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Read. Follow. Verify.Iowa raises default speed limit to 60 mph and expands speeding ticket protections
Last action · June 2, 2026: Fiscal note .
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What This Bill Does
Governor Kim Reynolds signed Senate File 378, raising Iowa's default speed limit for vehicular traffic from 55 to 60 miles per hour and expanding the speed range for minor speeding violations that are excluded from driving record penalties and insurance rate hikes, effective July 1, 2026.
Drivers can now travel up to 61 miles per hour without certain minor speeding offenses counting toward license suspension or auto insurance premium increases in newly covered zones, while the baseline highway speed limit increases across the state.
- Kim Reynolds serves as the Governor of Iowa, responsible for signing or vetoing legislation passed by the Iowa General Assembly. context
- Senate File 378 originated from previous legislative proposals regarding speed limits, including Senate File 73. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Drivers in Iowa
Drivers are subject to a higher default speed limit of 60 miles per hour and receive expanded protections against license penalties and insurance rate hikes for minor speeding infractions.
Insurance companies transacting business in this state
Insurers are prohibited from using the first two minor speeding violations within a 12-month period in speed zones up to 61 miles per hour to determine motor vehicle insurance rates or cancel policies.
Highway jurisdiction agencies
Local and state agencies responsible for highways are authorized to use approved nonpermanent overlays or stickers to update existing speed limit signs.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the new default speed limit in Iowa under Senate File 378?
Will minor speeding tickets still affect my auto insurance rates?
How will cities and counties update their speed limit signs?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
40 actions- Jun 2, 2026Iowa LegislatureFiscal note .
- Jun 1, 2026SenateEnrolledSigned by Governor . S.J. 1029 .
- May 5, 2026SenateReported correctly enrolled, signed by President and Speaker, and sent to Governor. S.J. 1028 .
- Apr 22, 2026HouseMessage from Senate. H.J. 977 .
- Apr 22, 2026SenateImmediate message. S.J. 869 .
- Apr 22, 2026SenateFloorPassed Senate , yeas 28, nays 16. S.J. 868 .
Show 34 earlier actions
- Apr 22, 2026SenateFloorSenate concurred with S-5153 . S.J. 868 .
- Apr 7, 2026Iowa LegislatureFiscal note .
- Apr 2, 2026HouseMessage from House, with amendment S-5153 . S.J. 709 .
- Apr 1, 2026HouseImmediate message. H.J. 801 .
- Apr 1, 2026HouseFloorPassed House , yeas 76, nays 16. H.J. 796 .
- Apr 1, 2026HouseCommittee amendment H-8231 out of order. H.J. 795 .
- Apr 1, 2026HouseFloorAmendment H-8245 adopted. H.J. 795 .
- Apr 1, 2026HouseCommittee amendment H-8231 deferred. H.J. 795 .
- Mar 26, 2026HousePlaced on calendar under unfinished business. H.J. 760 .
- Mar 19, 2026HouseAmendment H-8245 filed. H.J. 712 .
- Mar 18, 2026HousePlaced on calendar. H.J. 687 .
- Mar 18, 2026HouseCommittee amendment H-8231 filed. H.J. 687 .
- Mar 18, 2026HouseCommittee vote: Yeas, 19. Nays, 0. Excused, 2. H.J. 687 .
- Mar 18, 2026HouseCommittee report, recommending amendment and passage. H.J. 687 .
- Mar 11, 2026Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee recommends passage.
- Mar 9, 2026Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee Meeting: [].
- Mar 5, 2026HouseSubcommittee reassigned: Jones, Gosa and Siegrist. H.J. 601 .
- Mar 3, 2026HouseSubcommittee: Meggers, Gosa and Henderson. H.J. 524 .
- Dec 31, 2025Iowa Legislature* * * * * END OF 2025 ACTIONS * * * * *
- Apr 1, 2025Iowa LegislatureFiscal note .
- Apr 1, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee recommends passage.
- Mar 27, 2025HouseSubcommittee Meeting: 04/01/2025 8:30AM House Lounge.
- Mar 26, 2025HouseSubcommittee: Bossman, Cooling and Mommsen. H.J. 852 .
- Mar 18, 2025HouseIntroducedRead first time, referred to Transportation. H.J. 717 .
- Mar 18, 2025HouseMessage from Senate. H.J. 680 .
- Mar 18, 2025SenateImmediate message. S.J. 562 .
- Mar 18, 2025SenateFloorPassed Senate , yeas 36, nays 12. S.J. 560 .
- Feb 19, 2025SenateCommittee report approving bill, renumbered as SF 378 . S.J. 318 .
- Feb 19, 2025SenateCommittee report, approving bill. S.J. 318 .
- Feb 19, 2025SenateIntroducedIntroduced, placed on calendar. S.J. 311 .
- Feb 10, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee recommends passage.
- Feb 7, 2025SenateSubcommittee Meeting: 02/10/2025 1:30PM Senate Lounge.
- Jan 23, 2025SenateSubcommittee: Gruenhagen, Celsi, and Koelker. S.J. 136 .
- Jan 21, 2025SenateIntroducedIntroduced, referred to Transportation. S.J. 112 .
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Statewide Speed Limit and Exemption Threshold Update
Senate File 378 increases the baseline default speed limit to 60 mph while simultaneously expanding the buffer for minor speeding infractions from 56 mph to 61 mph to prevent administrative and financial penalties.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.iowa.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy20Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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