Iowa · verified 2026-07-29
Nursing home administrator license requirements in Iowa.
How do I become a licensed nursing home administrator in Iowa?
To become a licensed nursing home administrator in Iowa, you need a bachelor's degree, an Administrator-in-Training program of 2,080 hours, and the national NAB CORE of Knowledge and Nursing Home Administrator exams (no separate jurisdiction-specific exam). The initial fee is about $120, and licenses renew with 40 continuing-education hours on a biennial cycle.
The detail
Every requirement, sourced and dated
- Board
- Iowa Board of Nursing Home Administrators, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) Board source · checked 2026-07-29
- Education floor
- A bachelor's degree A baccalaureate or postbaccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, verified by official transcripts, is required (Iowa Admin. Code 481-980.2). Board source · checked 2026-07-29
- Administrator-in-Training hours
- 2,080 hours
- 2,080 hours: Iowa recognizes three qualifying supervised-experience pathways in addition to the bachelor's degree: completion of a board-approved administrator-in-training program under an approved preceptor; a long-term health care practicum completed through an accredited college or university; or, where approved by board staff, 2,080 hours (one full-time year) of long-term health-care administration or health-care-related work experience in a nursing home. The rule does not publish a separate hour figure for the AIT-program or practicum pathways beyond this standard full-time-year equivalent.
- National NAB exams
- Required (CORE of Knowledge + Nursing Home Administrator) A passing score on all required national NAB examinations is required, unless the applicant already holds NAB Health Services Executive (HSE) certification, which satisfies the exam requirement directly (Iowa Admin. Code 481-980.2). Board source · checked 2026-07-29
- Separate state exam
- Not required Iowa's licensure rules reference only the national NAB examinations (or NAB HSE certification); no separate Iowa-specific state law exam is required. Board source · checked 2026-07-29
- Initial license fee
- $120 $120 nonrefundable initial licensure fee (Iowa Admin. Code 481-507.10(1)). Board source · checked 2026-07-29
- Renewal fee
- $60 $60 biennial renewal fee; a $60 late fee applies for failure to renew before expiration (Iowa Admin. Code 481-507.10(2), (3)). Board source · checked 2026-07-29
- Continuing education
- 40 hours per biennial cycle A minimum of 40 hours of continuing education per biennium (Iowa Admin. Code 481-981). Board source · checked 2026-07-29
- Reciprocity / endorsement
- endorsement available An out-of-state licensee may apply for licensure by endorsement, submitting official license verification from the most recent jurisdiction of licensure showing at least two years of licensure history in good standing (name, license number, dates, status, and any discipline); an applicant who does not qualify for endorsement may instead qualify for licensure by verification under a separate provision (Iowa Admin. Code 481-980.2). Board source · checked 2026-07-29
Statutes and rules: Iowa Code chapter 155 (Nursing Home Administrators); Iowa Admin. Code 481, Chapters 980-983 and 481-507. Figures change on the board's own schedule. Confirm against the board before you apply or pay.
Next step
Make it personal
- Get your checklist. The requirements wizard resolves Iowa's requirements for your exact degree.
- Plan your hours. The AIT-hours tracker turns Iowa's hour target into a finish date.
- Moving here from another state? The reciprocity checker reads Iowa's endorsement rule.