Iowa Department of Inspections & Appeals

Restaurant, bar, and hotel licensing

DIA regulates food businesses like restaurants, bars (including those that only serve beverages), cafeterias, catering operations, mobile food trucks, farmers markets, temporary events, vending machines, grocery and convenience stores, home food processing establishments, and food processing plants and warehouses. DIA also regulates hotels, motels, and inns (including bed-and-breakfast inns).

Food and hotel license info

Complaints

Submit a complaint for DIA to review about:

Restaurants, bars, grocery stores, home bakeries, etc.
Hotels, motels, or bed-and-breakfast inns
Nursing homes, assisted living programs, hospitals, etc.
Dependent adult abuse
Social or charitable gambling violation
Administrative law judges who work for DIA

File a complaint or report

Direct Care Worker Registry

In Iowa, only certified nursing assistants (CNAs), also referred to as nurse's aides, are placed on the Direct Care Worker Registry. Find out how to be added to the registry, how to transfer to the Iowa registry, how to transfer to another state registry, how to stay active on the registry, how to update your own information in the registry, and more.

Registry information

Social & charitable gambling

DIA regulates games of skill or chance, raffles, bingo, social gambling and amusement devices in Iowa. Qualified organizations may obtain a gambling license to conduct fund-raising activities benefiting educational, civic, public, charitable, patriotic, or religious purposes. License holders may also login here to file a gambling report for 2021.

Gambling license details

Consumable hemp

DIA handles registration for consumable hemp retailers and manufacturers. Consumable hemp products include, but are not limited to: food, chew or snuff, or topical application (e.g., lotions, tinctures). Consumable hemp products do not include those intended to be introduced into the human body by any method of inhalation, which are prohibited under Iowa Code 204.14A. Violation of Iowa Code 204.14A(1) is a criminal offense (serious misdemeanor).

More about consumable hemp

Records

Records requests can be made by filling out DIA's online form, by phone (515.281.7102), fax (515.242.6863), or mail, or in person at DIA's main office in the Lucas State Office Building, 321 E. 12th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50319. Some records you can access online via DIA's online databases, such as health facility reports (nursing homes, assisted living, etc.) and certified nursing assistant status on the Iowa Direct Care Registry, as well as hotel, restaurant, and other food business inspections.

Request other records or reports

Health care employment agency requirements

The 89th Iowa General Assembly passed new legislation (House File 2521) during the 2022 session requiring health care employment agencies that provide direct care staff to certain health care facilities in Iowa to register with DIA and pay an annual registration fee. The department's administrative rules (Iowa Administrative Code 481-55) for the newly-created Iowa Code 135Q have been finalized and the new rules implementing HF2521 go into effect beginning Jan. 4, 2023.

DIA Press Releases

If you would like to receive press releases issued by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, please click the link below.

2023 Governor's Award for Quality Care

The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals (DIA) is seeking nominations for the 2023 Governor’s Award for Quality Care in Health Care Facilities. The Governor's Award recognizes Iowa health care facilities that offer unique or innovative activities to enhance the quality of care or quality of life for their residents.

Nominations are open to all health care facilities licensed under Iowa Code Chapter 135C, which include nursing facilities, residential care facilities, and intermediate care facilities, including those facilities specializing in the care of persons with mental illness or intellectual disabilities. (Facilities not eligible for nomination are assisted living programs, elder group homes, or hospital-based nursing facilities as these facilities are not licensed under the Iowa Code chapter establishing the award program.)

Nomination forms may be downloaded here or obtained by calling the DIA Health Facilities Division at 515.242.5022. Nominations will also be accepted via the department's online nomination form.

Learn more