Nursing Licensure

To practice nursing in Iowa, you must be licensed by the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL). There are several application paths depending on your education, current license status, and professional role.

License Application Types

Foreign Educated Nurses

Name & Address Changes

• Name change requests must be submitted in writing by email, fax, or mail. Please include your current name, previous name, and documentation that shows previous and new name. Acceptable documentation include:
  • court decree for name change
  • court divorce decree
  • marriage certificate
  • adoption or naturalization documents
• Address change requests can be submitted in writing by email, fax, or mail. Please include your name, license number, and new address.

Licensees can enter address changes through the Online Licensure Portal. To do so, choose “Licensing Services," then click "Update Contact Information.”  Licensees can also update their phone number and email address from this page.

By the terms of the Nurse License Compact law, the board must have a physical address of residence. For this reason, an employment address is not acceptable in the license record. Licensees with a PO Box can set it as the mailing address but must still list their physical residence.

Criminal Convictions and Board Discipline

If you have a criminal conviction, you may still be eligible for licensure. Learn more about how convictions are reviewed on the Criminal Conviction Eligibility page.  

Fee Waivers

Each license type has a required application fee. Fee waivers may be available for individuals with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Visit the Fee Waivers page to see current costs and eligibility for waivers. 

Military Applicants

A military service applicant may request credit for verified military education, training or service toward any experience or educational requirement for licensure. The Iowa Board of Nursing considers the following comparable to LPN/VN programs:

• The Army LPN Program
• The Air Force BMTCP 4N051 (5 Skill Level)

To request credit, email ibn@dial.iowa.gov with a summary of your experience and education background. Also provide documents of relevant military education, including:

• Military transcripts
• A certified affidavit
• Forms that verify completion of the relevant education, training, or service, including:
  • Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214)
  • Verification of Military Experience and Training (VMET) (DD Form 2586)

Verify License Status

• You can check the status of a nurse license using the Nurse Online Licensure Portal.
• For Licensees: Sign in using your Account ID and password. Click "License Verification".
• For General Public: Click the General Public dropdown and click "License Verification".
• You may also verify licenses by visiting Nursys. Choose “QuickConfirm” and follow the prompts.
• Visit our Certified Professional Midwife license search page.