The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) is a multifaceted regulatory agency charged with protecting the health, safety, and well-being of Iowans.
DIAL staff is responsible for inspecting and licensing or certifying health care providers and suppliers, medical professionals, restaurants and grocery stores, social and charitable gambling operations, hotels and motels, building and construction, fireworks and explosives, fire safety systems, and multiple other professions and programs. In addition, DIAL staff investigates alleged fraud in Iowa's public assistance programs and conducts contested case hearings to settle disputes between Iowans and various State and local government agencies.
DIA is Now DIAL
On July 1, 2023, multiple programs across four agencies become part of the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals (DIA) as a new organizational structure for state government went into effect. DIA became the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL).
Governor Kim Reynolds signed Senate File 514 on April 4, 2023. The bill shrank the executive branch of Iowa's State government from 37 to 16 cabinet-level agencies. As a result of that legislation, DIAL has grown significantly.
Program areas from the Iowa departments of Commerce, Health and Human Services (HHS), Public Safety, and Workforce Development have joined the Department of Inspections and Appeals to become the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL), as a new organizational structure for state government went into effect on July 1. Government departments and agencies that provide related services or have similar business functions are aligning to better serve Iowans. Our goal is to meet your needs more efficiently and effectively through better coordination as one team.
The entities being aligned within DIAL conduct similar operations by carrying out the regulatory functions of the state. Alignment will improve efficiencies, cost savings, and quality of service.
Last year, DIAL moved unemployment and public employment administrative law judges to the department. In three months, the combined team cleared a 5,439 multi-year unemployment case backlog.
New DIAL Program Areas
The following programs and boards are now under the purview of the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing.
From the Professional Licensing Bureau in the department's Division of Banking, licensing and oversight responsibilities shifted to DIAL's Licensing Division for the following:
Accountants
Architects
Engineers and land surveyors
Interior designers
Landscape architects
Real estate agents and brokers
Real estate appraisers
Appraisal management companies
HHS transferred licensing, permitting, and oversight for the following professional licenses from its Bureau of Professional Licensure to DIAL's Licensing Division:
Athletic trainers
Barbers
Chiropractors
Cosmetologists
Dietitians
Funeral directors
Hearing aid specialists
Marital and family therapists
Massage therapists
Mental health counselors
Nursing home administrators
Optometrists
Physical and occupational therapists
Physician assistants
Podiatrists
Psychologists
Respiratory care professionals
Sign language interpreters and translators
Social workers
Speech pathologists and audiologists
The following additional professional licensing boards also moved under DIAL:
Iowa Board of Medicine
Iowa Board of Nursing
Iowa Board of Pharmacy
Iowa Dental Board
Finally, oversight for the following program areas moved to DIAL's Licensing and Building and Construction divisions:
Backflow prevention and assembly tester registration
Certificate of need
Lead professional certification
Migrant labor camp program
Natural hair braiding registry
Plumbing and mechanical systems
Swimming pools and spas
Tattoos
Oversight for permitting, licensing, and inspection for the following areas moved to DIAL:
Building code
Electrical
Fire prevention inspections
Fire safety
Fireworks
The State Fire Marshal's office will remain at DPS.
The Division of Labor at DIAL consists of OSHA health, safety, and consultation. Oversight of the following former IWD Division of Labor now reside within the new Building and Construction Division:
Amusement rides
Boilers
Elevators
The Iowa Office of Civil Rights moved under DIAL as one of four attached units. The Office of Civil Rights will utilize investigators employed by DIAL to conduct the initial intake and screenings of complaints helping to improve case response times.
DIAL has met the federal mandate for nursing home inspections outlined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for federal fiscal year 2024.
Staff from the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) conduct inspections of food stands, games, and Midway rides at the Iowa State Fair.
