321A.5 - SECURITY REQUIRED FOLLOWING ACCIDENT -- EXCEPTIONS.

        321A.5  SECURITY REQUIRED FOLLOWING ACCIDENT --      EXCEPTIONS.         1.  The department shall, immediately or within sixty days after      the receipt of a report of a motor vehicle accident within this state      which has resulted in bodily injury or death or damage to the      property of any one person in the amount of one thousand dollars or      more, suspend the license of each operator and all registrations of      each owner of a motor vehicle in any manner involved in the accident,      and if the operator is a nonresident the privilege of operating a      motor vehicle within this state, and if the owner is a nonresident      the privilege of the use within this state of any motor vehicle owned      by the owner, unless the operator or owner or both shall deposit      security in a sum which shall be sufficient in the judgment of the      department to satisfy any judgment or judgments for damages resulting      from the accident as may be recovered against the operator or owner;      provided notice of the suspension shall be sent by the department to      the operator and owner not less than ten days prior to the effective      date of the suspension and shall state the amount required as      security.         2.  This section shall not apply under the conditions stated in      section 321A.6 or to any of the following:         a.  To such operator or owner if such owner had in effect at      the time of such accident an automobile liability policy with respect      to the motor vehicle involved in such accident;         b.  To such operator, if not the owner of such motor vehicle,      if there was in effect at the time of such accident an automobile      liability policy or bond with respect to the operator's operation of      motor vehicles not owned by the operator;         c.  To such operator or owner if the liability of such      operator or owner for damages resulting from such accident is, in the      judgment of the department, covered by any other form of liability      insurance policy or bonds; or         d.  To such owner if such owner is at the time of such      accident qualified as a self-insurer under section 321A.34, or to any      such operator operating such motor vehicle for such self-insurer.         3.  A policy or bond is not effective under this section unless      issued by an insurance company or surety company authorized to do      business in this state, except that if the motor vehicle was not      registered in this state, or was a motor vehicle which was registered      elsewhere than in this state at the effective date of the policy or      bond, or the most recent renewal thereof, the policy or bond is not      effective under this section unless the insurance company or surety      company if not authorized to do business in this state executes a      power of attorney authorizing the department to accept service on its      behalf of notice or process in any action upon the policy or bond      arising out of the accident.  However, with respect to accidents      occurring on or after January 1, 1981, and before January 1, 1983,      every such policy or bond is subject, if the accident has resulted in      bodily injury or death, to a limit, exclusive of interest and costs,      of not less than fifteen thousand dollars because of bodily injury to      or death of one person in any one accident and, subject to the limit      for one person, to a limit of not less than thirty thousand dollars      because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in any      one accident, and, if the accident has resulted in injury to or      destruction of property, to a limit of not less than ten thousand      dollars because of injury to or destruction of property of others in      any one accident; and with respect to accidents occurring on or after      January 1, 1983, every such policy or bond is subject, if the      accident has resulted in bodily injury or death, to a limit,      exclusive of interest and costs, of not less than twenty thousand      dollars because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one      accident and, subject to the limit for one person, to a limit of not      less than forty thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death      of two or more persons in any one accident, and, if the accident has      resulted in injury to or destruction of property, to a limit of not      less than fifteen thousand dollars because of injury to or      destruction of property of others in any one accident.         Upon receipt of a report of a motor vehicle accident and      information that an automobile liability policy or surety bond      meeting the requirements of this chapter was in effect at the time of      this accident covering liability for damages resulting from such      accident, the department shall forward by regular mail to the      insurance carrier or surety carrier which issued such policy or bond      a copy of such information concerning insurance or bond coverage, and      it shall be presumed that such policy or bond was in effect and      provided coverage to both the operator and the owner of the motor      vehicle involved in such accident unless the insurance carrier or      surety carrier shall notify the department otherwise within fifteen      days from the mailing of such information to such carrier; provided,      however, that in the event the department shall later ascertain that      erroneous information had been given the department in respect to the      insurance or bond coverage of the operator or owner of a motor      vehicle involved in such accident, the department shall take such      action as the department is otherwise authorized to do under this      chapter within sixty days after the receipt by the department of      correct information with respect to such coverage.  
         Section History: Early Form
         [C31, 35, § 5079-c4; C39, § 5021.01; C46, § 321.275; C50, 54,      58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, § 321A.5; 81 Acts, ch 103, § 8]      
         Section History: Recent Form
         92 Acts, ch 1175, § 43; 97 Acts, ch 72, §2; 2006 Acts, ch 1068,      §32         Referred to in § 321A.2, 321A.6, 321A.7, 321A.8, 321A.9, 321A.10,      321A.11, 321A.32