Nurse Licensure Compact · Iowa · 2026
Is Iowa a compact state for nurses?
Compact license valid here · verified September 21, 2026
Yes — Iowa is a Nurse Licensure Compact state.
- NLC implemented
- January 19, 2018
- Licenses covered
- RN and LPN/VN
- Who can apply
- Nurses whose primary residence is Iowa
Iowa implemented the NLC on January 19, 2018, one of 43 jurisdictions in the compact. An RN or LPN/VN whose primary state of residence is Iowa can apply to the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing for a multistate license and practice in every other implemented NLC state, in person or by telehealth. A nurse who already holds a multistate license from another compact state can practice in Iowa without a Iowa license.
Last verified September 21, 2026. Informational only — state boards and compact commissions control eligibility, timing, fees, and scope.
Nurse Licensure Compact multistate license
NLC implemented
January 19, 2018
Licenses covered
RN and LPN/VN
Who can apply
Nurses whose primary residence is Iowa
Apply through
Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing
Timeline: Set by the home-state board of nursing; the compact does not publish a processing time. Applications go through the board, not the Commission.
Other routes into Iowa
Iowa single-state license by endorsement
Set by the state boardApply to the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing for a Iowa-only RN or LPN/VN license: the route for nurses whose primary state of residence is not an implemented NLC state, and for practice into any state outside the compact — telehealth included, because a nurse must be licensed where the patient is.
Timeline: Set by the state board
Iowa Nurse Licensure Compact FAQ
Is Iowa a compact state for nurses?
Yes. Iowa implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact on January 19, 2018 and is one of the 43 NLC jurisdictions in the official table this page models.
Can I work in Iowa with a compact license from another state?
Yes, as long as your license is a multistate license and your primary state of residence is an implemented NLC state. That covers in-person practice and telehealth into Iowa; the Iowa nurse practice act still applies to what you do there.
How do I get a Iowa multistate license?
Your primary state of residence must be Iowa. Apply through the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing — by exam, by endorsement, or by upgrading a Iowa single-state license — and meet the uniform licensure requirements (fingerprint-based background checks, an unencumbered license, a U.S. Social Security number, among others). The board sets the fee and the processing time; its official site is in the sources below.
I am moving to Iowa from another compact state. What changes?
Under the compact's 60-day rule you apply for licensure by endorsement in Iowa within 60 days of making it your primary state of residence; the multistate license of your former home state does not travel with you. Moving in from a noncompact state: apply by endorsement in Iowa, and a multistate license may be issued once residency and eligibility are met.
Does the NLC cover APRNs?
No. The NLC covers RNs and LPN/VNs. Advanced practice nurses are outside it; a separate APRN Compact exists and is not modeled on this page.
Sources
Ruleset last verified July 23, 2026.
Free · dated PDF
Take this Iowa page as a dated PDF
Everything above, laid out as a one-file nurse checklist with the verification date and every source link — ready to attach to a credentialing or board packet. No account, one field.
We use your email to deliver this checklist and handle replies. We do not share it with licensing providers without separate consent. Informational only — not legal advice. State boards control eligibility.