Iowa Motorcycle Manual 2026

How to use the Iowa Motorcycle Manual

The Iowa DOT draws its 35-question knowledge test from the Iowa Motorcycle Manual, and you need 80% to pass, which is 28 correct answers. Read the 72 pages once for coverage, then answer practice questions to find the rules that did not stick. Practice tells you what you do not know yet; the Motorcycle Manual is where the rule is actually stated, in the words the state chose.

It is also the only source that settles an argument. When a practice answer and your instinct disagree, the Iowa Motorcycle Manual decides it, and every explanation we write points back into it.

What is inside the Iowa Motorcycle Manual

The Iowa Motorcycle Manual runs to 72 pages. These are the areas it covers that the knowledge test can ask about.

• Choosing and fitting a helmet and protective gear
• Motorcycle controls and the pre-ride inspection
• Basic skills: starting, stopping, turning and shifting
• Lane position, visibility and being seen in traffic
• Following distance, escape routes and scanning for hazards
• Cornering, braking and swerving
• Riding over surface hazards and in bad weather
• Carrying passengers and cargo
• Group riding
• Alcohol, drugs and impairment on a motorcycle
• Licensing, endorsement steps and the skills test

The Iowa knowledge test at a glance

Everything below comes from the Iowa DOT directly. It is what the Iowa Motorcycle Manual is preparing you for.

Questions

35

Passing score

80%

Correct answers needed

28 of 35

Time limit

Time limit not published

Test fee

$8

Minimum age

14 for instruction permit

Can you take it online?

Yes, with conditions

Verified against the Iowa DOT in 2026-07.