manufactured homes shall not be reassigned by licensed dealers.
      Notwithstanding section 321.1, subsection 17, as used in this
      paragraph "dealer" means every person engaged in the business of
      buying, selling, or exchanging vehicles of a type required to be
      registered under this chapter.
         8.  The original certificate of title shall be delivered to the
      owner if there is no security interest.  Otherwise the certificate of
      title shall be delivered by the county treasurer or the department to
      the person holding the first security interest.  Delivery may be made
      using electronic means.
         9.  The county treasurer or the department shall maintain in the
      county or department records system information contained on the
      certificate of title.  The information shall be accessible by title
      certificate number for a period of three years from the date of
      notification of cancellation of title or that a new title has been
      issued as provided in this chapter.  Copies the department requires
      shall be sent to the department in the manner and at the time the
      department directs.  The department shall designate a uniform system
      of title numbers to indicate the county of issuance.
         10.  A vehicle shall be registered for the registration year.  A
      vehicle registered for the first time in this state shall be
      registered for the remaining unexpired months of the registration
      year and pay an annual registration fee prorated for the remaining
      unexpired months of the registration year plus a fee for new
      registration if applicable pursuant to section 321.105A.  Except for
      a vehicle registered under chapter 326, a vehicle registered for the
      first time during the eleventh month of the owner's registration year
      may be registered for the remaining unexpired months of the
      registration year as provided in this paragraph or for the remaining
      unexpired months of the registration year and for the next
      registration year, upon payment of the applicable registration fees.

         11.  If the county treasurer or department is not satisfied as to
      the ownership of the vehicle or that there are no undisclosed
      security interests in it, or a junking certificate has been issued
      for the vehicle but a certificate of title will not be reissued under
      section 321.52, subsection 3, and the vehicle qualifies as an antique
      vehicle under section 321.115, subsection 1, the county treasurer or
      department may register the vehicle but shall, as a condition of
      issuing a certificate of title and registration receipt, require the
      applicant to file with the department a bond in the form prescribed
      by the department and executed by the applicant, and either
      accompanied by the deposit of cash with the department or also
      executed by a person authorized to conduct a surety business in this
      state.  The owner of a vehicle subject to the bond requirements of
      this subsection shall apply for a certificate of title and
      registration for the vehicle at the county treasurer's office within
      thirty days of issuance of written authorization from the department.
      The bond shall be in an amount equal to one and one-half times the
      current value of the vehicle as determined by the department and
      conditioned to indemnify any prior owner and secured party and any
      subsequent purchaser of the vehicle or person acquiring any security
      interest in it, and their respective successors in interest, against
      any expense, loss, or damage, including reasonable attorney fees, by
      reason of the issuance of the certificate of title for the vehicle or
      on account of any defect in or undisclosed security interest upon the
      right, title, and interest of the applicant in and to the vehicle.
      Any such interested person has a right of action to recover on the
      bond for any breach of its conditions, but the aggregate liability of
      the surety to all persons shall not exceed the amount of the bond.
      The bond, and any deposit accompanying it, shall be returned at the
      end of three years or earlier if the vehicle is no longer registered
      in this state and the currently valid certificate of title is
      surrendered to the department, unless the department has been
      notified of the pendency of an action to recover on the bond.  The
      department may authorize issuance of a certificate of title as
      provided in this subsection for a vehicle with an unreleased security
      interest upon presentation of satisfactory evidence that the security
      interest has been extinguished or that the holder of the security
      interest cannot be located to release the security interest as
      provided in section 321.50.  

         Section History: Early Form

         [C24, 27, 31, 35, § 4873; C39, § 5001.08; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62,
      66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, § 321.24; 82 Acts, ch 1251, § 8] 

         Section History: Recent Form

         82 Acts, ch 1062, § 3, 38; 87 Acts, ch 108, § 2; 87 Acts, ch 130,
      § 1; 88 Acts, ch 1089, §3; 89 Acts, ch 185, §1; 90 Acts, ch 1116, §
      1; 91 Acts, ch 142, § 1; 92 Acts, ch 1104, § 2; 94 Acts, ch 1199,
      §77; 95 Acts, ch 45, §1; 99 Acts, ch 188, §4; 2000 Acts, ch 1016,
      §42, 47; 2000 Acts, ch 1028, §1, 4; 2000 Acts, ch 1047, §1, 4; 2001
      Acts, ch 153, §17; 2003 Acts, 1st Ex, ch 2, §164, 205; 2004 Acts, ch
      1013, §5, 35; 2005 Acts, ch 8, §7, 8; 2006 Acts, ch 1070, §4; 2007
      Acts, ch 143, §8; 2008 Acts, ch 1018, §6; 2008 Acts, ch 1113, §54;
      2009 Acts, ch 41, §113
         Referred to in § 321.46, 321.52, 321.69, 321.152, 331.557
         Certain trailers exempt, see § 321.123