Older Iowans face some of the nation's toughest license rules
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Iowa has some of the nation's toughest license-renewal rules for older motorists, despite mixed evidence that stricter requirements improve safety.
Why it matters: Iowa's rules highlight a broader debate over whether age alone is a fair basis for driver's license requirements.
Driving the news: The driving record of Paul Pelosi, the husband of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is drawing renewed scrutiny after police say the 86-year-old struck an unoccupied parked car in California on July 3 and left the scene without providing the required information.
- He was cited last week for misdemeanor hit-and-run and for making an unlawful turn.
State of play: Iowa licenses generally last eight years, but terms begin to shorten at age 73 and cannot extend beyond a driver's 80th birthday.
- Drivers 78 and older receive two-year licenses and must renew in person because online renewal is unavailable starting at age 70.
The big picture: Iowa has the second-youngest mandatory threshold for a two-year-or-shorter renewal cycle, behind Rhode Island's requirement that starts at age 75.
- Five other states mandate renewal every two years or more frequently for some older drivers: New Mexico, Hawaii, Indiana, Texas and Illinois, whose new schedule takes effect July 1, 2027, according to IIHS.
Reality check: Research on age-based renewal rules is mixed, per IIHS.
- One study found no lower fatality rates in states with shorter renewal periods or testing requirements, while others found benefits to road tests and in-person renewal or vision screening.
By the numbers: The number of licensed U.S. drivers ages 65 and older grew by 41% over the past decade, from about 38.4 million in 2014 to 54.4 million in 2024, according to Federal Highway Administration data.
- Older adults accounted for nearly 23% of licensed drivers in 2024, up from about 18% in 2014.
Zoom in: Iowa had nearly 554,000 licensed drivers ages 65 and older — about 23% of the state's 2.39 million licensed drivers.
- More than 107,000 were 80 or older, including nearly 45,000 who were 85 or older, according to the highway administration.
What they're saying: Sam Wells, a West Des Moines resident and senior advocate, tells Axios that Iowa's rules unfairly burden older drivers with clean records.
- "I believe Iowa senior drivers suffer from age discrimination," Wells said.
Yes, but: AARP Iowa, the state's most prominent advocacy group for seniors, has not taken a position on changing the law, Paige Yontz, a state advocacy manager, tells Axios.
Behind the scenes: Iowa's latest substantive relaxation of its older-driver rules took effect in 2021, when the state raised the age threshold for two-year licenses from 72 to 78.
What we're watching: Whether Iowa lawmakers take another look at the state's blanket age requirements.