In Iowa, the $1 million period runs from acceptance until the last requesting rider departs
Iowa’s rideshare insurance rules are in Iowa Code chapter 321N. While a driver is logged on and available, the floor is $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. From the moment the driver accepts a ride request until the last requesting rider departs the car, the floor is $1,000,000 for bodily injury, death, and property damage in any one accident. Iowa Code § 321N.4.
Those limits are “in addition to” Iowa’s uninsured and underinsured motorist law, chapter 516A, which requires at least $20,000 / $40,000 on an Iowa auto policy unless the named insured rejects it in writing. Iowa is an at-fault state with no personal injury protection, and the personal minimum is only $20,000 / $40,000 / $15,000.
Statute text as of October 13, 2026, from the official section files on the Iowa Legislature’s site, stamped Iowa Code 2026: Iowa Code § 321N.4 and Iowa Code § 321N.1.
Iowa & the Midwest
The ride starts at acceptance, so the drive to the pickup is already $1 million
A prearranged ride “begins when a driver accepts a ride request,” continues while the driver transports the rider, and “ends when the last requesting rider departs from the driver’s personal vehicle.” § 321N.1(4).
| App status | Statute | Liability required | Uninsured and underinsured |
|---|---|---|---|
| App off | Personal policy, § 321A.1(11) | $20,000 per person, $40,000 per accident, $15,000 property damage. Not a rideshare figure. | Required at $20,000 / $40,000 unless rejected in writing. § 516A.1. |
| Logged on and available, no request accepted | § 321N.4(2) | $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident, $25,000 property damage | Not set by chapter 321N. How chapter 516A applies is unsettled. |
| Accepted, driving to the pickup | § 321N.4(3), § 321N.1(4) | $1,000,000 per accident | Same |
| Rider in the car | § 321N.4(3) | $1,000,000 per accident | Same |
| Last requesting rider departed, driver still logged on | Back to § 321N.4(2) | $50,000, $100,000, and $25,000 | Same |
If the driver’s insurance lapses or falls short, the company pays from the first dollar
The driver, the company, or a combination may provide the coverage. § 321N.4(2)(c), (3)(c). If the driver’s insurance lapses or does not provide the required coverage, the company’s insurance covers the claim from the first dollar, and the company has a duty to defend. § 321N.4(4). Company coverage cannot depend on a personal insurer denying the claim first. § 321N.4(5). The insurer must be an admitted or surplus lines insurer. § 321N.4(6).
The driver must carry proof of coverage. After an accident, the driver must show it and say whether they were logged on or providing a ride. § 321N.4(8).
Chapter 321N says a rideshare company “is not deemed to control, direct, or manage” a driver or vehicle, except by written contract. § 321N.1(5). That is a definition, not an express liability bar. How courts apply it is unsettled.
Uninsured coverage is required at 20/40 unless rejected in writing
An Iowa auto liability policy for a vehicle registered or principally garaged in Iowa must include uninsured, hit-and-run, and underinsured coverage of at least $20,000 / $40,000. § 516A.1(1). The named insured may reject all of it, or one part, by a signed written rejection on a separate sheet, and the rejection carries over to renewals with the same insurer. § 516A.1(2). Policy antistacking language is enforceable, and with several policies an injured person can recover up to the highest single limit. § 516A.2. Iowa Code § 516A.1.
Nothing in the statutes makes $1,000,000 of liability into $1,000,000 of uninsured coverage. Because the personal liability minimum is only $20,000 / $40,000, a rider’s own uninsured and underinsured coverage can matter.
Whether chapter 516A reaches a rideshare company’s commercial policy, and whether the companies rejected that coverage, is unsettled.
Uber prints 50/100/25, then $1 million, and no uninsured coverage in either
Uber’s Iowa certificate is issued by Farmers Insurance Exchange, NAIC 21652, to Rasier LLC and affiliates. Uber certificate PDF.
| What the form describes | Policy and dates | Liability printed | Uninsured printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logged in and available, no acceptance recorded | 606715831, March 1, 2026 to March 1, 2027 | $50,000 / $100,000 / $25,000 | “Not included in any amount” |
| Acceptance recorded, en route to pickup or traveling to the destination | 606715832, September 1, 2026 to March 1, 2027 | $1,000,000 combined single limit | “Not included in any amount” |
| Physical damage on accepted trips | 606715832PD | Physical damage coverage | Not stated |
Lyft prints three policies with no ride periods
Lyft’s certificate says “Evidence of Insurance Only For the State of IA.” The insurer is State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, NAIC 25143, and the policies run October 1, 2026 to October 1, 2027. Lyft certificate PDF.
| Policy | Label printed | Liability printed |
|---|---|---|
| 0000009-D01-15 | Hired and non-owned autos | $1,000,000 combined single limit |
| 0000010-D01-15 | Hired and non-owned autos | $1,000,000 combined single limit |
| 0000008-D01-15 | Non-owned autos only | $50,000 / $100,000 bodily injury, $25,000 property damage |
No ride period is printed for any policy, so the certificate doesn’t say which policy covers which app status. Uninsured and underinsured coverage is not shown on the certificate.
Iowa is an at-fault state with a 20/40/15 personal minimum
Iowa has no personal injury protection. Personal auto liability must be at least $20,000 per person, $40,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage. § 321A.1(11), § 321.20B. Injury claims run on fault and liability insurance. Iowa Code § 321A.1.
Is the claimant’s fault greater than the combined fault of the defendants, third-party defendants, and released persons?
Contributory fault does not bar recovery unless the claimant bears a greater percentage of fault than the combined percentage of fault attributed to the defendants, third-party defendants, and persons released under § 668.7. Damages are then reduced in proportion to the claimant’s fault. § 668.3(1)(a). A 50/50 split still recovers. The claimant’s fault is not greater than the combined fault on the other side.
A defendant who bears less than 50 percent of the total fault assigned to all parties is not jointly and severally liable. A defendant who bears 50 percent or more is jointly and severally liable for economic damages only, not for noneconomic damage awards. § 668.4. Iowa Code § 668.3. Iowa Code § 668.4.
Two years for injury, five for property damage
- Personal injury: two years. § 614.1(2).
- Damage to the vehicle or other property: five years. § 614.1(4).
What is the written-claim step before a suit against the state or a city?
State timing. Except as § 614.8 provides, a claim under the Iowa Tort Claims Act is forever barred unless, within two years after the claim accrued, the claim is made in writing and filed with the director of the department of management. § 669.13(1). A suit is not permitted until the attorney general makes a final disposition. If the attorney general does not make a final disposition within six months after the written claim, the claimant may withdraw the claim by written notice and begin suit. § 669.5(1). The time to begin suit is extended for six months from the attorney general’s mailing of the disposition notice, or from withdrawal under § 669.5, if the time to begin suit would otherwise expire before the end of that period. § 669.13(1).
City and county timing. Except as § 614.8 provides, a person who claims damages from a municipality, or from a municipal officer, employee, or agent, for a wrongful death, loss, or injury within the scope of § 670.2 or § 670.8 or under common law must commence the action within two years after the alleged wrongful death, loss, or injury. § 670.5.
The state. The state pays no prejudgment interest and no punitive damages. § 669.4(2). Iowa Code § 669.13. Iowa Code § 669.5.
Cities and counties. A municipality pays no punitive damages. § 670.4(1)(e). Immunities include discretionary functions, roads that met standards when built unless there was gross negligence, and emergency response. § 670.4(1). Iowa Code § 670.5. Iowa Code § 670.4.
Most of a punitive award can go to a state fund, not to you
Punitive damages require clear, convincing, and satisfactory evidence of willful and wanton disregard for the rights or safety of another. If the conduct was directed specifically at the claimant, or the case involves operating a commercial motor vehicle, the claimant receives the full award. Otherwise, the claimant receives no more than 25 percent after costs and fees, and the rest goes to a state civil reparations trust fund. § 668A.1. Iowa Code § 668A.1.
Iowa’s $5,000,000 noneconomic damages cap in § 668.15A applies only to commercial vehicles that require a commercial driver’s license. It is not a rideshare cap and does not apply to an ordinary Uber or Lyft car.
Stop, give aid, and file a written report within 72 hours
- Injury or death: stop immediately and remain. Leaving can be a misdemeanor or a felony. § 321.261.
- Vehicle damage only: if the car is operable and it is safe, move it completely off the roadway, then remain. § 321.262.
- Information and aid: give name, address, and registration, show your license on request, and render reasonable assistance. § 321.263.
- Reporting: notify the sheriff, state patrol, or a peace officer immediately after an injury or death accident. File a written report with the Iowa DOT within 72 hours if anyone was hurt or killed or damage apparently reaches $1,500, unless a law enforcement agency investigated. § 321.266.
A driver’s own report is confidential and not admissible in court. Officer reports are available to parties, insurers, and attorneys from the DOT. § 321.271. Iowa Code § 321.266.
Driverless cars need ordinary coverage, and the rideshare tiers are unsettled
A driverless-capable vehicle may operate with no human driver if it meets the statute’s conditions, and the engaged system is deemed to perform the driver’s acts. § 321.515. The owner must carry ordinary financial liability coverage, with no higher amount set. § 321.516. After an accident, the vehicle must remain at the scene and the owner must report it. § 321.517. Driverless ride networks are allowed and are regulated by the DOT. §§ 321.518, 321.519. Iowa Code § 321.515.
Whether the chapter 321N limits apply to driverless trips is unsettled.
Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and Davenport run on the state permit
Rideshare companies get a one-year permit from the Iowa Department of Transportation, which can examine records, suspend, or revoke. § 321N.2. Companies must keep ride and driver records for at least six years. The main markets are Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Davenport, Des Moines International Airport, and the Eastern Iowa Airport.
What decides which floor and which policy applies
- Whether the driver was logged off, logged on and available, had accepted a request, or was carrying riders, and when the last requesting rider departed.
- The company’s ride and driver records, which must be kept at least six years.
- Your own auto policy, including any uninsured and underinsured coverage or a signed rejection.
- The driver’s personal policy and whether it lapsed or fell short.
- Fault allocations under § 668.3 and § 668.4. Recovery is barred only when the claimant’s fault is greater than the combined fault of the defendants, third-party defendants, and released persons. Joint liability for economic damages depends on a 50 percent share.
- The accident date, for the two-year injury deadline, and the written claim date if the state is involved.
Latest from Iowa
Pin down when the ride was accepted, then check whose uninsured coverage applies
In Iowa, acceptance moves liability to $1,000,000, the company backs up a lapsed driver policy from the first dollar, and both certificates are silent or zero on uninsured coverage. A free review can sort out which policies apply to your accident.