StateLicensed

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) License Requirements in Iowa

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
75 hrs
Upfront cost
$165
Exam
Written (Knowledge) Exam, Skills (Clinical) Exam
Renewal cycle
—
Issuing board
Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) — Direct Care Worker Registry

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Pass a criminal background check. No official minimum age requirement was found on DIAL's own pages (secondary sources conflict — some cite 16, others state no age requirement — so left null rather than guessed). The Direct Care Worker Registry disqualifies individuals with a court finding of abuse, neglect, mistreatment, or misappropriation of resident property; a criminal history background check (Division of Criminal Investigation / FBI) is required as part of the certification/employment pathway, though DIAL's registry page frames this primarily as a post-finding disqualification rather than a documented upfront background-check mandate. [3]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete 75 hours of training (including 30 clinical hours) at a state-approved program. 75 total hours: at least 45 didactic/classroom hours (including at least 16 hours of laboratory experience within that classroom portion) and at least 30 hours of supervised, face-to-face clinical training, at a DIAL-approved program. DIAL approves course plans but does not itself issue the certificate. [1]

  3. 3

    Written (Knowledge) Exam

    Pass the Written (Knowledge) Exam (fee: $50). Proctored at an Iowa community college or taken remotely online via Headmaster ($50); a Credentia remote online option is also available for $70. Iowa is unusual in offering candidates a choice of written-exam vendor. The $50 figure is the Headmaster/community-college price; Credentia's remote option is $70 (see other exams entry is not separately listed — recorded here in notes to avoid double-counting). [2]

  4. 4

    Skills (Clinical) Exam

    Pass the Skills (Clinical) Exam (fee: $115). Hands-on demonstration of nurse aide skills, administered in person at a community college testing site or through Health Tech Associates. Community college skills testing is $115; Health Tech Associates charges $135 for the same skills exam. [2]

  5. 5

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) — Direct Care Worker Registry. [2]

  6. 6

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) — Direct Care Worker Registry issues your Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) for Iowa.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [2] None specified
License fee [2] None specified
Renewal fee [2] None specified
Written (Knowledge) Exam [2] $50
Skills (Clinical) Exam [2] $115
Written Exam (Headmaster, community college or remote) [2] $50
Written Exam (Credentia, remote) [2] $70
Skills Exam (community college) [2] $115
Skills Exam (Health Tech Associates) [2] $135

No separate state application, license, or renewal fee was found; Iowa's only published costs are the written and skills exam fees, which vary by vendor. DIAL does not itself issue a certificate — Direct Care Worker Registry status is maintained through the training/testing pathway and ongoing qualifying work.

Renewal & continuing education

Renewal cycle not specified. 12 continuing education hours required per cycle.

The CNA certification itself does not expire, but Direct Care Worker Registry status expires after 24 consecutive months without qualifying employment (at least 8 hours of paid nursing/nursing-related work in that period). CNAs employed at a certified long-term care facility must also complete 12 hours of in-service training per year. cycleYears is left null because there is no fixed periodic renewal date — registry status is tied to work continuity, similar to Illinois.

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

No interstate compact covers CNAs/nurse aides. A person currently listed on a direct care worker/CNA registry in another state can transfer to the Iowa Direct Care Worker Registry through DIAL's placement process.

7 state-approved training providers in Iowa — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.

Cost calculator

  • $50
  • $115
Total$165

Frequently asked questions

How many hours of CNA training does Iowa require?

75 total hours: at least 45 didactic/classroom hours (including 16 lab hours) and at least 30 hours of supervised clinical training, at a DIAL-approved program.

Who administers the Iowa CNA exam?

Candidates choose between two written-exam vendors — Headmaster/D&SDT ($50) or Credentia ($70) — plus a separate skills exam through an Iowa community college ($115) or Health Tech Associates ($135).

Does my Iowa CNA certification expire?

The certification itself doesn't expire, but your Direct Care Worker Registry status lapses after 24 consecutive months without at least 8 hours of qualifying paid work. CNAs at certified long-term care facilities also need 12 hours of in-service training per year.

Can I transfer my CNA certification from another state to Iowa?

Yes — if you're currently listed on a direct care worker/CNA registry in another state, you can apply to transfer to the Iowa Direct Care Worker Registry.

Sources

  1. [1] dial.iowa.gov/licenses/health-professions/cnas — accessed 2026-07-10
  2. [2] dial.iowa.gov/how-do-i-cna-training — accessed 2026-07-10
  3. [3] dial.iowa.gov/licenses/health/direct-care-worker-registry — accessed 2026-07-10
  4. [4] dial.iowa.gov/licenses/health/direct-care/how-do-i-placement-dcw-registry — accessed 2026-07-10