Iowa Code § 321.449 — IA Code / Title VIII / Chapter 321 / Section 321.449
Motor carrier safety rules.
Status: in_force

(1) (a) A person shall not operate a commercial vehicle on the highways of this state except in compliance with rules adopted by the department of public safety, in consultation with the department of transportation, under chapter 17A. The rules shall be consistent with the federal motor carrier safety regulations promulgated under United States Code, Tit. 49, and found in 49 C.F.R. pts. 385, 390 399 and adopted under chapter 17A.

(1) (b) The department of public safety, in consultation with the department of transportation, shall also adopt rules concerning hours of service for drivers of vehicles operated for hire and designed to transport seven or more persons, including the driver. The rules shall not apply to vehicles offered to the public for hire that are used principally in intracity operation and that are regulated by local authorities pursuant to section 321.236.

(1) (c) The department may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A authorizing a person who is at least eighteen years of age or over, but under twenty-one years of age, to be licensed to operate a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce if the person holds a valid commercial driver’s license and is authorized under federal law to operate a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce.

(2) Rules adopted under this section concerning driver qualifications, hours of service, and recordkeeping requirements do not apply to the operators of public utility trucks, trucks hauling gravel, construction trucks and equipment, trucks moving implements of husbandry, and special trucks, other than a truck tractor, operating intrastate. Except as otherwise provided in this section, trucks for hire on construction projects are not exempt from this section.

(3) Rules adopted under this section concerning driver age qualifications do not apply to drivers for private and for-hire motor carriers which operate solely intrastate. The minimum age for the exempted intrastate operations is eighteen years of age.

(4) (a) Notwithstanding other provisions of this section, rules adopted under this section for drivers of commercial vehicles shall not apply to a driver of a commercial vehicle who is engaged exclusively in intrastate commerce, when the commercial vehicle’s gross vehicle weight rating is twenty-six thousand pounds or less, unless the vehicle is used to transport hazardous materials requiring a placard or if the vehicle is designed to transport more than fifteen passengers, including the driver. For the purpose of complying with the hours of service recordkeeping requirements under 49 C.F.R. §395.1(e)(1)(v)(A – D), a driver’s report of daily beginning and ending on-duty time submitted to the motor carrier at the end of each workweek shall be considered acceptable motor carrier time records.

(4) (b) In addition, rules adopted under this section shall not apply to a driver operating intrastate for a farm operation as defined in section 352.2, or for an agricultural interest when the commercial vehicle is operated between the farm as defined in section 352.2 and another farm, between the farm and a market for farm products, or between the farm and an agribusiness location.

(4) (c) A driver or a driver-salesperson for a private carrier, who is not for hire and who is engaged exclusively in intrastate commerce, may drive twelve hours, be on duty sixteen hours in a twenty-four-hour period, and be on duty seventy hours in seven consecutive days or eighty hours in eight consecutive days. A “driver-salesperson” means as defined in 49 C.F.R. §395.2, as adopted by the department of public safety by rule.

(4) (d) For-hire drivers who are engaged exclusively in intrastate commerce and who operate trucks and truck tractors exclusively for the movement of construction materials and equipment to and from construction projects may also drive twelve hours, be on duty sixteen hours in a twenty-four-hour period, and be on duty seventy hours in seven consecutive days or eighty hours in eight consecutive days.

(5) (a) Notwithstanding other provisions of this section, rules adopted under this section concerning physical and medical qualifications for drivers of commercial vehicles engaged in intrastate commerce shall not be construed as disqualifying any individual who was employed as a driver of commercial vehicles engaged in intrastate commerce whose physical or medical condition existed prior to July 29, 1996.

(5) (b) Notwithstanding other provisions of this section, rules adopted under this section concerning physical and medical qualifications for a driver shall not apply to a farmer or a farmer’s hired help when operating a vehicle owned by the farmer while it is being used in connection with the intrastate transportation of fertilizers and chemicals used in the farmer’s crop production.

(5) (c) Notwithstanding other provisions of this section, rules adopted under this section concerning physical and medical qualifications for a driver shall not apply to a farmer or a farmer’s hired help when operating a vehicle owned by the farmer while it is being used in connection with the intrastate transportation of agricultural commodities or feed.

(6) Notwithstanding other provisions of this section, rules adopted under this section shall not impose any requirements which impose any restrictions upon a person operating an implement of husbandry or pickup to transport fertilizers and pesticides in that person’s agricultural operations.

(7) Rules adopted under this section shall not apply to vehicles engaged in intrastate commerce and used in combination, provided the gross vehicle weight rating of the towing unit is ten thousand pounds or less and the gross combination weight rating is twenty-six thousand pounds or less.

(8) In the course of enforcing the motor carrier safety rules adopted by the department of public safety under chapter 17A, the department of public safety’s peace officers are authorized, at reasonable times and places and with reasonable notice, to enter a motor carrier’s place of business for the purpose of performing a motor carrier safety audit or compliance review. Nothing in this subsection by itself permits the seizure of the property of a motor carrier. Any audit or review shall be conducted in compliance with the federal motor carrier safety regulations in 49 C.F.R. pts. 105 185, 382, 383, 385, and 390 399. A peace officer of the department of public safety is authorized to inspect and copy motor carrier records required by 49 C.F.R. pts. 105 185, 382, 383, 385, and 390 399.

[C39, §5034.58; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §321.449]87 Acts, ch 170, §13; 88 Acts, ch 1083, §3 – 7; 88 Acts, ch 1278, §50; 92 Acts, ch 1175, §38; 93 Acts, ch 47, §15; 95 Acts, ch 171, §1; 96 Acts, ch 1063, §1; 99 Acts, ch 13, §17, 29; 99 Acts, ch 96, §34; 2000 Acts, ch 1134, §3; 2001 Acts, ch 132, §12; 2003 Acts, ch 8, §17, 18; 2005 Acts, ch 8, §33; 2009 Acts, ch 130, §40, 41; 2010 Acts, ch 1069, §48; 2019 Acts, ch 41, §4; 2023 Acts, ch 85, §12 – 14; 2025 Acts, ch 4, §1