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SF152 • 2026

A bill for an act relating to state driver’s license requirements for certain persons with a military driver’s license.(Formerly SSB 1037 .)

A bill for an act relating to state driver’s license requirements for certain persons with a military driver’s license.(Formerly SSB 1037 .)

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS
Last action
2026-03-05
Official status
Subcommittee recommends passage.
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 state driver’s license requirements for certain persons with a military driver’s license.(Formerly SSB 1037 .)

A bill for an act relating to state driver’s license requirements for certain persons with a military driver’s license.(Formerly SSB 1037 .)

What This Bill Does

  • A bill for an act relating to state driver’s license requirements for certain persons with a military driver’s license.(Formerly SSB 1037 .)

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. 2026-03-05 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee recommends passage.

  2. 2026-03-04 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee Meeting: 03/05/2026 12:00PM House Lounge.

  3. 2026-03-03 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee: Blom, Andrews and Wichtendahl. H.J. 524 .

  4. 2025-12-31 Iowa Legislature

    * * * * * END OF 2025 ACTIONS * * * * *

  5. 2025-05-15 Iowa Legislature

    Rereferred to Veterans Affairs. H.J. 1222 .

  6. 2025-04-10 Iowa Legislature

    Placed on calendar under unfinished business. H.J. 928 .

  7. 2025-03-06 Iowa Legislature

    Placed on calendar. H.J. 556 .

  8. 2025-03-05 Iowa Legislature

    Committee vote: Yeas, 15. Nays, 0. Excused, 2. H.J. 556 .

  9. 2025-03-05 Iowa Legislature

    Committee report, recommending passage. H.J. 556 .

  10. 2025-02-25 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee recommends passage.

  11. 2025-02-24 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee Meeting: 02/25/2025 12:00PM House Lounge.

  12. 2025-02-17 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee: Gearhart, Gerhold and Levin. H.J. 341 .

  13. 2025-02-12 Iowa Legislature

    Read first time, referred to Veterans Affairs. H.J. 307 .

  14. 2025-02-12 Iowa Legislature

    Message from Senate. H.J. 300 .

  15. 2025-02-11 Iowa Legislature

    Immediate message. S.J. 236 .

  16. 2025-02-11 Iowa Legislature

    Passed Senate , yeas 47, nays 0. S.J. 233 .

  17. 2025-01-29 Iowa Legislature

    Committee report, approving bill. S.J. 165 .

  18. 2025-01-29 Iowa Legislature

    Introduced, placed on calendar. S.J. 159 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act relating to state driver’s license requirements for certain persons with a military driver’s license.(Formerly SSB 1037 .)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Senate

File

152

-

Introduced

SENATE

FILE

152

BY

COMMITTEE

ON

VETERANS

AFFAIRS

(SUCCESSOR

TO

SSB

1037)

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

relating

to

state

driver’s

license

requirements

for

1

certain

persons

with

a

military

driver’s

license.

2

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

3

TLSB

1665SV

(1)

91

th/ns

S.F.

152

Section

1.

Section

321.186,

Code

2025,

is

amended

by

adding

1

the

following

new

subsection:

2

NEW

SUBSECTION

.

2A.

a.

The

department

may

waive

the

3

requirement

that

an

applicant

actually

demonstrate

the

ability

4

to

exercise

ordinary

and

reasonable

control

in

the

operation

of

5

a

motor

vehicle

and

other

physical

or

mental

examinations

for

6

an

applicant

who

is

on

active

duty

in

the

military

service,

or

7

who

has

separated

from

such

service

in

the

past

year,

and

who

8

certifies

that

during

the

two-year

period

immediately

preceding

9

the

application

for

a

driver’s

license,

all

of

the

following

10

are

true:

11

(1)

The

applicant

has

not

had

a

driver’s

license,

other

than

12

a

military

license.

13

(2)

The

applicant

has

maintained

a

clear

driving

record.

14

For

purposes

of

this

subparagraph,

“clear

driving

record”

15

means

the

individual

has

not

been

identified

as

a

candidate

16

for

suspension

or

revocation

of

a

driver’s

license

under

the

17

habitual

violator

or

habitual

offender

provisions

of

the

18

department’s

regulations;

is

not

subject

to

a

driver’s

license

19

suspension,

revocation,

denial,

cancellation,

disqualification,

20

or

bar;

and

has

no

record

of

a

conviction

for

a

moving

traffic

21

violation

determined

to

be

the

cause

of

a

motor

vehicle

22

accident.

23

b.

An

applicant

for

a

waiver

under

this

subsection

must

24

certify

and

provide

evidence

as

required

by

the

department

that

25

all

of

the

following

apply:

26

(1)

The

applicant

is

regularly

employed

or

was

regularly

27

employed

within

the

past

year

in

a

military

position

requiring

28

operation

of

a

motor

vehicle.

29

(2)

The

applicant

was

operating

a

motor

vehicle

30

representative

of

the

class

of

motor

vehicle

the

applicant

31

expects

to

operate

for

at

least

two

years

immediately

preceding

32

honorable

separation

from

military

service

as

evidenced

by

the

33

person’s

certificate

of

release

or

discharge

from

active

duty,

34

commonly

referred

to

as

a

DD214.

35

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(1)

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3

S.F.

152

c.

An

applicant

who

obtains

a

waiver

under

this

subsection

1

shall

successfully

complete

a

screening

of

the

applicant’s

2

eyesight,

a

test

of

the

applicant’s

ability

to

read

and

3

understand

highway

signs

regulating,

warning,

and

directing

4

traffic,

and

a

test

of

the

applicant’s

knowledge

of

the

5

traffic

laws

of

this

state,

as

required

under

subsection

2.

An

6

applicant

who

obtains

a

waiver

under

this

subsection

is

exempt

7

from

the

driver

education

requirements

under

section

321.178.

8

EXPLANATION

9

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

10

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

11

Under

current

law,

the

effective

date

of

a

valid

driver’s

12

license

held

by

any

person

at

the

time

of

entering

the

military

13

service

of

the

United

States

or

of

the

state

of

Iowa,

or

held

by

14

a

family

member

living

with

such

person,

is

generally

extended

15

without

fee

until

six

months

following

the

initial

separation

16

from

active

duty,

absent

certain

aggravating

circumstances

17

pursuant

to

Code

section

321.198

(military

service

exception).

18

This

bill

authorizes

the

department

of

transportation

(DOT)

19

to

issue

a

driver’s

license

to

a

person

who

is

on

active

duty

in

20

the

military

service,

or

who

has

separated

from

such

service

in

21

the

past

year

(military

applicant),

and

who

obtained

a

testing

22

waiver

under

the

bill.

23

The

bill

authorizes

the

DOT

to

waive

the

requirement

that

24

a

military

applicant

actually

demonstrate

the

ability

to

25

exercise

ordinary

and

reasonable

control

in

the

operation

of

a

26

motor

vehicle

and

other

physical

or

mental

examinations

if

the

27

military

applicant

certifies

that,

during

the

two-year

period

28

immediately

preceding

the

application

for

a

driver’s

license,

29

the

military

applicant

held

no

other

driver’s

license

other

30

than

a

military

license,

and

that

the

applicant

maintained

31

a

clear

driving

record,

described

in

the

bill.

A

military

32

applicant

must

also

certify

and

provide

evidence

of

relevant

33

employment

in

a

military

position

requiring

operation

of

a

34

motor

vehicle

and

that

the

military

applicant

has

experience

35

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3

S.F.

152

operating

a

motor

vehicle

representative

of

the

class

of

motor

1

vehicle

the

applicant

expects

to

operate

for

at

least

two

2

years

immediately

preceding

honorable

separation

from

military

3

service,

as

evidenced

by

the

person’s

certificate

of

release

or

4

discharge

from

active

duty,

commonly

referred

to

as

a

DD214.

5

Similar

provisions

exist

under

current

law

for

issuance

of

a

6

commercial

driver’s

license.

7

A

military

applicant

must

successfully

complete

an

eyesight

8

screening

and

tests

on

the

ability

to

read

and

understand

9

highway

signs

and

knowledge

of

the

traffic

laws.

A

military

10

applicant

who

obtains

a

waiver

under

the

bill

is

exempt

from

11

the

driver

education

requirements

under

Code

section

321.178.

12

-3-

LSB

1665SV

(1)

91

th/ns

3/

3