Iowa Car Dealer Forms
These are the Iowa DOT forms a licensed dealer needs to buy, sell, and title vehicles in Iowa. From the Iowa title and registration application to the bill of sale, odometer disclosure, title reassignment, and temporary tag paperwork, each links to the official source where available. Download the current version straight from the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT), Motor Vehicle Division, Office of Vehicle & Motor Carrier Services or the federal agency, never a copy that's gone stale.
Which Iowa form goes with which deal
A form list on its own does not tell you what to grab on a Saturday afternoon. Here is the same set arranged by the deal in front of you.
- Retail sale to a customer in state
- Application for Certificate of Title and/or Registration (Form 411007), Odometer Disclosure Statement (Form 411077), the FTC Buyers Guide, and a bill of sale. This is the stack behind almost every deal jacket you build.
- Retail sale to an out-of-state buyer
- Same paperwork, but the buyer titles in their home state, so the Iowa title has to be assigned cleanly and the odometer reading has to match on every document. A correction later means a duplicate title and a delayed deal.
- Wholesale to another licensed dealer
- No Buyers Guide is required on a dealer-to-dealer sale, but the title assignment and odometer disclosure still are. Keep the invoice with the jacket, it is what proves the unit left your inventory.
- Taking a trade-in
- You need the customer's signed title assignment and odometer disclosure, plus a lien payoff quote in writing if the trade is financed. Take the trade in your books at actual cash value, not at the number you allowed on the deal.
- Title is not in hand at signing
- Power of Attorney (Form 411021) covers the assignment and mileage disclosure until the title arrives. Track the promise: an unresolved title is the single most common reason a deal unwinds.
- Customer pays more than $10,000 in cash
- IRS Form 8300 is federal and applies in Iowa like everywhere else. It covers cash and cash equivalents in one transaction or in related transactions, and it is due within 15 days.
Iowa state forms
| Form | What it's for | When |
|---|---|---|
| Application for Motor Vehicle or Towable Recreational Vehicle Dealer License (Form 417008) ↗ | Primary application to obtain or renew a dealer license. | Every deal |
| Application for Certificate of Title and/or Registration (Form 411007) ↗ | Titles and registers each sold vehicle; submitted to the county treasurer. | Every deal |
| Power of Attorney (Form 411021) ↗ | Appoints an attorney-in-fact to sign titling/registration documents. | As needed |
| Registration Applied For Cards (temp tags) ↗ | Dealer 45-day temporary tags, issued via ARTS/ERT on DOT-provided stock. | As needed |
| Iowa Fee for New Registration / Sales Tax (collected on Form 411007) | Iowa collects a fee for new registration at titling rather than a separate per-sale dealer sales-tax return; resale purchases use the Iowa Sales/Use Tax Exemption Certificate (Dept. of Revenue Form 31-014). | As needed |
Federal forms (every state)
| Form | What it's for | When |
|---|---|---|
| Odometer Disclosure Statement (Form 411077) ↗ | Federally required mileage disclosure at transfer when the title lacks space. | Every deal |
| Buyers Guide (FTC) ↗ | As-is vs. warranty window sticker required on every used vehicle offered for sale. | Every deal |
| IRS Form 8300 ↗ | Report cash payments over $10,000 in a single transaction. | As needed |
Temporary tags and dealer plates in Iowa
Iowa uses 'Registration Applied For' cards (temp tags), valid up to 45 days after delivery, issued through an Iowa DOT ARTS account and the Electronic Registration and Titling (ERT) program. As of Jan 1, 2026, these cards must be printed on stock provided by the Iowa DOT (ordered through vendor SICPA) and are locked to a single dealer license number.
Where Iowa dealer forms come from
Most dealers search for Iowa DMV forms, and in Iowa there is no DMV. The forms come from the Iowa DOT. Same paperwork, different letterhead, which is worth knowing before you spend an afternoon on the wrong website.
- Iowa DOT, For Dealerships ↗
- Iowa DOT, Get a Motor Vehicle Dealer's License ↗
- Iowa Code Chapter 322 (Motor Vehicle Dealers) ↗
Paperwork mistakes that cost dealers money
None of these are exotic. They are the four that turn up again and again in audits and in unwound deals.
- Assuming an older car is odometer exempt. The federal rule changed for model year 2011 and newer: those vehicles carry a 20 year disclosure window, not 10. Dealers who learned the old rule skip disclosures they still owe.
- A Buyers Guide that is not on the car. The Used Car Rule wants it displayed on the vehicle while it is offered for sale, not produced at signing. It also has to match what you actually agreed to sell, and the copy the buyer takes home governs over the contract if the two disagree.
- A title assigned in the wrong hand. Reassignments are limited, the signature has to match the name printed on the title, and a correction fluid fix voids it. That is a duplicate title application and weeks of delay.
- Paperwork that lives in a drawer. A form you filed but cannot find is a form you did not file, as far as an auditor is concerned. Store documents against the VIN, not in a filing cabinet by month.
Iowa dealer forms FAQ
What forms do car dealers need in Iowa?+
Iowa dealers use Application for Motor Vehicle or Towable Recreational Vehicle Dealer License (Form 417008), Application for Certificate of Title and/or Registration (Form 411007), Power of Attorney (Form 411021), Registration Applied For Cards (temp tags) and more, plus federal forms every dealer needs like the FTC Buyers Guide and the odometer disclosure. Each is listed below with its purpose and official link.
Where do I get official Iowa dealer forms?+
Download current forms directly from the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT), Motor Vehicle Division, Office of Vehicle & Motor Carrier Services. Third-party copies go out of date, always pull the latest version from the official source linked on this page.
Is it the Iowa DMV that handles dealer forms?+
Not exactly, and this trips up new dealers. Iowa does not call it the DMV: the agency is the Iowa DOT. Searching for "Iowa DMV forms" is how most dealers look for them, but the official source is the Iowa DOT.
Do I need an FTC Buyers Guide on every used car in Iowa?+
Yes. The federal Used Car Rule requires an as-is/warranty Buyers Guide displayed on every used vehicle offered for sale, in Iowa and every other state.
Does an old car still need an odometer disclosure?+
Usually, yes. The federal exemption changed for model year 2011 and newer vehicles, which now require disclosure for 20 model years instead of 10. A 2011 model still needs a disclosure through 2031, so treat "it's an old car" as a reason to check, not to skip.
How long should I keep Iowa deal paperwork?+
Keep the complete deal jacket, not just the forms you filed. State record-retention rules run for years and an audit or a customer dispute can land long after the sale. Loturn stores every document against the VIN so the jacket rebuilds itself.
Let the paperwork build itself
Loturn fills and stores your deal documents against each vehicle and customer, a complete, audit-ready deal jacket without the filing cabinet.
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