Relating to transportation, including the administration and regulation of matters associated with the operation, registration, and titling of motor vehicles and the Mississippi river parkway commission, making penalties applicable, and including applicability provisions

This bill relates to the administration and regulation of matters associated with the operation, registration, and titling of motor vehicles. CHAUFFEUR’S INSTRUCTION PERMITS. Under current law, a chauffeur’s instruction permit is valid for up to two years for the operation of a motor vehicle, other than a commercial motor vehicle, as a chauffeur when the permittee is accompanied by a person who possesses a valid class D driver’s license (chauffeur’s license) or commercial driver’s license and who is occupying a seat beside the permittee. 1 defines a chauffeur as a person who operates a motor vehicle, including a school bus, to transport people for pay, with various exceptions. The bill eliminates the chauffeur’s instruction permit. Under current law and the bill, a person may apply for a class D driver’s license, and neither a knowledge test nor a driving test is required if the person holds a valid driver’s license. The person must pass a vision screening and have a clear driving record for the previous two years. MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT REPORTS. Under current law, the driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person, or total property damage to an apparent extent of $1,500 or more, must within 72 hours after the accident forward a written report of the accident to the department of transportation (DOT). However, such report is not required when the accident is investigated by a law enforcement agency. Every law enforcement officer who, in the regular course of duty, investigates a motor vehicle accident of which report must be made, must forward a written report of such accident to the DOT within 24 hours after completing such investigation. The bill requires the driver of a vehicle to submit an accident report regardless of injury, death, or property damage if the vehicle does not have financial liability coverage in effect. The bill also increases the minimum amount of total property damage necessary before an accident report is required from $1,500 to $5,000, including for an accident involving an all-terrain vehicle. The bill strikes the 24-hour requirement for a law enforcement officer who investigated an accident to forward a written report to the DOT, and requires these written reports, as well as reports of accidents involving law enforcement officers or other emergency responders, to be submitted to the DOT in an electronic format and in a manner approved by the DOT. By operation of law, a driver of a vehicle who strikes fixtures upon a highway is not required to report the accident to the DOT unless the apparent total property damage is $5,000 or more. A driver involved in such an accident is required to take reasonable steps to locate and notify the owner, a peace officer, or person in charge of the damaged property and provide the driver’s name and address, the registration number of the vehicle causing the damage, and, upon request and if available, exhibit the person’s driver’s license.10) that causes total property damage of $1,500 or more. Such reports must be filed with the DOT, or with the natural resource commission (NRC) if the accident occurred on public land, ice, or a designated riding trail under the jurisdiction of the NRC.266(2) or (3), commits a simple misdemeanor punishable by confinement for no more than 30 days and a fine of at least $105 but not more than $855. ELECTRONIC APPLICATIONS FOR DRIVER’S LICENSES AND NONOPERATOR’S IDENTIFICATION CARDS. Under current law, a person may be eligible to renew a driver’s license electronically pursuant to rules adopted by the DOT. The bill authorizes a person to renew a nonoperator’s identification card electronically if the person is eligible pursuant to rules adopted by the DOT. The bill also authorizes a person to replace a driver’s license or nonoperator’s identification card electronically if the person is eligible pursuant to rules adopted by the DOT. The fee to replace a driver’s license or nonoperator’s identification card is $10.189(6), to develop educational media to raise awareness of a person’s eligibility to apply for a replacement driver’s license or nonoperator’s identification card electronically upon attaining the age of 21. This division of the bill applies on and after March 1, 2027, or the date the DOT submits to the Iowa administrative code editor for publication in the Iowa administrative bulletin a statement by the director of transportation that the applicable phase of the DOT’s new records system is implemented, whichever is earlier. The DOT is also required to forward a copy of the statement to the Iowa Code editor. RECORDS SYSTEM. Pursuant to current law, the DOT maintains a motor vehicle records system which is used for various purposes relating to the administration of Code chapter 321 by the DOT. In addition, each county treasurer must maintain a county records system for vehicle registration and certificate of title documents. The county records system is required to be maintained in a manner approved by the DOT. The bill strikes the requirement for county treasurers to maintain a county records system, and instead requires the DOT to maintain a records system that both the DOT and county treasurers must use for vehicle-related recordkeeping. The bill harmonizes various references in Code chapters 321 (motor vehicles and law of the road) and 331 (county home rule implementation) to the records system. County treasurers are required to continue to perform all duties related to the county records system prior to the applicability of this division of the bill. This division of the bill applies on and after December 1, 2028, or the date the DOT submits to the Iowa administrative code editor for publication in the Iowa administrative bulletin a statement by the director of transportation that the applicable phase of the DOT’s new records system is implemented, whichever is earlier. The DOT is also required to forward a copy of the statement to the Iowa Code editor. ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS. The bill adds a person’s electronic mail address to the definition of “personal information” for purposes of DOT records, and prohibits the DOT from disclosing a person’s electronic mail address or telephone number, other than to specified parties, regardless of the person’s consent to the disclosure. The bill authorizes the DOT to communicate using electronic methods to provide documents including notifications, reminders, and other pieces of correspondence, other than a notice of a sanction, to persons who consent to the electronic communication. In accordance with current law, unless a different method of giving notice is expressly prescribed, the DOT must give notice, including notice of a sanction under the bill, by personal delivery to the person, by personal service in the manner of original notice by rule of civil procedure, or by first class mail addressed to the person at the address shown in the DOT’s records. This division of the bill applies on and after December 1, 2028, or the date the DOT submits to the Iowa administrative code editor for publication in the Iowa administrative bulletin a statement by the director of transportation that the DOT’s new electronic communications system is implemented, whichever is earlier. The DOT is also required to forward a copy of the statement to the Iowa Code editor.