Complete the online application and payment of the $120 fee. All application fees are nonrefundable.
Examination
An applicant must request examination service and provide proof of successful completion of one of the following:
The National Interpreter Certification (NIC) examination, administered by the National Association of the Deaf (NAD)/ Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) if completed after November 30, 2011;
One of the following examinations administered by RID:
Oral Transliteration Certificate (OTC)
Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI);
The Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) with a score of 3.5 or greater if completed after December 31, 1999;
The Cued Language Transliterator National Certification Examination (CLTNCE) administered by The National Certifying Body for Cued Language Transliterators (NCBCLT);
Currently holds one of the following NAD/RID certifications awarded through November 11, 2011, by the National Council on Interpreting (NCI):
NIC
NIC Advanced
NIC Master;
Currently holds one of the following certifications previously awarded by RID:
Certificate of Interpretation (CI)
Certificate of Transliteration (CT)
Certificate of Interpretation and Certificate of Transliteration (CI and CT)
Currently holds one of the following certifications previous awarded by NAD:
NAD III (Generalist)
NAD IV (Advanced)
NAD V (Master); or
Currently holds and advanced or master certification awarded by the Board for Evaluation of Interpreters (BEI).
The passing score must be transmitted directly from the exam site and sent to plpublic@idph.iowa.gov
Licensure in Another State
If applicable, applicants that have previously been licensed, registered or certified in another state must provide official verification of licensure for all states in which the applicant has received a license.
The license verification must include the following:
License number;
Issue date;
Expiration date;
Status of license including a reference to any pending or past disciplinary action.
The verification may be printed from another state licensing board’s website if it contains all of the information noted above. If an online verification is not available, the verification must be sent directly from the licensing board(s) to the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing.
Complete the online application and payment of the $120 fee. All application fees are nonrefundable.
Examination or Education
An applicant, who has not successfully completed one of the board-approved examinations or does not hold an approved certification required for permanent licensure, must request examination service and provide proof of successful completion of one of the following:
The written portion of the RID examination;
The written portion of the BEI examination;
The written portion of the EIPA examination;
The EIPA pre-hire examination at the highest recommended level;
An associate degree or higher from a formal interpreter training program (ITP) with a regionally-accredited college, verified with an official transcript;
The American Sign Language Proficiency Interview (ASLPI) at the 2+ level or higher; or
The Sign Language Proficiency Interview (SLPI) at the intermediate level or higher.
Examination information must be transmitted directly from the exam site and can be sent to plpublic@idph.iowa.gov
Licensees may renew your license 60 days before the current expiration date. Multiple renewal notifications will be sent if the license has not yet been renewed. Licensees are encouraged to renew early to avoid a late fee or lapse in licensure.
All continuing education requirements must be completed prior to submitting your application for renewal.
Deaf Services Iowa Department of Human Rights Lucas State Office Building, 2nd Floor Des Moines, IA 50319 515.598.7326 888.221.3724 (teletypewriter)
Iowa Practitioner Program
The Iowa Practitioner Program (IPP) is available to licensees across multiple licensing boards in Iowa. The Iowa Practitioner Review Committee (IPRC) reviews self-reports made by licensees to determine eligibility for participation.
IPP was established in 1996 to support licensees who struggle with impairments due to alcohol or drug abuse, mental health conditions, and/or physical disorders.
The IPRC designs an individualized health contract to meet the needs of the licensee. State law mandates that information in the possession of the IPRC remain confidential. Participation in the program is not a matter of public record.
"Impairment" means an inability to practice with reasonable safety and skill as a result of alcohol or drug abuse, dependency, or addiction, or any mental or physical disorder or disability.
"Self-report" means the licensee providing written or oral notifications to the board that the licensee has received or may receive a diagnosis as having an impairment before the board's receiving a complaint or report alleging an impairment before the date of self-report.
The IPRC determines whether practitioners are eligible to participate in the program monitored by the committee. A person is ineligible to take part in the program for any of the following reasons:
The practitioner engaged in the unlawful diversion or distribution of controlled illegal substances to a third party, or for personal gain or profit;
The practitioner is already under a board order;
The practitioner has caused harm or injury to a patient;
The board is investigating the practitioner that concerns serious matters related to the practitioner's competence;
The practitioner failed to provide truthful information or refused to cooperate with the board or the IPRC; or
The practitioner has been subject to a civil administrative or criminal sanction for serious infractions of law, professional ethics, or administrative rules related to the practice.
Based upon the recommendation of an approved evaluator, the IPRC creates an individualized health contract, which provides a detailed description of the goals of the program, requirements for successful completion, and the practitioner's obligations.
Note: The IPRC may refer to the board participants who are not compliant with the terms of their contract for consideration of disciplinary action.
The chairperson of the board appoints the members of the IPRC. The IPRC includes, but is not limited to, the following:
Executive Director of the board or the director's designee from the board's staff;
A practitioner who has remained free of addiction for two or more years after completing a recovery program for drug or alcohol dependency, addiction, or abuse;
A physician/counselor with expertise in substance abuse/addiction treatment programs;
A psychiatrist or psychologist; and
A public member.
The program encourages practitioners who have impairments to get the help they need. All information received by IPP and IPRC remains confidential as long as the practitioner complies with the terms of their agreement or health contract.
By self-reporting to IPP, the practitioner may avoid formal disciplinary action by the licensing Board. Formal disciplinary action taken against a practitioner is a matter of public record. The board reports the action to the press, the National Practitioners Data Bank (NPDB), insurance companies, and to other state and federal authorities. Participation in the program is confidential.
Health care practitioners must report knowledge of another practitioner's possible impairment to the board. Health care practitioners who fail to report colleagues with a possible impairment may be subject to disciplinary action by the board. It is in the practitioner's best interest to self-report an impairment before someone else files complaint or report.
If any of the following apply to a practitioner, it is in that person's best interest to self-report to IPP as soon as possible:
Charged with, and/or arrested for OWI, or for another alcohol or drug related offense;
Disciplined by another federal or state agency for alcohol or drug abuse;
Evaluated or treated for a substance use disorder, or is currently enrolled in a recovery program;
Diagnosed with a mental health condition and/or a physical health condition;
Practiced after drinking alcohol or taking an illegal or mind/mood altering substance;
Addiction/dependence on drugs, alcohol or prescription medication; and/or
Urged by friend(s), family or colleagues to get help for alcohol or drug abuse, or a mental or physical condition.
Quarterly reports are due annually by January 20, April 20, July 20, and October 20. Printable copies of the forms are available under Related Files at the bottom of this page.
