Formed 1975 | ||
Preceding agencies Iowa Highway Commission Traffic Weight Officers
Officers of the Iowa Commerce Commission
Department of Public Safety Motor Vehicle Investigators Legal personality Governmental: Government agency Operations jurisdiction* State of Iowa, United States General nature Law enforcement
Civilian agency Specialist jurisdiction Vehicle safety and hazardous material transport laws and regulations, licensing, registration, insurance, etc. | ||
The Iowa Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Enforcement Agency is a law enforcement agency located in the state of Iowa. Like the Iowa State Patrol, the Motor Vehicle Enforcement Agency is a statewide agency, however unlike the Patrol it is primarily concerned with the enforcement of laws and regulations concerning commercial vehicles in the state.
The officers deal with state and Federal safety regulations, hazardous material regulations, commercial driver licensing, commercial vehicle registration, oversized vehicles, tax compliance, ensuring proper documentation is carried, and ensuring vehicles have appropriate insurance. The officers are certified law enforcement officers, and can assist with other law enforcement duties as required.
There are 128 sworn peace officers in the agency. Like many other agencies, officers drive Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors with at least one Chevrolet Silverado also in service as of 2008. Their vehicles are painted light blue in color with a gold stripe running along the sides of the car. They are currently transitioning to new vehicles. Some officers now drive a Chevy Tahoe which is painted white.
History
In early 1941 highway engineers expressed concern that overweight commercial vehicles would eventually cause serious damage to Iowa's highway system. Legislation was passed, and signed into law on April 16, 1941 that allowed the highway commission to designate certain employees as peace officers to enforce the laws concerning size and weight. The first officer entered service on July 1 of that year.
In 1975 the Iowa Department of Transportation was formed. As part of the law forming the Iowa DOT, the highway commission officers, officers of the Iowa Commerce Commission, and motor vehicle investigators from the Iowa Department of Public Safety were combined into the modern Motor Vehicle Enforcement Agency. This new department was placed under the authority of the Iowa DOT.