Scott Marler has served as the Iowa DOT director since February 2020, running the agency that handles highway construction, driver licensing, vehicle registration, and multimodal transportation planning across the state. The governor appoints the director, the Iowa Senate must confirm the pick by a two-thirds vote, and the person who holds the job serves at the governor’s pleasure. Day-to-day, the director runs the department; the separately appointed Iowa Transportation Commission sets statewide policy.
Who Scott Marler Is
Marler spent more than 26 years inside the Iowa DOT before taking the top job, working in traffic operations, highway project development, regulatory compliance, and environmental programs. He holds a Master of Science from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Southern Mississippi.1Iowa Department of Transportation. Director Message
In March 2026, he received the national Joey Sagal Transportation Systems Management and Operations Leadership Award for his work on technology-driven approaches to managing Iowa’s transportation network.2Iowa Department of Transportation. Iowa DOT Director Scott Marler Receives National TSMO Leadership Award
How the Director Is Chosen
The governor appoints the director of transportation, and the Iowa Senate must confirm the appointment.3Iowa Legislature. Iowa Code 307.11 – Director of Transportation Qualifications Salary Confirmation takes a two-thirds supermajority, a deliberately high bar.4Iowa Legislature. Iowa Legislative Rules and Procedures Once confirmed, the director serves at the pleasure of the governor and can be removed at any time without cause.
Qualifications and Restrictions
Iowa Code 307.11 requires the director to be chosen on the basis of executive and administrative abilities and to devote full time to the role. The director cannot hold any other office under federal or state law, hold any outside position for profit, or engage in any business that conflicts with official duties.3Iowa Legislature. Iowa Code 307.11 – Director of Transportation Qualifications Salary
The restrictions go further than most state agency heads face. The director cannot serve on or under any political party committee and cannot contribute to the campaign fund of any person or political party. Salary is set by the governor within a range established by the legislature.3Iowa Legislature. Iowa Code 307.11 – Director of Transportation Qualifications Salary
What the Director Does
Iowa Code section 307.12 sets out the job in detail. The director manages internal operations and sets the guidelines and procedures that keep the agency running.5Iowa Legislature. Iowa Code 307.12 – Duties of the Director The main statutory duties include:
- Employing the staff needed to carry out the department’s work, consistent with state civil service rules.
- Preparing the department’s annual budget, including estimated federal funds, and presenting it to the Iowa Transportation Commission before March 31 each year.
- Appointing the administrators who lead the department’s divisions.
- Adopting administrative rules governing how the department exercises its powers.
- Restructuring the department’s administration to improve efficiency, including creating new divisions.
- Providing for the receipt and disbursement of federal transportation dollars allocated to the state and its local governments.
- Submitting a report to the legislature by January 15 each year on the prior year’s highway construction program, actual spending, and contractual obligations.
The director also enters reciprocal agreements with other states on motor vehicle inspections, though those agreements require Commission approval. The director can establish advisory boards and coordinate research across the department.5Iowa Legislature. Iowa Code 307.12 – Duties of the Director
Operationally, the agency is organized into divisions, the largest being the Highway Division and the Motor Vehicle Division. Highway handles road and bridge design, construction, and maintenance on the state system. Motor Vehicle runs driver licensing, vehicle registration, and motor carrier services.6GovernmentJobs. Director of the Iowa Department of Transportation The director appoints each division administrator and can create new divisions when operational needs change.5Iowa Legislature. Iowa Code 307.12 – Duties of the Director
Where the Director’s Authority Ends
The Iowa Transportation Commission, not the director, is the policymaking body. The seven-member Commission approves the department’s budget, develops the state’s comprehensive transportation policy and plan, identifies transportation needs, and creates programs to address them.7Iowa Legislature. Transportation 761 Chapter 1
The director’s statutory role is to assist the Commission in developing that policy and plan.5Iowa Legislature. Iowa Code 307.12 – Duties of the Director In practice, the director supplies the data, analysis, and operational expertise, and presents the department’s proposed budget. The Commission makes the final calls on statewide priorities, including which projects go into the annual Five-Year Transportation Improvement Program and in what order.8Iowa Legislature. Iowa Code Chapter 307A – Transportation Commission
Budget and Road Funding
The director prepares the department’s budget and presents it to the Commission, incorporating both state revenue and estimated federal funds.5Iowa Legislature. Iowa Code 307.12 – Duties of the Director On the state side, the Road Use Tax Fund collects money from fuel taxes, vehicle registration fees, and related charges, and has historically generated well over $1 billion annually.
One point worth clearing up: the monthly distribution of Road Use Tax Fund money to counties and cities is handled by the Iowa Treasurer of State, not the DOT director. Iowa Code Chapter 312 directs the Treasurer to credit those funds on the first day of each month to the primary road fund, the secondary road fund, the farm-to-market road fund, and the street construction fund according to a statutory formula.9Iowa Treasurer of State. Distribution of Road Use Tax The director’s money role sits on the federal side: receipt and disbursement of federal transportation dollars allocated to the state and its political subdivisions.5Iowa Legislature. Iowa Code 307.12 – Duties of the Director
Federal Compliance
Managing federal money carries conditions, and a significant share of the director’s workload goes to keeping the department eligible for it. To receive federal-aid highway funds, Iowa DOT must comply with civil rights requirements under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program.10Federal Highway Administration. Overview of FHWA Civil Rights Program Requirements for Local Public Agencies Federal-aid construction contracts must include the provisions specified in FHWA Form 1273.
Environmental review is another federal obligation. The National Environmental Policy Act requires transportation projects using federal funds to go through environmental review before construction. The review falls into one of three categories depending on scope and impact: a full Environmental Impact Statement for major projects, an Environmental Assessment for projects with uncertain impacts, or a Categorical Exclusion for routine work with minimal environmental effect.11Federal Highway Administration. NEPA and Project Development The director’s office coordinates these reviews with federal agencies; incomplete or improperly done reviews can stall projects for months or years.
Commercial driver licensing adds another federal layer. The Motor Vehicle Division’s programs must comply with Commercial Driver License standards enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, including electronic exchange of driver history records, medical certification requirements, and the texting and cell phone prohibition rules for commercial drivers.12Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Compliance Falling out of compliance can jeopardize federal funding, which is why it stays on the director’s radar.