Inactive status means the licensee has not renewed their Iowa license, is not practicing nursing, or the licensee has moved primary state of residence.
- Licensees who do NOT renew their Iowa license within 30 days after expiration will automatically be placed on inactive status. No fees or action is required by the licensee.
-
Requests for inactive status from licensees cannot be processed mid-cycle.
- To place your license on inactive status simply do NOT renew the license. The license will automatically change to inactive status on the 16th of the following month.
- When your license is on inactive status, you are not required to obtain continuing education credit or to pay fees.
- You may not practice nursing in Iowa when your nursing license is on inactive status
-
Licensees who move to another compact state and are issued a license in the new compact state will have their Iowa license placed inactive immediately upon issuance of the new license.
-
Information about the National Council of State Boards of Nursing an be found on the NCSBN Licensure Compacts website.
-
Licensees who inadvertently allow their license to become inactive and continue to work using the inactive license, will be brought to the attention of the Enforcement Unit for Investigation. Reactivation of an inactive license requires all of the items listed on our Reactivation page.
-
Iowa law requires you to keep the board informed of any name or address changes, even when your license is on inactive status.
For information on how to reactivate your Iowa license, visit our Reactivation page.
Updated 7/18