How to Change Your Address on an Iowa Driver’s License

To change your address on an Iowa driver’s license, you actually have two things to handle, and Iowa law gives you 30 days from the move to get started.¹ First, update your mailing address with the Iowa Department of Transportation, which is free and can be done online or by mail. Second, if you want the address printed on your card to match where you live, visit a DMV location in person and pay $10 for a replacement.²

Mailing Address and Card Address Are Two Different Things

This is where people get tripped up. Your mailing address is simply where the Iowa DOT sends notices. Changing it online or by mail costs nothing, but it will not update the address printed on your physical license and will not cause a new card to be issued.² For the address on the card itself to change, you have to go in person and pay the replacement fee.

Most people’s mailing address and residential address are the same, so most movers end up doing both steps.

Update Your Mailing Address Online

The quickest route is the Iowa DOT’s myMVD portal. You’ll need your Iowa driver’s license or ID number, your date of birth, and the last five digits of your Social Security number.³ Note that it’s five, not four — a frequent mistake. Once you’re in, you can view and edit the mailing address on file. It takes a few minutes and there is no fee, and it satisfies the 30-day notice requirement under Iowa Administrative Code 761-605.12.¹

Update Your Mailing Address by Mail

If you prefer paper, download and complete Form 430012, the Change of Mailing Address Notice.⁴ A signed written statement with your full name, driver’s license number, and new mailing address also works. Send it to:

Motor Vehicle Division
Iowa Department of Transportation
P.O. Box 9204
Des Moines, IA 50306-9204²

Same result as the online method: mailing address changed, no new card issued.

Get a New Card Showing Your New Address

A replacement card with your new residential address cannot be ordered online. You have to go in person.² Schedule an appointment through the Iowa DOT’s online system and choose “Duplicate Driver’s License or ID Card” as the service.⁵ If you live in Adams, Audubon, Calhoun, Davis, Emmet, Guthrie, Hancock, Jasper, Keokuk, Poweshiek, or Sac County, contact your county treasurer’s office instead, since driver’s license services are handled locally in those counties.

Bring your current Iowa driver’s license or ID and $10 for the replacement fee.⁶ You do not need to bring proof of your new address; the DOT verifies it electronically.² If you go to a DMV location outside your home county, an additional $10 out-of-county fee may apply depending on that county’s policy.⁵

If your current license already has the Real ID gold star, it carries forward on the replacement without any re-application.⁷ Additional identity documents are only needed if your name or date of birth is changing, not for an address update.

When Your New Card Arrives

The replacement is mailed in a plain white envelope and should arrive within 30 days of being processed.⁸ Hold onto your old license in the meantime, because Iowa does not issue a temporary paper license during the waiting period.

One thing to watch if you filed a USPS mail forwarding request: some government mail carries endorsements that block forwarding, so an envelope sent to your old address may be returned to the sender rather than passed along. Updating your DOT mailing address before or at the same time as you order the replacement card keeps the new card headed to the right place.

Other Address Changes to Handle After a Move

Updating your record with the Iowa DOT doesn’t update anything else. A few to take care of separately:

Voter registration. Iowa requires you to update it when you move, through the Iowa Secretary of State’s website or your county auditor’s office.
Federal taxes. File IRS Form 8822 to change your home mailing address with the IRS so refunds and notices reach you.⁹
Vehicle registration. This runs through your county treasurer’s office, and a move to a different county means transferring your registration.

1
Legal Information Institute. Iowa Admin Code r 761-605.12 – Address Changes
2
Iowa Department of Transportation. Change or Update Driver’s License or ID
3
Iowa Department of Transportation. Iowa DOT Mailing Address Change
4
Iowa Department of Transportation. 430012 Change of Mailing Address Notice
5
Iowa Department of Transportation. Schedule an Appointment
6
Iowa Department of Transportation. Driver’s License Fees
7
Iowa Department of Transportation. Get a REAL ID
8
Iowa Department of Transportation. Status of Driver’s License/ID Card Request
9
Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8822, Change of Address