Completing a defensive driving course or driver improvement program in Iowa can help you avoid having your license suspended, satisfy an employment requirement, and even make you eligible for an auto insurance discount.

Of course, if you don’t know where to look, locating a defensive driving course can be easier said than done—that’s why we put together this article detailing everything you need to know about finding a defensive driving course in Iowa.

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Reasons to take a defensive driving course in Iowa:

1. Improve your driving skills

One of the best—and most obvious—reasons to take a defensive driving course is simply to improve your own driving skills. Regardless of whether you take an in-person or virtual course, you’ll still cover the following topics:

Dangerous driving behaviors

Traffic laws and regulations

Distracted driving and how to avoid it

Collision prevention and accident reduction techniques

Strategies for defensive driving

In-person defensive driving courses are generally structured as group discussions and make use of hands-on experiences, whereas virtual courses employ quizzes, videos, and the like to test your knowledge.

2. Prevent a license suspension

If your record shows three countable moving violations committed within a 12-month period, you are convicted of a speeding violation of 25 mph to 29 mph over the speed limit, or you are convicted of a first offense due to illegally passing a school bus, you may be able to take Iowa’s state-sponsored

Driver Improvement Program

—which covers much of the same information as a defensive driving course—to avoid having your license suspended.

After successful completion of the course, you will still be put on probation for one full year.

Please note that taking a defensive driving course in Iowa will not remove points from your driving record—the state does not currently offer a point-reduction program and any points you accrue will remain on your record for at least five years.

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3. Earn an auto insurance discount

Completing a defensive driving course can also make you eligible for an auto insurance discount, though you’ll have to check with your insurance company or agent to verify whether this is a discount they offer. If you want to reduce your insurance premium while also learning a bit more about Iowa’s traffic laws, follow the steps below:

Call your insurance company to see whether you are eligible for a driver safety discount.

Locate and sign up for a defensive driving course approved by your insurance agency.

Pass the course and send the certificate of completion to your insurance provider.

Keep in mind, however, that not every defensive driving course in Iowa will qualify you for an insurance discount, so make sure to ask your insurance provider for a list of all approved courses.

Why would a defensive driver's course reduce your insurance costs in the first place, you ask? The long and short of it is that defensive driving reduces the risk of you being involved in an accident, which in turn makes you less of a liability for your insurance provider.

4. Satisfy an employment requirement

Lastly, you may be required to pass a defensive driving course by your employer—this is especially true if you will be driving a company vehicle, an oversized van or truck, an emergency or rescue vehicle, or a vehicle used for public transportation.

In all likelihood, your employer will schedule a defensive driving course for all new hires if it is an actual requirement, though you should still verify whether you will be responsible for finding, signing up for, and paying for a course on your own time.

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How to find defensive driving courses in Iowa

Finding a defensive driving course in Iowa isn’t actually all that difficult—provided you know where to look, that is.

If you’re looking to take part in the state-sponsored Driver Improvement Program, you can easily find a course location by visiting the Iowa DOT website

here

You can also find defensive driving courses with the

Iowa-Illinois chapter

of the National Safety Council (NSC)—their 6-hour DDC programs are open-enrollment and are offered at various dates throughout the year. The only downside is that the IISC only offers these courses at one location: their office in West Des Moines.

But if you aren’t able to attend in-person training, you still have plenty of options available—sites like

DriveSafe Online

® and

iDriveSafely

® both offer virtual defensive driving courses, as does the IISC. Before signing up for an online program, however, you should check with your insurance company to verify whether it will satisfy their discount requirements.

How much does a defensive driving course cost in Iowa?

Depending on who is putting on the defensive driving course and how long the course is, you may pay anywhere from $25 to $150 for the session. If, for example, you take DriveSafe Online’s 1-hour course, expect to pay as little as $25—the IISC’s 6-hour in-person defensive driving course, on the other hand, costs closer to $130.

Please note that, if you attend a virtual defensive driving course hosted by the IISC, the price for attendance is increased by $20 to offset the cost of shipping class workbooks and your certificate.

How long is a defensive driving course in Iowa?

It varies—course length ultimately depends on who is administering the training, but you can generally expect a defensive driving course to take somewhere between one and eight hours. In-person courses typically last longer than virtual courses, but you can also take online courses at your own pace—some companies even allow multiple attempts to complete the final exam!

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