Iowa · guide
Nurse practitioner licensing in Iowa
Read from the Iowa Board of Nursing. Last verified 2026-09-15.
The sequence
| Step | What it involves |
|---|---|
| RN license | Held by compact privilege where the nurse compact reaches the state, otherwise filed separately. |
| APRN license or recognition | Filed with the Iowa Board of Nursing, including national certification evidence. |
| Prescriptive authority | Separate grant in most states, with its own application and its own renewal date. |
| Controlled substance registration | State registration where required, then the DEA registration tied to the practice address. |
What the numbers say
- Iowa is a full practice authority state with no physician collaboration requirement.
- ARNP licenses renew every 3 years with 36 contact hours per cycle.
Source: the Iowa Board of Nursing. Last verified 2026-09-15. Where a national summary and a board disagree, we publish the board.