RAGBRAI Licensing & Registration

Event registration applications for RAGBRAI are due May 23. Temporary food establishment licenses are due 30 days prior to the first day of operation. RAGBRAI begins July 23.

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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, bakeries and home bakeries, 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 and certified nursing assistant status on the Iowa Direct Care Registry, and restaurant and other food inspections.

Request other records or reports
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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.

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Events, food trucks, farmers markets

The weather's warming up - do you need to apply for a food license? Make sure you apply well enough in advance so you don't have any issues getting your license on time!

  • Farmers market licenses cost $150, and applications should be submitted at least two weeks before the event.
  • Temporary food establishment licenses (both single event and annual) should be submitted at least 30 days before the event. Single event licenses cost $50. Annual licenses are $200.
  • Event registrations cost $50 and applications should be submitted at least 60 days before the event.
  • Mobile food unit licenses cost $250 for an annual license and should be submitted at least 30 days before operating.

Visit DIA's main page for food and hotel licensing, which includes information on mobile food unit licenses.

Learn how to apply for a temporary food establishment license online by watching the video. 

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