Iowa Road Test Checklist 2026 (Free Printable)

Study sheet for before your test. Notes aren’t allowed in the DMV test room. Every state bans notes, phones and printouts during the knowledge test, in person and online.

Study sheet for before your test. Notes aren’t allowed in the DMV test room.
Source: Iowa Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division and Iowa law, sources numbered below · Checked October 4, 2026 · Printed Oct 12, 2026 · drivingtestpal.com/iowa/study-sheets/road-test-checklist/

Iowa · Road test

Iowa road-test checklist

Driving test (drive test)

Tick each box during practice drives in the weeks before your test. The numbers in brackets are the sources listed at the bottom.

How it’s scored: The examiner records the score and the licensing decision on the department's standard score sheet and explains the score at the end of the test. A passing score is valid for 180 days. Iowa does not publish the point values or the passing threshold. [3]

Bring to the test [3]

A representative vehicle (a car that matches the license class you want)
Proof of insurance (financial responsibility) for that vehicle
Unexpired vehicle registration

Vehicle check before you go [1, 3, 4]

Two license plates on the front and back (a single out-of-state or temporary plate is accepted)
Working horn
Working front and rear turn signals
Unexpired registration and unexpired insurance
At least one rearview mirror, inside or outside
Driver and front passenger doors open normally
Driver side window opens
Working seatbelts and brake lights
Working windshield wipers, headlights and taillights (depending on weather and time of day)
Safety technology such as a back-up camera may be used; convenience technology such as adaptive cruise control or automatic parallel parking may not
An autocycle cannot be used for a Class C driving test

Maneuvers the examiner scores [1]

Stopping at and crossing intersections
Lane changes and merging
Turns (left and right)
Parallel parking (may be tested)

Skills checked throughout [1]

Obeying rules of the road, signs and signals
Defensive driving
Smooth steering, acceleration and stopping
Speed control
Following distance

Sources

iowadot.gov: prepare your driving test
iowadot.gov: intermediate license
legis.iowa.gov: 761.604 (PDF)
iowadot.gov: download
iowadot.gov: new iowa