1. A vehicle shall be driven upon the right half of the roadway upon all roadways of sufficient width, except as follows:
a. When overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction under the rules governing such movement.
b. When an obstruction exists making it necessary to drive to the left of the center of the roadway, provided, any person so doing shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles traveling in the proper direction upon the unobstructed portion of the roadway within such distance as to constitute an immediate hazard.
c. Upon a roadway divided into three marked lanes for traffic under the rules applicable thereon.
d. Upon a roadway restricted to one-way traffic.
2. Any vehicle proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall be driven in the right-hand lane then available for traffic upon all roadways, or as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of \n Tue Dec 09 22:17:00 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 321 (137, 2) §321.297, MOTOR VEHICLES AND LAW OF THE ROAD 196\n\nthe roadway, except when overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction or when preparing for a left turn at an intersection, an alley, private road or driveway.
3. A vehicle shall not be driven upon any roadway having four or more lanes for moving traffic and providing for two-way movement of traffic, to the left of the center line of the roadway, except when authorized by official traffic-control devices designating certain lanes to the left side of the center of the roadway for use by traffic not otherwise permitted to use such lanes, or except as permitted under subsection 1, paragraph “b”. This subsection shall not be construed as prohibiting the crossing of the center line in making a left turn into or from an alley, private road, or driveway. [S13, §1571-m18; C24, 27, 31, 35, §5019; C39, §5024.01; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §321.297] Referred to in §321.233, 321.298, 321.482A, 805.8A(6)(e) For applicable scheduled fine, see §805.8A, subsection 6 Additional penalties for violations causing serious injury or death, see §321.482A \n
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
36
cases (
5 in the last 5 years), 1947–2025 · leading case:
State v. Tague, 676 N.W.2d 197 (Iowa 2004).
State v. Tague, 676 N.W.2d 197 (Iowa 2004).
· cites it 22× “Officer Gonzales also issued Tague a citation for driving left of center in violation of Iowa Code section 321.297 (2001). Officer Gonzales transported Tague to the police station where he administered a breath test.”
France v. Benter, 128 N.W.2d 268 (Iowa 1964).
· cites it 72× “ed by the assignments of error is this: was the plaintiff guilty of negligence as a matter of law? This divides into two questions: Was the plaintiff guilty of negligence per se because he failed to give timely notice of his intention to pass by sounding his horn; and was he…”
Meyer v. City of Des Moines, 475 N.W.2d 181 (Iowa 1991).
· cites it 18× “16 was based on Iowa Code section 321.297, which we earlier set out in full.”
City of Cedar Rapids v. Moses, 223 N.W.2d 263 (Iowa 1974).
· cites it 28× “In one specification defendant asserted plaintiff was negligent in driving the motor vehicle to the left of the center line in violation of section 321.297, The Code. All references to statutes in this opinion are from The Code, 1966.”
Kearney v. Ahmann, 264 N.W.2d 768 (Iowa 1978).
· cites it 11× “Similarly, nothing in the legislative history of § 321.297 indicates the definition is not disjunctive.”
Silvia v. Pennock, 113 N.W.2d 749 (Iowa 1962).
· cites it 14× “This appeal involves the question whether a motorist’s failure to travel on the right-hand side of the center *781 of a city street as required by section 321.297, Code, 1958, is negligence when presence of a deep snowbank on such side leaves insufficient space for travel…”
State of Iowa v. Tommy Tyler, Jr., 830 N.W.2d 288 (Iowa 2013).
· cites it 2× “Tague, we held that briefly crossing the edge line on a divided roadway did not provide reasonable suspicion of intoxication to support a traffic stop or probable cause that a violation of Iowa Code section 321.297 occurred under article I, section 8.”
State v. Butler, 706 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 2005).
· cites it 5× “In addition, the county attorney filed three complaints charging Butler with three traffic violations: (1) failure to yield the right half of the roadway in violation of Iowa Code section 321.297 (Supp.2001); (2) failure to maintain control in violation of Iowa Code section 321.”
State v. McLaughlin, 94 N.W.2d 303 (Iowa 1959).
· cites it 4× “3, (failure to have his car under control and to reduce speed to a reasonable rate when approaching and traversing a crossing of public highways); Section 321.297 (failure to travel on the right hand side of the street); Section 321.”
Schermer v. Muller, 380 N.W.2d 684 (Iowa 1986).
· cites it 2× “These scenarios are not merely ingenious theories of plaintiffs' counsel; they are fact-based theories of sufficient probative force to support the plaintiffs' claims of causative negligence against Muller.”
Dakovich v. City of Des Moines, 42 N.W.2d 511 (Iowa 1950).
· cites it 4× “” Another statute which the appellant contends is applicable to the facts in the instant case is section 321.297, 1946 Code, which is as follows: “The operator of a motor vehicle, in cities and towns, shall at all times travel on the right-hand side of the center of' the street.”
Beezley v. Kleinholtz, 100 N.W.2d 105 (Iowa 1959).
· cites it 2× “Section 321.297 provides an operator of a motor vehicle in cities iand towns shall at all times travel on the right-hand side of the center of the street.”
— Iowa Code § 321.297(1) — 8 cases
Meyer v. City of Des Moines, 475 N.W.2d 181 (Iowa 1991).
“16 was based on Iowa Code section 321.297, which we earlier set out in full.”
Kearney v. Ahmann, 264 N.W.2d 768 (Iowa 1978).
“Similarly, nothing in the legislative history of § 321.297 indicates the definition is not disjunctive.”
State v. Butler, 706 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 2005).
“In addition, the county attorney filed three complaints charging Butler with three traffic violations: (1) failure to yield the right half of the roadway in violation of Iowa Code section 321.297 (Supp.2001); (2) failure to maintain control in violation of Iowa Code section 321.”
— Iowa Code § 321.297(1)(b) — 5 cases
Meyer v. City of Des Moines, 475 N.W.2d 181 (Iowa 1991).
“16 was based on Iowa Code section 321.297, which we earlier set out in full.”
Kearney v. Ahmann, 264 N.W.2d 768 (Iowa 1978).
“Similarly, nothing in the legislative history of § 321.297 indicates the definition is not disjunctive.”
— Iowa Code § 321.297(1)(c) — 1 case
Kearney v. Ahmann, 264 N.W.2d 768 (Iowa 1978).
“Similarly, nothing in the legislative history of § 321.297 indicates the definition is not disjunctive.”
— Iowa Code § 321.297(1)(d) — 1 case
— Iowa Code § 321.297(2) — 2 cases
— Iowa Code § 321.297(3) — 2 cases
State v. Tague, 676 N.W.2d 197 (Iowa 2004).
“Officer Gonzales also issued Tague a citation for driving left of center in violation of Iowa Code section 321.297 (2001). Officer Gonzales transported Tague to the police station where he administered a breath test.”
— Iowa Code § 321.297(l)(b) — 2 cases
Meyer v. City of Des Moines, 475 N.W.2d 181 (Iowa 1991).
“16 was based on Iowa Code section 321.297, which we earlier set out in full.”
Kearney v. Ahmann, 264 N.W.2d 768 (Iowa 1978).
“Similarly, nothing in the legislative history of § 321.297 indicates the definition is not disjunctive.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.