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HF2103 • 2026

A bill for an act relating to the speed limit on unpaved roads under county jurisdiction, and making penalties applicable.

A bill for an act relating to the speed limit on unpaved roads under county jurisdiction, and making penalties applicable.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
FISHER
Last action
2026-01-15
Official status
Introduced, referred to Transportation. H.J. 115 .
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

A bill for an act relating to the speed limit on unpaved roads under county jurisdiction, and making penalties applicable.

A bill for an act relating to the speed limit on unpaved roads under county jurisdiction, and making penalties applicable.

What This Bill Does

  • A bill for an act relating to the speed limit on unpaved roads under county jurisdiction, and making penalties applicable.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-15 Iowa Legislature

    Introduced, referred to Transportation. H.J. 115 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act relating to the speed limit on unpaved roads under county jurisdiction, and making penalties applicable.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
House

File

2103

-

Introduced

HOUSE

FILE

2103

BY

FISHER

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

relating

to

the

speed

limit

on

unpaved

roads

under

1

county

jurisdiction,

and

making

penalties

applicable.

2

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

3

TLSB

5178YH

(2)

91

th/ns

H.F.

2103

Section

1.

Section

321.285,

subsection

4,

Code

2026,

is

1

amended

to

read

as

follows:

2

4.

A

reasonable

and

proper

speed

is

required,

but

not

3

greater

than

fifty-five

forty-five

miles

per

hour

at

any

time

4

between

sunrise

and

sunset,

and

not

greater

than

fifty

miles

5

per

hour

at

any

time

between

sunset

and

sunrise

,

on

secondary

6

roads

unless

such

roads

are

surfaced

with

concrete

or

asphalt

7

or

a

combination

of

both,

in

which

case

the

speed

limits

shall

8

be

the

same

as

provided

in

subsection

3

.

When

the

board

of

9

supervisors

of

any

county

shall

determine

determines

upon

10

the

basis

of

an

engineering

and

traffic

investigation

that

11

the

speed

limit

on

any

secondary

road

is

greater

than

is

12

reasonable

and

proper

under

the

conditions

found

to

exist

at

13

any

intersection

or

other

place

or

upon

any

part

of

a

secondary

14

road,

the

board

shall

determine

and

declare

a

reasonable

and

15

proper

speed

limit

at

the

intersection

or

other

part

of

the

16

secondary

road.

The

speed

limits

as

determined

by

the

board

17

of

supervisors

shall

be

effective

when

appropriate

signs

18

giving

notice

of

the

speed

limits

are

erected

by

the

board

of

19

supervisors

at

the

intersection

or

other

place

or

part

of

the

20

highway.

21

Sec.

2.

IMPLEMENTATION.

Notwithstanding

section

22

321.252,

321.255,

321.285,

or

any

other

provision

of

law

23

to

the

contrary,

when

updating

speed

limit

signs

as

a

24

result

of

the

enactment

of

this

Act,

a

county

may

attach

25

nonpermanent

overlays

or

stickers

approved

by

the

department

26

of

transportation

to

existing

speed

limit

signs

in

order

to

27

display

the

new

speed

limit.

The

nonpermanent

overlays

or

28

stickers

may

be

used

by

the

county

until

the

applicable

speed

29

limit

sign

is

replaced

based

on

the

county’s

replacement

30

schedule

and

any

applicable

specifications

or

requirements.

31

EXPLANATION

32

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

33

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

34

Under

current

law,

the

maximum

speed

limit

on

roads

under

35

-1-

LSB

5178YH

(2)

91

th/ns

1/

2

H.F.

2103

county

jurisdiction

(secondary

roads)

is

55

miles

per

hour,

1

unless

such

roads

are

not

surfaced

with

concrete

or

asphalt,

in

2

which

case

the

maximum

speed

limit

is

55

miles

per

hour

at

any

3

time

between

sunrise

and

sunset

and

50

miles

per

hour

at

any

4

time

between

sunset

and

sunrise.

If,

based

on

an

engineering

5

and

traffic

investigation,

the

board

of

supervisors

finds

6

that

the

speed

limit

on

a

secondary

road

under

the

board’s

7

jurisdiction

is

greater

than

is

reasonable

and

proper,

the

8

board

is

required

to

determine

and

declare

a

reasonable

and

9

proper

speed

limit

and

post

signs

giving

notice

of

the

speed

10

limit.

11

This

bill

reduces

the

maximum

speed

limit

on

secondary

12

roads

to

45

miles

per

hour

if

such

roads

are

not

surfaced

with

13

concrete

or

asphalt,

regardless

of

daylight.

14

The

bill

authorizes

a

county,

when

updating

speed

limit

15

signs

as

a

result

of

the

bill,

to

attach

nonpermanent

overlays

16

or

stickers

approved

by

the

department

of

transportation

to

17

existing

speed

limit

signs

in

order

to

display

the

new

speed

18

limit.

The

nonpermanent

overlays

or

stickers

may

be

used

by

19

the

county

until

the

applicable

speed

limit

sign

is

replaced

20

based

on

the

county’s

replacement

schedule

and

any

applicable

21

specifications

or

requirements.

22

A

person

who

exceeds

a

speed

limit

under

Code

section

321.285

23

is

guilty

of

a

simple

misdemeanor

punishable

by

a

scheduled

24

fine

that

varies

depending

on

the

excessive

speed

over

the

25

limit.

The

fine

ranges

from

$30

for

a

speed

in

excess

of

the

26

limit

by

not

more

than

5

miles

per

hour

to

$135

plus

$5

for

each

27

mile

per

hour

of

excessive

speed

over

20

miles

per

hour

over

28

the

limit,

with

increased

fines

in

road

work

zones.

29

-2-

LSB

5178YH

(2)

91

th/ns

2/

2