Iowa mobile home move permit
Iowa DOT issues a $35 single trip permit, valid for 5 days, for state and interstate highways; city and county roads need their own permits. Homes over 12 feet wide need escorts, though up to 14 feet 6 inches an amber light can stand in for them.
Who issues the permit
The Iowa DOT Motor Vehicle Division issues oversize permits online at iowadot.gov/motor-carriers, by phone at 515.237.3264, or in person at 6310 SE Convenience Boulevard in Ankeny.
Iowa's legal width is 8 feet 6 inches; a load wider than the statutory limits needs a permit.
Iowa DOT permits cover state and interstate highways only. City and county roads need separate permits from those local governments.
Sources: Iowa Administrative Code 761 chapter 511, Special permits for vehicles and loads of excess size and weight; Iowa DOT, IAPS Permits: What Type of Permit Do I Need?
Fees
Iowa DOT lists the single or round trip oversize permit at $35 and calls it the most common permit.
A single trip permit is valid for 5 days: one trip one way, or two trips on the same route for the round trip option.
Source: Iowa DOT, IAPS Permits: What Type of Permit Do I Need?
Width and route limits
Under an annual permit, a manufactured or mobile home up to 12 feet 5 inches wide, 120 feet long and 13 feet 10 inches high may move unlimited distances without route approval.
Homes up to 14 feet 6 inches wide may move on annual permits without route approval on interstates and multilane primary highways, but only up to 50 miles from the origin on other highways.
Under an annual oversize permit, loads including mobile homes up to 16 feet wide must get trip routes from the Motor Vehicle Division.
Sources: Iowa Code 321E.8, Annual permits; Iowa Administrative Code 761 chapter 511, Special permits for vehicles and loads of excess size and weight
Escorts, lights and signs
Over 12 feet and up to 14 feet 6 inches wide, an escort is required at the rear on four lane roads and in front on two lane roads, or an amber or strobe light on the truck and the rear of the load can be used instead.
Over 14 feet 6 inches and up to 16 feet 6 inches, a front escort is required on two lane roads; on four lane roads a rear escort or the amber light option applies.
Over 16 feet 6 inches and up to 18 feet, a rear escort is required on four lane roads and a front escort on two lane roads, with no light substitute.
The yellow Oversize Load sign goes on the front bumper and the rear of the load; on a mobile home the rear sign must be at least 7 feet above the road.
When the home can travel
Permit moves are allowed from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset unless the permit qualifies for night travel.
No permit moves on Memorial Day, Independence Day or Labor Day, after noon the day before, or during holiday weekends.
Who may move the home
Only a truck or truck tractor with dual wheels and a gross vehicle weight rating of at least 10,000 pounds may tow a mobile home.
Permit holders must carry liability insurance of $100,000 per person and $200,000 per occurrence for bodily injury and $50,000 for property damage, with proof in the vehicle.
Who may set up the home
Anyone who installs a manufactured or mobile home for another person must be certified by the state.
An owner may install a home that will be their own primary residence without being certified, but the work must still be inspected and a certified installer must certify compliance.
Installer certification costs $300 for a three year license.
Sources: Iowa Code 103A.59, Manufactured or mobile home installers certification; Iowa Administrative Code 481 chapter 325, Manufactured housing installer certification; Iowa DIAL, Factory Built Structures
Setup and anchoring
Anyone planning to install a home must notify the building code bureau at least three business days before installation.
Each installed home gets an Iowa installation seal, which costs $25.
Sources: Iowa Administrative Code 481 chapter 325, Manufactured housing installer certification; Iowa DIAL, Factory Built Structures
Before you book
Iowa DOT permits cover state highways only; this page does not cover city and county road permits. The escort chart stops at 18 feet wide.
Sources and dates
- Iowa Administrative Code 761 chapter 511, Special permits for vehicles and loads of excess size and weight, read October 7, 2026https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/iac/chapter/761.511.pdf
- Iowa DOT, IAPS Permits: What Type of Permit Do I Need?, read October 7, 2026https://iowadot.gov/media/1121
- Iowa Code 321E.8, Annual permits, read October 7, 2026https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/2026/321E.8.pdf
- Iowa Code 103A.59, Manufactured or mobile home installers certification, read October 7, 2026https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/2026/103A.59.pdf
- Iowa Administrative Code 481 chapter 325, Manufactured housing installer certification, read October 7, 2026https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/iac/chapter/09-30-2026.481.325.pdf
- Iowa DIAL, Factory Built Structures, read October 7, 2026https://dial.iowa.gov/licenses/building/manufactured
Common questions
Do I need an escort to move a 14 foot wide mobile home in Iowa?
Over 12 feet and up to 14 feet 6 inches wide, an escort is required at the rear on four lane roads and in front on two lane roads, or an amber or strobe light on the truck and the rear of the load can be used instead.
Does a mobile home installer need a license in Iowa?
Anyone who installs a manufactured or mobile home for another person must be certified by the state.