2023 Iowa Code › Title VIII - TRANSPORTATION › Chapter 321 - MOTOR VEHICLES AND LAW OF THE ROAD › Section 321.451 - Emergency vehicles — certificate of designation.

321.451 Emergency vehicles — certificate of designation.
1. The director or the director’s designee may designate a privately owned vehicle as an authorized emergency vehicle and issue a certificate of designation for the vehicle, upon written request being made on forms provided by the department and showing necessity for the designation. A certificate of designation may be issued for the following privately owned vehicles:
a. An ambulance or fire or rescue vehicle.
b. A state or county medical examiner vehicle.
c. A vehicle owned by a sheriff or full-time paid deputy sheriff if the authorized emergency vehicle designation is requested by the sheriff.
d. A vehicle owned by a chief of police or any officer of the police department if the authorized emergency vehicle designation is requested by the chief of police.
e. A vehicle owned by a chief of a full-time paid fire department if the authorized emergency vehicle designation is requested by the chief of the fire department.
f. A towing or recovery vehicle, subject to rules adopted by the department.
g. A vehicle owned by a certified chief or certified fire officer of a volunteer fire department, a fire department comprised of a combination of volunteer and paid members, or a nonprofit corporation that delivers emergency services on behalf of a municipality, as defined in section 670.1, pursuant to a written contract, if the application for a certificate of designation is requested by the certified chief or certified fire officer of the fire department. However, the department shall not approve an application received pursuant to this paragraph unless the owner of the vehicle has completed an emergency vehicle operations course approved by the fire service training bureau, as described in section 100B.6, provided proof of certification as a fire officer, and provided proof of financial liability coverage or risk pool coverage.
h. A vehicle owned by a chief, medical director, or certified medical provider of an authorized emergency medical service, if the application for a certificate of designation is requested by the chief, medical officer, or medical director of the authorized emergency medical service. However, the department shall not approve an application received pursuant to this paragraph unless the owner of the vehicle has completed an emergency vehicle operations course approved by the department of public health, and provided proof of financial liability coverage or risk pool coverage.
2. The application for a certificate of designation must include the name of the owner of the vehicle, vehicle identification information, a description of the vehicle’s equipment, and a description of how the vehicle will be used as an authorized emergency vehicle.
3. The certificate of designation shall at all times be carried with the registration receipt for the vehicle to which the certificate refers. The certificate may be revoked by the director upon a showing of abuse.
4. A public or private entity shall not require an employee or volunteer to apply for or maintain a certificate of designation pursuant to this section as a condition of employment or of permitting the person to continue to volunteer. A person shall not be required to operate or use a vehicle designated as an authorized emergency vehicle pursuant to this section.
5. This section shall not be construed to exempt the state or a municipality, as defined in section 670.1, from any duty to purchase, equip, maintain, or otherwise provide authorized emergency vehicles to meet any requirement to provide public services, including law enforcement, fire protection, rescue, emergency medical services, or emergency management.
[C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §321.451]
85 Acts, ch 37, §3; 2000 Acts, ch 1133, §12; 2005 Acts, ch 8, §34, 35; 2022 Acts, ch 1087, §9 – 11
Referred to in §321.1, 321.424
Subsection 1, NEW paragraphs g and h
NEW subsections 4 and 5