The department and local authorities share permit-related duties for highways and streets, including issuing permits, setting routes, and reporting or justifying road restrictions.
1. a. Permits issued under this chapter shall be issued by the authority responsible for the maintenance of the system of highways or streets. However, the department may issue permits on primary road extensions in cities in conjunction with movements on the rural primary road system. b. (1) The department may issue all-systems permits under section 321E.8 which are valid for movement on all primary roads and secondary roads, including roads designated by a local authority as a truck route, except the interstate road system if prohibited under section 321E.8, and except any road designated by the applicable local authority as not valid for use by permitted vehicles if the local authority communicates the not-valid designation to the department in writing, including by means of electronic communication. However, all roads designated as not valid are subject to review by the department, and a local authority shall not determine that any paved farm-to-market road, or road designated as a truck route, is not valid for purposes of an all-systems permit without justification. (2) A local authority that determines a paved farm-to-market road, secondary road, or road designated as a truck route upon which an all-systems permit is not valid under subparagraph (1) shall provide a written justification report to the department explaining the local authority’s determination in accordance with subparagraph (1). If the department disagrees with the local authority’s determination, the dispute shall be resolved in accordance with rules adopted by the department. (3) If all roads leading to and from a loading or unloading location used by a permitted vehicle are designated as not valid, a local authority shall cooperate with the department to find an alternate route for the permitted vehicle over the shortest practicable distance. (4) The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to implement and administer this paragraph. 2. At the request of a local authority, the department shall issue permits under this chapter for highways or streets that are under the jurisdiction of the local authority if the local authority has indicated to the department in writing, including by means of electronic communication, those streets or highways for which a permit is not valid. 3. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter to the contrary, the department shall develop and implement a single statewide system to receive applications for and issue permits authorized under this chapter that allow for the operation of vehicles of excessive size or weight on highways or streets under the jurisdiction of the state or local authorities. The department is authorized to determine, in consultation with the applicable local authorities, the network of highways and streets under the jurisdiction of local authorities, including the appropriate routes, on which vehicles issued permits under the system are authorized to operate. Permits issued under the system shall be issued by the department for a fee established by the department by rule, which fees shall be proportionate to the fees set forth in section 321E.14. The department shall allocate a portion of the fees collected under this subsection to local authorities having jurisdiction over highways or streets on which vehicles issued permits under the system are authorized to operate. [C71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §321E.2] 86 Acts, ch 1210, §7; 94 Acts, ch 1087, §11; 96 Acts, ch 1089, §6; 2007 Acts, ch 143, §18; 2013 Acts, ch 49, §3, 28 C2014, §321E.3 2019 Acts, ch 15, §2; 2019 Acts, ch 158, §2; 2022 Acts, ch 1076, §3, 8; 2023 Acts, ch 60, §1; 2025 Acts, ch 149, §1 Referred to in §321E.2, 321E.26 Farm-to-market roads, see chapter 310 Subsection 1, paragraph b amended 321E.4 through 321E.6Reserved.