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Iowa Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
No published rule: Iowa DOT sets no translation rule for license or identity documents. For a student's foreign license it points to the consulate or AAA. Ask before you order.
Who may translate: No published rule; points to consulate or AAA
How we know · policy checked on October 31, 2026
Iowa DOT publishes no rule on translations of license or identity documents, and its rules for applicants, 761 IAC chapter 601, do not mention them.
Its one sentence on the subject is for students driving on a license from another country, who "may need" it translated into English; for that it points to the consulate or AAA, without saying who may translate.
So ask a DMV location or Driver Services at 515-244-8725 before you order.
Iowa DOT at a glance
Does it accept eVerbary? No published rule
Iowa DOT publishes no rule that says whether it takes a translation from a professional service, eVerbary included.
Its only mention is that a student driving on a foreign license may need it translated, with a pointer to the consulate or AAA (New to Iowa); it neither names nor rules out other translators. Ask before you order. Policy checked on October 31, 2026.
- Translation
- No published rule
- Who may translate
- No published rule; points to consulate or AAA
- Foreign license
- Four reciprocity countries; 20 test languages
Checked on October 31, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on Iowa DOT's own page before you submit.
Worth knowing about Iowa DOT
A student sentence only
Students on a foreign license "may need" a translation; it points to the consulate or AAA.
Four reciprocity countries
France, Germany, South Korea and Taiwan may skip the knowledge and driving tests.
20 test languages
Written and audio, plus an interpreter by appointment for others.
Iowa DOT requirements in detail
Translation
No rule for license or identity documents in the applicant rules (761 IAC 601) or on the immigrant and refugee page.
Students on a foreign license
A student with a permanent residence and valid license elsewhere may drive without an Iowa license, must carry it, and may need it translated into English; DOT points to the consulate or AAA (New to Iowa, flyer).
Who may translate
No published rule and no translator list (761 Iowa Administrative Code chapter 601, application for license).
Foreign identity documents
A foreign passport counts with a US visa and the approved I-94. A birth certificate must come from a US state or territory (601.4(1)).
Marriage certificate, name change
Must be filed with vital statistics or an equivalent agency in the state or country of marriage and bear its certification; a church or chapel certificate is not acceptable (601.4(5)).
Reciprocity
France, Germany, South Korea and Taiwan: with a valid, unexpired license you may not need the knowledge or driving test (New to Iowa). The waiver is discretionary and the agreements nonbinding (761 IAC 604).
Visitors
A nonresident may drive within the scope of a home state or country license (Iowa Code 321.176).
Test languages
Written and audio in 20 languages; an interpreter for others by appointment (Immigrant and Refugee Process). An applicant who cannot read the written test may ask for an oral one (604.9).
What Iowa asks foreign nationals for
Iowa's identity list is federal and US documents, not foreign civil records.
Rule 601.4 names an unexpired foreign passport with a US visa and the approved I-94, a green card, an employment authorization document, a naturalization or citizenship certificate, and a Consular Report of Birth Abroad; "state" for birth certificates means a US state or territory (761 Iowa Administrative Code chapter 601, application for license).
DOT checks lawful status with USCIS; when USCIS needs a manual review, you get a SAVE letter and a response generally takes 3 to 7 business days (Immigrant and Refugee Process).
A card for a temporary foreign national lasts only as long as USCIS authorizes the stay, at most two years, and at least 30 days of status must remain (Immigrant and Refugee Process).
The foreign document that does appear in the rules is the marriage certificate: it may come from your country of marriage if it was filed with vital statistics or an equivalent agency and carries the issuer's certification. The rule says nothing on language (601.4(5)).
Moving to Iowa with a license from abroad
An applicant surrenders other licenses, including foreign ones, unless a reciprocity document says otherwise (601.2(7)).
The department may waive the knowledge and driving tests for a valid, equivalent license from a jurisdiction with a nonbinding reciprocity agreement (761 Iowa Administrative Code chapter 604, license examination), and DOT names France, Germany, South Korea and Taiwan. It tells holders to contact a DMV location to confirm (New to Iowa).
The rules list no such waiver for other foreign licenses.
On the language side, DOT uses a contracted interpreter by phone at its service centers and for instructions before a noncommercial road test; bring the language or dialect written on paper and hand it to staff.
Commercial skills testing must be in English (Immigrant and Refugee Process).
Documents people usually translate
- Foreign driver's license for a student driving in Iowa ("may need" a translation; who makes it is not stated)
- Foreign license from France, Germany, South Korea or Taiwan for a transfer (no translation rule published)
- Marriage certificate from another country for a name change (no translation rule published)
- Foreign passport, shown with a US visa and I-94 (no translation rule published)
What to do in Iowa
Call Driver Services at 515-244-8725 and ask whether your document in another language needs a translation and of what kind (Immigrant and Refugee Process).
Or ask at a DMV location and make an appointment; reciprocity holders are told to do the same (New to Iowa).
Students driving on a foreign license: check your consulate's website or contact it, as DOT suggests (New to Iowa).
What we do not do
eVerbary translates documents; it is not the DMV and does not issue licenses, International Driving Permits or REAL ID decisions. For Iowa DOT we do not issue licenses or International Driving Permits, and we do not get records from abroad.
Need a certified translation for another office?
A certified translation from eVerbary is still useful for a different office, such as USCIS or a court, which sets its own rules; see certified translation.
Frequently asked questions
Does Iowa accept a translated foreign driver's license?
Iowa DOT publishes no rule either way. It says only that a student driving on a foreign license may need it translated, and it points to the consulate or AAA (New to Iowa). Ask before you order.
Must I use my consulate for the translation?
The DOT page says to visit the consulate's website or contact it for information, and that AAA offers a permit service at a cost. It does not say only they may translate (New to Iowa).
Which foreign licenses transfer to Iowa?
France, Germany, South Korea and Taiwan, valid and unexpired; you may not need the tests. Contact a DMV location to confirm (New to Iowa).
Can I drive in Iowa on my foreign license?
A nonresident may drive within the scope of a home country license (Iowa Code 321.176), and a student with a permanent residence elsewhere need not get an Iowa license (New to Iowa).
Can I take the Iowa knowledge test in my language?
In 20 languages, written and audio, including Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Somali and Vietnamese; for others, an interpreter by appointment (Immigrant and Refugee Process).
Can I use a foreign marriage certificate for a name change?
The rule covers one filed with vital statistics or an equivalent agency in the country of marriage, with its certification; a church certificate is not acceptable. It says nothing on translation (601.4(5)).
Sources
Iowa Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division's own pages, read on October 31, 2026.
Need a certified translation for another office?
A certified translation from eVerbary is still useful for a different office, such as USCIS or a court, which sets its own rules; see certified translation.