I'm looking at the Elio and thinking it would be a great car for the Iowa Minor School License. Fold down the rear seat and lock it down so your 14-yo can't pile in the mobile distraction units (aka, BFF or that cute girl he wants to impress) and you have an inexpensive way for your kid to get to school. REALLY looking forward to seeing the crash test results.
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A Couple Of Iowa Specific Questions
- Thread starter Bilbo B
- Start date
having never heard of an Iowa Minor School License, I had to look it up .... interesting law, so far as I know, NC has nothing like it on the books .... I can see an Elio being a good candidate for such use
No, Iowa and Nebraska are the only ones in the Union that have that class of license. In rural Iowa and Nebraska there simply are no mass transit options. School busses may get you to school in the morning, but if you have any after-school activity like sports you're SOL. Not to mention that your parents might work in towns that are 30 minutes away in the wrong direction, so it's a significant trip in time and gas to have to pick up your kid after work.
I think the Minor School License works in Iowa because the majority of them are granted in rural communities, where the local cops get to know who is and is not supposed to be driving on that street at that time of the day, and do they have a passenger that's not a family member? The problems come when the kids ignore the laws and are just going to take their mobile distraction units home so they don't have to wait for the bus, or when they start taking unapproved routes to and from school.
I think the Minor School License works in Iowa because the majority of them are granted in rural communities, where the local cops get to know who is and is not supposed to be driving on that street at that time of the day, and do they have a passenger that's not a family member? The problems come when the kids ignore the laws and are just going to take their mobile distraction units home so they don't have to wait for the bus, or when they start taking unapproved routes to and from school.
Ty
Elio Addict
Just take your Elio in to get the endorsement. I'm sure they'll see how dumb it is to require the motorcycle license for an Elio.
Ty
Elio Addict
That is not correct. North Dakota also has a Minor Driving Law... There are probably a bunch others. I just checked that one because I had a kid who could drive there before we moved. She could drive at 14 and then at 15, could drive by herself. We moved to New Mexico and she had to wait till she turned 16 to drive by herself again.
http://www.dmv.org/teen-drivers.php
Critter
Elio Addict
https://www.tn.gov/safety/article/classh
Tennessee has exceptions also , A case by case basis. Was easier when I was 14 than it is now.
Tennessee has exceptions also , A case by case basis. Was easier when I was 14 than it is now.
Dustman
Elio Addict
I had an exception to drive to school alone at 15 years of age in Oregon. I NEVER broke the rules of following only the specified route to go only to school and back home 
Clearly, the web site I used for my information on the "minor school license" needs updating. It was some highway safety site dedicated to reducing the number of crashes by under-18 drivers by introducing graduated licensing nationwide, or some such.
musicman12176
New Member
This thread may be obsolete, but I wanted to post the results of my research. Iowa has passed new autocycle rules, listed here. http://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/motorcycle/autocycles.html
Looks like the requirements for a motorcycle license are out, but you have to take your driving test in a different vehicle. Plus, helmets are recommended, but not required.
Looks like the requirements for a motorcycle license are out, but you have to take your driving test in a different vehicle. Plus, helmets are recommended, but not required.
Sethodine
Elio Addict
The "different vehicle" part makes sense. Basically, you need to get your regular driver's license in a regular car, so that the examiner can sit in the side seat and doesn't need to worry about riding with an unproven driver in an unconventional vehicle. And I can totally see wearing a helmet in a Polaris Slingshot, but not in an Elio.
One detail that I haven't seen in other autocycle laws: the tadpole configuration is a requirement (2 front wheels, 1 rear). So I guess an autocycle with one front-two rear wouldn't count as an "autocycle" by Iowa law, but instead would still be a motorcycle.
One detail that I haven't seen in other autocycle laws: the tadpole configuration is a requirement (2 front wheels, 1 rear). So I guess an autocycle with one front-two rear wouldn't count as an "autocycle" by Iowa law, but instead would still be a motorcycle.