Free links to official Iowa state and county government records — courts, criminal histories, vital records, property, voter, business, and licenses across all 99 counties.
How to Search Iowa Professional Licenses (Start Here)
Professional and occupational licenses in Iowa are issued by state licensing boards — each profession has its own board with its own search tool. There is no single database of all licenses in Iowa.
What this page covers: Iowa professional license verification databases — medical, legal, real estate, contractor, financial, and other regulated professions. What it does not cover: Business entity filings (those are with the Secretary of State) or association memberships (those are private organizations).
Where to start: Identify the profession, then go to the specific licensing board for Iowa. For attorneys, go to the state bar. For doctors, the medical board. For contractors, the contractor licensing authority. The databases below are organized by profession.
Common mistake: A professional license and a business registration are different. A license authorizes a person to practice a profession. A business registration authorizes a company to operate. They are filed with different agencies.
Edited by Sam Rokni — Editor & Owner, SearchSystems.net. Public records professional since 1999. NAPBS founding member. Full bio & credentials.
Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: Iowa professional & occupational licenses URL verified against the official state publisher at plb.iowa.gov on the review date. 4 primary .gov sources cited below.
Iowa Professional & Occupational Licenses — Key Facts (2026)
Doctors, lawyers, contractors, nurses, real estate agents in Iowa — who's licensed and how to verify in 2026.
State-only
License jurisdiction
Not federal
~22%
U.S. workforce licensed
Up from 5% in 1950
1,100+
Licensed occupations
NCSL national database
Free
Official verification
Never pay 3rd parties
Compacts
Cross-state reciprocity
Nursing/medical/PT
Active license ≠ clean record (verify both)
Active license
100%
Continuing-ed current
70%
No disciplinary actions
30%
No complaint history
20%
Criminal background
10%
Unit: % verified by 'active license' alone.
What Changed in 2026 — Iowa Professional & Occupational Licenses
2026
Iowa professional & occupational licenses portal active
The official Iowa portal at plb.iowa.gov continues to serve as the canonical entry point for professional & occupational licenses in 2026.
For 2026, Iowa continues to publish professional & occupational licenses information through state-authorized portals; check plb.iowa.gov for current fees and processing times.
Federal record types (federal liens, federal land, federal vital statistics) continue to live OUTSIDE Iowa's state portal — see the Primary Sources below for additional official portals.
Each occupation has its own Iowa board (medical, bar, contractor, real-estate, cosmetology, etc.).
2
Step 2 — Confirm the state
Licenses are state-issued. A Iowa license is NOT automatically valid in other states (unless via compact).
3
Step 3 — Use the official board lookup
Every Iowa board has a free verification tool. Never pay a third party for verification.
4
Step 4 — Check disciplinary history
Active license ≠ clean record. Always check the Iowa board's disciplinary actions search.
Five Things People Get Wrong About Iowa Professional & Occupational Licenses
MYTH"A web printout is official verification."
FACTEmployers and other boards often require primary-source verification — the board's own certified letter or direct feed — not a screenshot.
MYTH"A clean lookup means no complaints ever."
FACTBoard lookups show public discipline — formal actions. Complaints that closed without action typically never appear.
MYTH"A license only works in the state that issued it."
FACTCompacts changed that: nursing (NLC), medicine (IMLC), and others let one license or an expedited pathway cover many states. Check the compact map.
MYTH"There's one national license database."
FACTLicensing is state-by-state, board-by-board. A nurse, a contractor, and a barber in Iowa are verified in three different systems.
MYTH"You need a paid site to verify a license."
FACTEvery licensing board runs a free lookup — that's the primary source. Paid sites resell the same data, sometimes stale.
Welcome to the Iowa license portal. This page contains links to sites and pages which have a connection with licensing, certification, or registration of.
Our goal is to maintain public trust in the appraisal profession by ensuring that appraisers are effectively regulated. The ASC has seven members, each designated by the head of their agency. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve). U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Title XI also requires the FFIEC to appoint a Chair from the member representatives to serve a two-year term.
Official license verification for Iowa. Search by name or license number; lapsed and revoked credentials stay in the record. Complaint histories, where public, attach to the same record.
Each complaint opened pursuant to Iowa Court Rule 35.4 is investigated, and the Board then dismisses the complaint, privately admonishes the attorney, or seeks formal discipline (a public reprimand, a term of suspension, or license revocation). All public discipline is imposed by the Supreme Court in the form of a publicly-accessible court order. Interested persons may search for the disciplinary.
The admission process covers those that are required to take an examination to gain admission as well as attorneys licensed from other jurisdictions who wish to practice in Iowa. Find out more about the bar examination in Iowa. If you are already licensed in another jurisdiction, learn how to become licensed in Iowa. Contact Bar.Admissions@iowacourts.gov if you have any other questions.
Official license verification for Iowa. Employers and clients check this before hiring; screenshots of it are accepted as proof in most settings. The database reflects the board's live file, which beats calling the office.
The KinderTrack on-line portals, including I-PoWeR, are requiring maintenance to be performed between 12 pm and 1 pm on 9/18/2020 · We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause
If the applicant operates the contractor business as an employee or owner of a legal entity, the applicant must provide the board with evidence that the surety bond was obtained by the entity and that the surety bond covers all plumbing or mechanical work performed by the entity.
Official public records resource for Iowa. Older material may require an in-person visit or a mailed request. The information comes straight from the office that creates the record, not a reseller.
Individuals operating as insurance producers, appraisers, adjusters, navigators, umpires, or viatical settlement brokers must be licensed. The Iowa Insurance Commissioner is authorized to require certain applicants to provide state and federal.
Official license verification for Iowa. Reciprocity from other states, where granted, is noted on the credential. Verification here is the official word — status, license number, and any public discipline.
In addition, the Commission has adopted policies regarding accreditation of CLE events (PDF), based on Iowa Court Rule 42.3 and its experience. Online filing of your continuing legal education (CLE) applications for accreditation is available over at the professional regulation website. Sponsors.
Rules pertaining to certified shorthand reporters now appear at chapter 46 of the Iowa Court Rules. Fees payable with respect to reports and several kinds of applications were changed in 2008. You can view the complete chapter 46.
The responsibilities of an Iowa Notary Public are critical to the legal, business, financial, and real estate communities in this state. A Notary Public is a person commissioned by the Secretary of State to serve the public as an impartial and unbiased witness by identifying persons who come.
Official public records resource for Iowa. Older material may require an in-person visit or a mailed request. It is the authoritative source for this record type in its jurisdiction.
Official license verification for Iowa. Reciprocity from other states, where granted, is noted on the credential. Search by name or license number; lapsed and revoked credentials stay in the record.
Official public records resource for Iowa. Staff at offices like this handle lookup questions daily — asking is normal. Public-records law applies here: what they hold, you can generally request.
99 Iowa counties are indexed on SearchSystems.net — top 28 counties shown below. Browse the full directory or click any county for local court, sheriff, recorder and assessor links.
Which Iowa counties publish local licensing online
11 of Iowa's 99 counties run their own online source for local licensing, based on what this directory indexes. Every other county is covered by the statewide systems listed above — click a county for its full records page.
Most Iowa professional and occupational licenses (medical, legal, contracting, real estate, cosmetology, etc.) can be verified through the Official Iowa Professional & Occupational Licenses at plb.iowa.gov. Look for the 'License Lookup' or 'Verify a Licensee' tool — searches are typically by name or license number and return active/inactive status.
How do I apply for an Iowa business license?▼
Iowa business licensing combines state, county, and city permits depending on activity. The Official Iowa Professional & Occupational Licenses at plb.iowa.gov is the primary state portal; local business-tax certificates are issued by the city or county where you operate. The federal usa.gov permits guide is a helpful starting overview.
Is an Iowa license required to work in my profession?▼
That depends on the profession. Iowa, like most states, licenses regulated occupations such as healthcare, legal, construction, real estate, cosmetology, security, and many trades. The Official Iowa Professional & Occupational Licenses publishes the full list and exemption criteria at plb.iowa.gov.
How do I report a complaint against an Iowa licensee?▼
Complaints against licensed professionals in Iowa are filed with the issuing board or division under the Official Iowa Professional & Occupational Licenses. Most boards accept online complaint submissions at plb.iowa.gov, plus mail-in forms. Each board reviews complaints under the standards in Iowa's occupational code.
Does Iowa recognize licenses from other states?▼
Many Iowa boards offer license-by-reciprocity, license-by-endorsement, or expedited pathways for applicants already licensed in another U.S. jurisdiction. The Official Iowa Professional & Occupational Licenses at plb.iowa.gov publishes the reciprocity rules per profession; some require additional Iowa-specific exams or jurisprudence tests.
