On this page...
Apply for or Renew a Professional License Online
Use your phone, tablet or computer to access license services & information.
Nursing Home Administrator Licensure
Learn how to apply for or renew your Nursing Home Administrator license or permit.
Renewal
You can renew your license up to 60 days before your current license expires.
Renewal notifications will be emailed to your email address on file with the board at 60, 50, 40 and 30 days prior to the license expiration date. Renew your license early to avoid a late fee or lapse in licensure. All continuing education requirements must be completed prior to license renewal.
Back to topContinuing Education
Licensees are responsible for meeting all continuing education requirements and should review the rules regularly. Review the rules for detailed information about continuing education definitions, requirements, standards, criteria and other important specific to this profession.
The licensing board does not pre-approve continuing education providers, sponsors or individual programs. It is the licensees’ responsibility to determine if the continuing education programs they attend meet the requirements of their professional licensing board.
A percentage of licensees are randomly audited following each license renewal cycle. If selected, the licensee must submit to the board office an individual certificate of completion issued to the licensee or evidence of successful completion of the course from the course sponsor. These documents must contain the course title, date(s), contact hours, sponsor and licensee's name. In some instances, licensees will be requested to provide to the board additional information, including program content, objectives, presenters, location and schedule. Many times an inclusive brochure meets this requirement.
When selecting continuing education programs, licensees need to make sure they are compliant with administrative rule requirements. Some professions require licensees to meet specific requirements as a condition of renewal. These may include limits on presentation method (e.g. self-study, ICN, etc.), specific hours on ethics and Iowa law and rules, clinical content, or hours required in a specific practice discipline.
To ensure compliance, each licensee must understand the continuing education administrative rules for their profession prior to choosing and attending a particular program. No matter what a program brochure indicates, it is the responsibility of the licensee to ensure compliance with licensing requirements.
In summary all licensees should:
- Be familiar with the continuing education requirements of their professional boards.
- Obtain inclusive written materials about continuing education programs from program sponsors for post-renewal auditing purposes.
- Maintain certificates of completion that includes the program or course title, date(s), contact hours, sponsor and licensee's name for four years.
A licensee who had a physical or mental disability or illness during the license period may apply for an extension or exemption. An exemption provides for an extension of time or exemption from some or all of the continuing education requirements. An applicant shall submit a completed application form approved by the board for an exemption.
The application requires the signature of a licensed health care professional who can attest to the existence of a disability or illness during the license period.
If the application is from a license who is the primary caregiver for a relative who is ill or disabled and needs care from that primary caregiver, the physician shall verify the licensee's status as the primary caregiver.
A licensee who applies for an exemption shall be notified of the decision regarding the application. A licensee who obtains approval shall retain a copy of the exemption to be presented to the board upon request.
The licensing board does not pre-approve continuing education providers, sponsors or individual programs. It is the licensees’ responsibility to determine if the continuing education programs they attend meet the requirements of their professional licensure board.
Potential sponsors are responsible for independently determining if the programs they provide conform to the continuing education requirements set forth in the rules regulations of the professional boards.
To make this determination, thoroughly review the rules for the board(s) in which you are interested prior to offering continuing education to Iowa licensees. By providing inclusive information about the content, objectives and applicability of your program to professional practice, you will assist licensees to make informed decisions when selecting continuing education.
A percentage of licensees in every profession regulated by a licensing board are randomly selected following each license renewal cycle. For auditing purposes the licensee must submit to the board office an individual certificate of completion issued to the licensee or evidence of successful completion of the course from the course sponsor. These documents must contain the course title, date(s), contact hours, sponsor and licensee's name. In some instances, licensees will be requested to provide to the board additional information to assure compliance with continuing education requirements, including program content, objectives, presenters, location and schedule. For this reason, sponsors should provide these items to licensees in writing. An inclusive brochure may meet this requirement.
Additionally, sponsors should consider profession-specific requirements that licensees must address to assure compliance with continuing education rules when preparing written materials such as method of presentation (home study, ICN, etc.), inclusion of specific hours on ethics and Iowa law and rules, certification status by national associations or boards, clinical content, and hours required in a specific practice discipline.
In summary sponsors should:
- Be familiar with the continuing education requirements of their professional audiences.
- Provide inclusive written materials to all program participants.
- Notify licensees that materials should be retained for four years for auditing purposes.
- Provide a certificate of completion that includes the program or course title, date(s), contact hours, sponsor and licensee's name.
- Athletic Training: Iowa Administrative Code (IAC) 481—Ch. 862
- Barbering and Cosmetology Arts & Sciences: IAC 481—Ch. 944
- Behavioral Health Professions
- Chiropractic: IAC 481—Ch. 844
- Dietetics: IAC 481—Ch. 922
- Hearing Aid Specialists: IAC 481—Ch. 2061
- Massage Therapy: IAC 481—Ch. 423
- Mortuary Science: IAC 481—Ch. 902
- Nursing Home Administrators: IAC 481—Ch. 981
- Optometry: IAC 481—Ch. 761
- Physical & Occupational Therapy
- Physicians Assistants: IAC 481—Ch. 782
- Podiatry: IAC 481—Ch. 702
- Respiratory Care & Polysomnography: IAC 481—Ch. 721
- Sign Language Interpreters & Transliterators: IAC 481—Ch. 962
- Speech Pathology & Audiology: IAC 481—Ch. 742
Laws & Rules
Below are the statutes and administrative rules that pertain directly to the practice of nursing home administration in Iowa.
Laws are contained in the Iowa Code. They are enacted by the Iowa Legislature and provide statutory authority to the professional licensure boards.
Iowa Code & Administrative Rules for Licensing Boards
The following Iowa Code chapters and administrative rules apply to licensing boards within the department.
The following laws apply to professional licensing boards.
The following chapters from Iowa Administrative Code 481 apply to professional licensing boards within the Department of Inspections, Appeals, Inspections, and Licensing.
- Ch. 3 — Declaratory Orders
- Ch. 4 — Agency Procedures for Rulemaking
- Ch. 5 — Public Records and Fair Information Practices
- Ch. 6 — Uniform Waiver Rules
- Ch. 7 — Military Service, Veteran Reciprocity, and Spouses of Active-Duty Service Members
- Ch. 500 — Model Rules for Board Administrative Processes
- Ch. 501 — Model Rules for Licensure by Verification or Work Experience
- Ch. 502 — Model Rules for Use of Criminal Convictions in Eligibility Determinations and Initial Licensing Decisions
- Ch. 503 — Model Rules for Complaints and Investigations
- Ch. 506 — Model Rules for Contested Cases Before Licensing Boards and Information Settlements
- Ch. 507 — Professional Licensing Division Fees
Rulemaking notices, along with adopted rule changes, are published in the Iowa Administrative Bulletin.
The preamble for each notice includes a summary of the proposed rule changes. The notice includes information about how to submit public comment when applicable. All comments are forwarded to the board for review prior to making a final decision on the outcome of rule change proposals.
About the Board of Nursing Home Administrators
More about the Iowa Board of Nursing Home Administrators.
6200 Park Avenue
Suite 100
Des Moines, IA 50321