New Iowa laws taking effect July 1, 2026

Iowans should take note: new laws starting July 1 cover everything from childcare aid and CDL tests to window tint and age verification.

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A guide to the laws Iowa’s rolling out July 1, 2026

Chief Political Reporter

New Iowa laws are on track to take effect on July 1, 2026. From speed limit changes to radon mitigation, here are a few laws that Iowans should take note of.

Default speed limit change: Starting on July 1, 55 miles per hour speed limit signs on rural roads and two-lane state highways will be changed to 60 miles per hour. Senate File 378 was pushed by a state senator in April, who said the lower limit was adopted in 1973 during the oil embargo and no longer reflects modern driving conditions.

Childcare assistance: The Iowa Child Care Assistance program will become permanently available to parents who are child care workers. House File 2514 will allow childcare workers to access the program no matter their income.

Towing companies: Another law taking effect adds new consumer protections for Iowans whose vehicles are towed. Towing companies must now accept credit card payments when releasing a vehicle before it is removed from the scene, notify owners sooner when a vehicle has been taken into custody and provide an itemized bill when a vehicle is reclaimed. Under House File 26167, companies also must clearly post their towing and storage fees at their business and on their website, if they have one.

The law also allows owners to retrieve certain essential personal belongings, such as medications, wallets, keys, prescription glasses and important documents, before paying towing and storage fees.

Commercial Driver’s License English test: Anyone applying for a Commercial Driver’s License must be able to pass an English proficiency test. According to Iowa Capital Dispatch, the test will be administered via a computer-based exam that must be passed only once and may be retaken multiple times. Truck drivers who fail to meet English proficiency standards while operating a commercial vehicle will face a serious misdemeanor charge and a civil penalty of $1,000. Commercial motor carriers found to employ drivers not proficient in English would be subject to a simple misdemeanor charge and a fine of $10,000 for each violation under Senate File 2426.

Age verification: House File 864 will require social media platforms and websites to implement “reasonable” age verification if one-third or more of their content is pornographic.

Radon mitigation: In May, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law requiring radon mitigation systems in new single-family homes and duplexes across Iowa. Under House File 2297, builders will now be required to install passive systems in new homes.

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, and Iowa has some of the highest radon levels in the nation, as KCCI Investigates reports.

Window tint: Another traffic bill signed into law will allow Iowa drivers to have darker window tint on their vehicles. Current law requires 70% light. House File 766, signed in May by Reynolds, will drop that to 50%.

‘Three strikes’ system: House File 2542, also known as the “Three Strikes Bill,” would create a point system for habitual offenders. Anyone convicted of a third felony will be required to serve a minimum of seven years in prison, without eligibility for parole until those seven years are served.

The bill also changes the maximum confinement time for habitual offenders from 15 years to 20 years.

Reynolds says the goal is to protect law-abiding Iowans from what she called “career criminals.”

Emissions lawsuit: House File 2527 will limit lawsuits against farmers for the “alleged actual or potential” impacts of greenhouse gas emissions on the climate. Supporters of the bill said it will protect against “frivolous” climate lawsuits, while opponents are worried the language is too broad and will limit Iowans’ ability to seek damages.

Foster care training: Senate File 2096 removes the current requirement that foster parents complete 30 hours of training and six hours of additional training annually. Instead, prospective foster parents will have to receive training based on their own “relevant training and experience,” as well as the “circumstances of the child” who would be placed with the prospective parents.

According to Iowa Capital Dispatch, foster parent training under the bill would include an overview of child welfare, biological parent contact and supporting their family of origin, as well as behavior management, the effect of trauma on child development and issues like attachment, grief and loss, and could be administered through approved programs offered by both public and private agencies. All of these changes will affect foster care license requirements.

Fraudulent practices involving academic credentials: House File 2337 will make lying about academic achievements a felony. A person accused of lying about their academic credentials during the job interview process could be found guilty of a Class D felony. That carries a sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.