Iowa Code § 321.24 — IA Code / Title VIII / Chapter 321 / Section 321.24
Issuance of registration and certificate of title.
Status: in_force

(1) Upon receipt of the application for title and payment of the required fees for a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer, the county treasurer or the department shall, when satisfied as to the application’s genuineness and regularity, and, in the case of a mobile home or manufactured home, that taxes are not owing under chapter 423 or 435, issue a certificate of title and, except for a mobile home or manufactured home, a registration receipt, and shall file the application, the manufacturer’s or importer’s certificate, the certificate of title, or other evidence of ownership, as prescribed by the department. The registration receipt shall be delivered to the owner and shall contain upon its face the date issued, the name and address of the owner, the registration number assigned to the vehicle, the amount of the fee paid, the type of fuel used, a description of the vehicle as determined by the department, and a form for notice of transfer of the vehicle. The name and address of any lessee of the vehicle shall not be printed on the registration receipt or certificate of title. Up to three owners may be listed on the registration receipt and certificate of title.

(2) The county treasurer shall maintain in the county record system information contained on the registration receipt. The information shall be accessible by registration number and shall be open for public inspection during reasonable business hours. Copies the department requires shall be sent to the department in the manner and at the time the department directs.

(3) The certificate of title must contain upon its face the identical information required upon the face of the registration receipt. In addition, the certificate of title must contain a statement of the owner’s title, the title number assigned to the owner or owners of the vehicle, and a statement of all security interests and encumbrances as shown in the application, upon the vehicle described, including the nature of the security interest, date of perfection, and name and mailing address of the secured party.

(4) If the prior certificate of title is from another state and indicates that the vehicle was rebuilt, the new certificate of title and registration receipt shall contain the designation “REBUILT” printed on its face together with the name of the state issuing the prior title. The designation shall be retained on the face of all subsequent certificates of title and registration receipts for the vehicle.

(5) If the prior certificate of title is from another state and indicates that the vehicle was junked, an Iowa junking certificate shall be issued according to section 321.52, subsections 2 and 3. If the prior certificate of title from another state indicates that the vehicle is salvaged and not rebuilt or is a salvage certificate of title, an Iowa salvage certificate of title shall be issued and a “SALVAGE” designation shall be retained on all subsequent Iowa certificates of title and registration receipts for the vehicle, unless the owner has surrendered the prior certificate of title and a salvage theft examination certificate, as provided under section 321.52, subsection 4, paragraph “c”, and the salvage theft examination certificate was properly executed within thirty days of the date the owner was assigned the prior certificate of title. The department may require that subsequent Iowa certificates of title retain other states’ designations which indicate that a vehicle had incurred prior damage. The department shall determine the manner in which other states’ rebuilt, salvage, or other designations are to be indicated on Iowa titles.

(6) If the prior certificate of title is from another state and indicates that the vehicle was returned to the manufacturer pursuant to a law of another state similar to chapter 322G, the new registration receipt and certificate of title, and all subsequent registration receipts and certificates of title issued for the vehicle, shall contain a designation indicating the vehicle was returned to the manufacturer. The department shall determine the manner in which other states’ designations are to be indicated on Iowa registration receipts and certificates of title. The department may determine that a “REBUILT” or “SALVAGE” designation supersedes the designation required by this subsection and include the “REBUILT” or “SALVAGE” designation on the registration receipt and certificate of title in lieu of the designation required by this subsection.

(7) The certificate shall contain the name of the county treasurer or of the department and, if the certificate of title is printed, the signature of the county treasurer, the deputy county treasurer, or the department director or deputy designee. The certificate of title shall contain upon the reverse side a form for assignment of title or interest and warranty by the owner, for reassignments by a dealer licensed in this state or in another state if the state in which the dealer is licensed permits Iowa licensed dealers to similarly reassign certificates of title. However, titles for mobile homes or manufactured homes shall not be reassigned by licensed dealers. Notwithstanding section 321.1, subsection 17, as used in this subsection, “dealer” means every person engaged in the business of buying, selling, or exchanging vehicles of a type required to be registered under this chapter.

(8) The original certificate of title shall be delivered to the owner if there is no security interest. Otherwise the certificate of title shall be delivered by the county treasurer or the department to the person holding the first security interest. Delivery may be made using electronic means.

(9) The county treasurer or the department shall maintain in the county or department records system the information contained on the certificate of title and the name and address of the previous owner. The information must be accessible by title certificate number for a period of three years from the date of notification of cancellation of title or date that a new title has been issued as provided in this chapter. Copies the department requires shall be sent to the department in the manner and at the time the department directs. The department shall designate a uniform system of title numbers to indicate the county of issuance.

(10) A vehicle shall be registered for the registration year. A vehicle registered for the first time in this state shall be registered for the remaining unexpired months of the registration year and pay an annual registration fee prorated for the remaining unexpired months of the registration year plus a fee for new registration if applicable pursuant to section 321.105A. Except for a vehicle registered under chapter 326, a vehicle registered for the first time during the eleventh month of the owner’s registration year may be registered for the remaining unexpired months of the registration year as provided in this subsection or for the remaining unexpired months of the registration year and for the next registration year, upon payment of the applicable registration fees.

(11) If the county treasurer or department is not satisfied as to the ownership of the vehicle or that there are no undisclosed security interests in it, or if a junking certificate has been issued for the vehicle but a certificate of title will not be reissued under section 321.52, subsection 3, and the vehicle qualifies as an antique vehicle under section 321.115, subsection 1, the county treasurer or department may register the vehicle but shall, as a condition of issuing a certificate of title and registration receipt, require the applicant to first receive approval by the department.

(11) (a) If the department determines the value of the vehicle is one thousand dollars or less and the vehicle is twelve model years old or older, the department shall notify the applicant, and the department or county treasurer may issue a certificate of title and registration receipt. The applicant shall apply for a certificate of title and registration within thirty days of the department’s notification of determination.

(11) (b) If the department determines the value of the vehicle is more than one thousand dollars or the vehicle is less than twelve model years old, the applicant shall file with the department a bond in the form prescribed by the department and executed by the applicant, and either accompanied by the deposit of cash with the department or also executed by a person authorized to conduct a surety business in this state. The owner of a vehicle subject to the bond requirements of this subsection shall apply for a certificate of title and registration for the vehicle at the county treasurer’s office within thirty days of issuance of written authorization from the department. The bond shall be in an amount equal to one and one-half times the current value of the vehicle, as determined by the department, and conditioned to indemnify any prior owner and secured party and any subsequent purchaser of the vehicle or person acquiring any security interest in it, and their respective successors in interest, against any expense, loss, or damage, including reasonable attorney fees, by reason of the issuance of the certificate of title for the vehicle or on account of any defect in or undisclosed security interest upon the right, title, and interest of the applicant in and to the vehicle. Any such interested person has a right of action to recover on the bond for any breach of its conditions, but the aggregate liability of the surety to all persons shall not exceed the amount of the bond. The bond, and any deposit accompanying it, shall be returned at the end of three years or earlier if the vehicle is no longer registered in this state and the currently valid certificate of title is surrendered to the department, unless the department has been notified of the pendency of an action to recover on the bond. The department may authorize issuance of a certificate of title as provided in this subsection for a vehicle with an unreleased security interest upon presentation of satisfactory evidence that the security interest has been extinguished or that the holder of the security interest cannot be located to release the security interest as provided in section 321.50.

(11) (c) The department may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to implement and administer this subsection.

(12) A person who violates this section commits a simple misdemeanor punishable as a scheduled violation under section 805.8A, subsection 2, paragraph “b”.

[C24, 27, 31, 35, §4873; C39, §5001.08; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §321.24; 82 Acts, ch 1251, §8]82 Acts, ch 1062, §3, 38; 87 Acts, ch 108, §2; 87 Acts, ch 130, §1; 88 Acts, ch 1089, §3; 89 Acts, ch 185, §1; 90 Acts, ch 1116, §1; 91 Acts, ch 142, §1; 92 Acts, ch 1104, §2; 94 Acts, ch 1199, §77; 95 Acts, ch 45, §1; 99 Acts, ch 188, §4; 2000 Acts, ch 1016, §42, 47; 2000 Acts, ch 1028, §1, 4; 2000 Acts, ch 1047, §1, 4; 2001 Acts, ch 153, §17; 2003 Acts, 1st Ex, ch 2, §164, 2052004 Acts, ch 1013, §5, 35; 2005 Acts, ch 8, §7, 8; 2006 Acts, ch 1070, §4; 2007 Acts, ch 143, §8; 2008 Acts, ch 1018, §6; 2008 Acts, ch 1113, §54; 2009 Acts, ch 41, §113; 2010 Acts, ch 1140, §1; 2014 Acts, ch 1092, §73; 2016 Acts, ch 1098, §31; 2020 Acts, ch 1074, §31, 93; 2024 Acts, ch 1036, §1; 2024 Acts, ch 1059, §1