Car accidents in Iowa: what to do and who pays

At the scene and reporting a crash in Iowa

Always stop and help anyone who is hurt. Leaving the scene of a crash is a crime in every state.

When to call the police

If anyone is hurt or killed, tell the sheriff, the nearest State Patrol office or another nearby peace officer right away, by the quickest means.

Damage amount

$1,500

Report to the state

If anyone is hurt or killed, or total property damage looks like $1,500 or more, send a written report to the Iowa DOT within 72 hours. You don't need to if a law enforcement agency investigated the crash. Use the Iowa Accident Report form. If you don't send it, your driving privileges may be suspended.

Deadline for your report

3 days

Law

Iowa Code § 321.266

Official text

Read the official text

First 24 hours after a crash in Iowa

Tick the boxes as you go, or print the list and keep it in your glove box.

Insurance system in Iowa

Iowa is a fault (tort) state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the other people's injuries and damage.

System

Fault (tort)

PIP, benefits and when you can sue

No PIP required. Iowa has no no-fault law: the driver who caused the crash (and their liability insurer) pays for others' injuries and damage.

Law

Iowa Code § 321A.21 (liability coverage); no no-fault statute found

Official text

Read the official text

Compare every state in the no-fault states table.

Who pays: comparative fault in Iowa

Rule

Modified (51% bar)

What it means

In Iowa, your damages are reduced by your share of the fault, and you can't recover at all if you were more than 50% at fault (51% or more).

Law

Iowa Code § 668.3(1)(a): your fault doesn't bar recovery unless it is greater than the combined fault of the defendants; your damages are reduced by your share

Compare every state's rule in the comparative negligence table.

Who pays in Iowa: fault and payout explainer

If both drivers share the blame, your state's comparative-fault rule decides whether you can recover and how much. Enter your share of the fault and your total damages to see what the rule means. This is an illustration, not a prediction: insurers, juries and judges decide the percentages.

Minimum insurance in Iowa

Liability minimum

20/40/15

Uninsured / underinsured motorist (UM/UIM)

Every auto liability policy must include uninsured, hit-and-run and underinsured motorist coverage, at least at the minimum limits, unless you reject it in writing on a separate sheet.

Official text

Read the official text

Numbers like 25/50/25 mean $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 for all injuries in one crash and $25,000 for property damage. Compare every state in the minimum insurance table.

Getting the police report in Iowa

A copy of the investigating officer's report costs $4 from the Iowa DOT. Fill out the 'Request for Copy of Investigating Officer's Report of an Accident' form, sign it, and mail it with $4 to Iowa DOT, Bureau of Enforcement, Audits & Records, P.O. Box 9204, Des Moines, IA 50306-9204. Only people in the crash, their lawyers and insurers can get it. If the local police agency kept a copy, you can also ask them. https://iowadot.gov/drivers-licenses-ids/other-services/request-driving-records-accident-reports

No confirmed online way to order a report in Iowa? Ask by mail with our free police report request letter.

Filing a claim and insurer deadlines in Iowa

How fast insurers must act

Iowa insurance rules set these deadlines for property and casualty insurers. They must acknowledge your claim within 15 days, unless they pay within that time, and reply within 15 days to your claim letters that call for an answer (Iowa Admin. Code 191—15.42). On a claim under your own policy, they must accept or deny it within 30 days after getting your proof of loss, or tell you within 30 days why they need more time, then write every 45 days. Once they accept liability and the amount isn't disputed, they must pay within 30 days (191—15.41). Iowa Code § 507B.4(3)(j) also bans repeated failure to act reasonably promptly on claims.

Put your claim in writing. Our free insurance claim letter lists your damages and asks for a written answer, within 15 days for Iowa where our data gives a day count.

If the other driver has no insurance in Iowa

Your uninsured or hit-and-run motorist coverage pays for your injuries caused by an uninsured driver, unless you rejected it in writing. The Iowa DOT can tell people in the crash the other drivers' names and addresses, and may also give their insurers' names.

Read what to do if you are hit by an uninsured driver.

Deadlines to sue in Iowa

Property damage (your car)

5 years

Injury

2 years

Notes, including claims against a government

Claims against the State of Iowa usually go first to the State Appeal Board. Claims against cities and counties have their own deadlines.

Law

Iowa Code § 614.1(2) (injury, 2 years), § 614.1(4) (injuries to property, 5 years)

The deadline is the statute of limitations. Insurance claims and talks with an adjuster don't stop it. Compare every state in the deadlines table.

Deadline to sue in Iowa

Every state limits how long you have to file a lawsuit after a car crash. This is the statute of limitations. Choose your state, the type of claim and the date of the crash to see the usual deadline and the last day to file. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.

Small claims for property damage in Iowa

Small claims limit

$6,500 (not counting interest and court costs).

Iowa small claims guide on Small Claims Map

Small claims court can be a way to recover the cost of repairs from the driver who caused the crash. Read how to use small claims for car damage.

Insurance complaints in Iowa

If an insurer delays, underpays or denies a claim without a good reason, you can file a complaint with the state insurance regulator:

• Iowa Insurance Division · 515-654-6600

Free help in Iowa

• Iowa Insurance Division · 515-654-6600
• Iowa DOT accident reports
• Iowa Judicial Branch: Small claims

Good to know in Iowa

• You have only 72 hours to send your report to the Iowa DOT if police didn't investigate (Iowa Code § 321.266).
• A copy of the officer's crash report from the Iowa DOT costs just $4 (Iowa Code § 321.271).
• Property damage claims have 5 years, but injury claims have only 2 (Iowa Code § 614.1).

Changes in 2024–2026

The Insurance Division readopted its claims-handling rules (191—15.41, 15.42) effective April 24, 2024 (ARC 7734C). We found no 2024-2026 change to the crash-report law (§ 321.266, last amended 2023), the 20/40/15 minimums or the deadlines to sue.

Free letters

Questions about car accidents in Iowa

Other states