What are Iowa Public Traffic Records?
When a driver is convicted of a traffic violation in Iowa, the offense and its penalties are reported in the offender's public traffic record. A public traffic record comprises an individual's traffic tickets, accidents, sanctions, and related information - which, for the most part, is accessible to the public. Any entry in such a record concerns the holder of an Iowa commercial (CDL) or regular driver's license.
In Iowa, the judicial branch (specifically the district courts) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) share responsibility in generating and maintaining public traffic records.
Are Traffic Records Public in Iowa?
Yes. The Iowa Open Records Law bestows citizens with the right to access records maintained by government bodies and officials. For this reason, any interested person can examine, copy, or disseminate the traffic records in the physical custody of the state courts or the Department of Transportation.
However, the law restricts public access if the record has been sealed by the court or contains confidential information (e.g., medical or personal data).
What do Iowa Traffic Records Contain?
Iowa courts and the state Department of Transportation (DOT) create and retain traffic records. However, the contents of these records differ.
Traffic records maintained by the DOT display an Iowa driver's traffic-related activities and their license information and driving history. As a result, the Department of Transportation officially calls them "motor vehicle" or "driving" records. The entries in such records include:
- The licensed motorist's name and address
- Driver's license number
- License type and status
- License suspensions, revocations, and cancellations
- Accidents
- Traffic tickets and convictions
- Completed driver improvement programs
Meanwhile, the traffic records maintained by the courts relate more to a traffic offense proceeding than driving or traffic history. These records contain information about a defendant's court case and its resolution.
Does a Citation Go on Your Record in Iowa?
Citations or traffic tickets issued to Iowa driver's license holders can appear on their driving records. As a rule, the Iowa Department of Transportation reports every traffic violation and accident committed by an Iowa driver on that person's driving or traffic record. This includes out-of-state citations, accidents, and convictions.
Types of Traffic Citations in Iowa
In Iowa, law enforcement officers issue traffic citations or tickets for various traffic offenses, including reckless driving, eluding the police, operating while intoxicated, and improper parking. Although each offense varies by severity and legal consequence, they can be classified as either moving or non-moving violations.
Moving violations refer to offenses that occur when a vehicle is in motion. An example is speeding. Because of the risk of injury and death associated with these offenses, the courts and the Department of Transportation penalize them severely. Admittedly, Iowa law categorizes many moving violations as misdemeanors.
On the other hand, non-moving violations occur with stationary motor vehicles - although it is still possible to be ticketed for a non-moving violation while a vehicle is moving. These violations involve parking, paperwork, and vehicle safety/equipment issues. For example, driving without a seat belt, parking at an expired parking meter, missing mirrors, and operating without registration.
Iowa Traffic Citation Lookup
Persons cited in Iowa for traffic violations can look up their citations with the judicial branch's ePayment system. As the system's primary objective is to assist traffic offenders in searching and paying for citations, it can be used to retrieve information like the case ID, case title, defendant's full name, and the total amount due. The information required to search the system includes:
- The case type
- The county where cited
- The offender's first or last name, or
- The case number
However, citations usually take some time (two to three weeks or longer) to be added to the system. As such, it may be necessary to check back if no citation is found or contact the court clerk.
How to Lookup my Iowa Traffic Records
An individual can look up their Iowa traffic records by obtaining a copy of their driving or motor vehicle record from the Department of Transportation (DOT). This can be done online or via mail.
Online:
The DOT provides a website called myMVD for people who want to acquire certified (official) and non-certified copies of their driving records. To access this site, a requester must enter the following information into the appropriate boxes:
- First name
- Last name
- Date of birth
- Social security number (last five digits only), and
- Iowa driver's license or ID card number
There is no cost assessed to view or print the non-certified copy of one's driving record. However, a certified copy costs $8.50; $5.50 as the record fee, and $3 as the service cost and credit card processing fee.
Mail:
Alternatively, an Iowa licensed driver can order their driving record (certified/non-certified) by mail. This requires completing and submitting the Privacy Act Agreement For Request of Motor Vehicle Records form (record owners only need to fill Parts A and D).
Along with the form, the requester must submit a copy of their driver's license or non-driver ID card plus a check of the record fee addressed to "Treasurer, State of Iowa." The DOT charges 50 cents per copy for non-certified records and $5.50 for certified records. Requests should be mailed to the address below:
Office of Driver Services
Iowa Department of Transportation
P.O. Box 9204
Des Moines, IA 50306-9204
Iowa traffic case records may also be available from third-party websites since they are considered public records. Unlike government sources or websites, third-party websites do not have geographical limitations. Hence, interested parties may access these websites from anywhere in the world. However, some third-party websites may require registration or subscription to access traffic record
Iowa Traffic Violations
A traffic violation in Iowa violates the state's traffic laws. These violations can range from minor infractions, such as speeding, to more serious offenses, such as DUI. Violators may be subject to fines, points on their driver's license, and even jail time. In some cases, a traffic violation may also result in the loss of the offender's driver's license.
The severity of a traffic violation will typically depend on the specific offense committed. For example, speeding is generally considered a less severe offense than DUI. However, even minor infractions can lead to major consequences if they are not appropriately handled.
Iowa License Plate Lookup
Iowa traffic records typically feature license plate information which is typically used to identify vehicles, motorists, and traffic offenders.
Several options are available to persons looking to conduct a license plate lookup in Iowa. The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) maintains a database of all license plates in the state. You can search this database online or by phone.
Another option is to use a commercial license plate lookup service. These services charge a fee, but they can provide more detailed information than the DOT database. They can also track down license plates for other states.
If you have the license plate number of a car involved in an accident or traffic violation, you can contact the Iowa DOT to get more information about the incident. You will need to provide the date, time, and location of the incident and the license plate number. The DOT can provide you with a copy of the accident report if one was filed.
How to View Traffic Case Records for Free in Iowa
The Iowa district courts maintain traffic case records in the state. As such, anyone wishing to search or view this record type for free must visit the courthouse to use a public access terminal. This does not have to be the courthouse where a case was heard, as the terminal can be used to access cases statewide. To find a local district court's physical location, interested persons can browse the directory of the district courts hosted on the Iowa judicial branch's website.
The Iowa courts' public case records system can also be accessed remotely, and some information can be retrieved at no cost. However, that information is limited to a case summary. For example:
- The case title
- Case number
- County where the traffic case originated
- Disposition status and date
Requestors must register for an account and pay a $25/month subscription fee to obtain additional traffic information.
How Long Do Traffic Offenses Remain on a Public Record in Iowa
Neither the Code of Iowa nor the Department of Transportation's regulations specifies a standard time frame within which traffic offenses remain on an individual's public record (i.e., a criminal or driving record). For this reason, traffic offenses remain on a person's criminal record permanently unless expunged.
However, convictions, accidents, and suspensions listed on a driving record typically go back to the last five years, at least. Furthermore, any license revocation earned because of an OWI (operating while intoxicated) stays on an offender's record for twelve years.
How to Remove Traffic Records from Public Websites in Iowa
Traffic records are publicly accessible in Iowa. Besides this implying that any citizen can obtain a record without stating a reason to the lawful custodian, it also means that certain parties can put entries from a record on public websites (e.g., people search sites and government websites).
Fortunately, many public websites run by private companies provide removal options to record owners. As such, an affected party can request a removal using the available means - the common ones being filling and submitting a form or contacting the company with the record.
However, this method has a drawback: even though a traffic record is deleted, it might appear again later - and possibly on another website. This happens because the removal only affects a record held by a third party; the original record remains available at its source (the official custodian's repository). As such, someone else can obtain and disseminate it.
Generally, it is good practice to conduct frequent checks and searches to verify that a record has not been relisted on a public site. A record owner can also outsource, as the process can be tedious.
For traffic records published or maintained online by government agencies, a record owner has limited options for removal. Typically, three scenarios will prompt a government agency to remove or hide a public traffic record:
- The record holder obtained an expungement or sealing order from the court.
- The legal retention period for the record has passed.
- A law or court rule bans the dissemination of the record.
It is worth mentioning that an expungement in Iowa does not only compel government agencies to restrict public access to a traffic record. As the record will be subsequently unavailable, it will be impossible - and a crime - for any private company or individual to disseminate it without the court's approval. As such, if a record was previously listed on a public website, the subject (or their attorney) can forward a copy of the expungement order and removal request to the site's administration.
Do Motoring Offenses Affect Criminal Records in Iowa?
Regrettably, yes. Anyone who receives a conviction for a motoring or traffic offense in Iowa will have that offense indexed on their criminal record. In addition, this record will follow the person forever unless expunged by the court.
A criminal record resulting from a traffic violation can affect an individual's life in many ways. Despite the criminal penalties sustained, an offender may struggle with adequate housing, financing, employment, and insurance, to mention a few. The individual may also lose certain privileges, like the right to own an Iowa driver's license or parent/adopt a child.
