A representative of the Iowa Department of Transportation told us that you can have a vehicle in your name in IA if you are under 18 years of age under certain circumstances.

The DOT then stated that under Iowa Code Sections 321.1 and 321.20: If the applicant is under the age of 18 years and is the sole owner of the vehicle, an Iowa driver’s license or Iowa permit is needed. So your daughter can have the car in her name in Iowa at age 17 if she has a valid driver's license or permit.

They also advised that your daughter would need to check with the insurance company she would like to deal with to find out if she can have insurance in just her name as a minor. This is a good idea since typically if the car owner is a minor and even if the car is in their name only an insurance company will require a parent or guardian to sign on the policy along with the minor since it is a legal contract.

If your daughter gets a car in her name before her 18th birthday she just needs an Iowa license or permit to register and title it according to the IA DOT. She should though shop around for insurance to see if she will need a parent to be on her insurance policy until she turns 18. She or you can get started obtaining Iowa auto insurance quotes by following this link for cheap student car insurance information.