Transfer Your Teaching License to Iowa: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Iowa does not simply swap your teaching license: the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners (BoEE), Iowa Department of Education reviews your credential and can issue a 2-year Regional Exchange Teaching License while you complete what Iowa still requires. Out-of-state applicants submit verification of any required assessments; where a Bureau of Educational Examiners transcript review finds coursework deficiencies, a 2-year Regional Exchange Teaching License is issued so the applicant can teach (full authority, including long-term substitute) while completing the deficient Iowa coursework, then converts to full licensure. Fee: First-time applicants pay a $35 background-check fee within the online application plus a separate Fieldprint fingerprinting fee (or $75 for paper fingerprint cards); the license fee is assessed in the online application and was not published as a fixed figure on the reviewed pages.
Moving to Iowa from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The framing that saves relocating teachers real trouble: Iowa can give you a runway, not a transfer. A 2-year Regional Exchange Teaching License lets you take a classroom while you finish Iowa's requirements, but the clock on them starts with it. Map the requirements below to a timeline the day you accept a position — the deadline inside that window is the thing that trips people, not the difficulty of any single requirement.
Reciprocity is a misnomer - Iowa reviews your out-of-state preparation; if coursework deficiencies are found it issues a 2-year Regional Exchange Teaching License (extendable) with full teaching authority while you complete the deficient coursework, then converts you to full licensure. Applicants with no deficiencies are issued a standard/initial license instead. The Board of Educational Examiners now operates under the Iowa Department of Education at educate.iowa.gov (former boee.iowa.gov redirects there).
Iowa requirements at a glance
| Exam | Out-of-state applicants submit verification of any required assessments; where a Bureau of Educational Examiners transcript review finds coursework deficiencies, a 2-year Regional Exchange Teaching License is issued so the applicant can teach (full authority, including long-term substitute) while completing the deficient Iowa coursework, then converts to full licensure |
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| Additional requirements |
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| Fees | First-time applicants pay a $35 background-check fee within the online application plus a separate Fieldprint fingerprinting fee (or $75 for paper fingerprint cards); the license fee is assessed in the online application and was not published as a fixed figure on the reviewed pages |
| Processing time | up to 6 weeks (Board states applications may take up to six (6) weeks to process; Fieldprint results usually within one week; paper fingerprint cards 4-6 weeks) |
Step by step
- Confirm Iowa's current requirements on the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners (BoEE), Iowa Department of Education website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners (BoEE), Iowa Department of Education (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Complete a full state-approved teacher preparation program for college-credit at a regionally accredited out-of-state institution.
- Submit official transcripts and verification of program completion for a Bureau of Educational Examiners transcript review.
- Provide a valid or expired out-of-state teaching license.
- Complete a fingerprint-based background check (Fieldprint) as a first-time applicant.
- Provide verification of required assessments and experience where applicable.
- Pay the fees (First-time applicants pay a $35 background-check fee within the online application plus a separate Fieldprint fingerprinting fee (or $75 for paper fingerprint cards); the license fee is assessed in the online application and was not published as a fixed figure on the reviewed pages) and allow up to 6 weeks (Board states applications may take up to six (6) weeks to process; Fieldprint results usually within one week; paper fingerprint cards 4-6 weeks).
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Iowa:
Nearby states
Teaching license transfer into the states bordering Iowa:
Iowa for other professions
Frequently asked questions
Does my teaching license transfer to Iowa?
Iowa does not simply swap your teaching license: the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners (BoEE), Iowa Department of Education reviews your credential and can issue a 2-year Regional Exchange Teaching License while you complete what Iowa still requires. Out-of-state applicants submit verification of any required assessments; where a Bureau of Educational Examiners transcript review finds coursework deficiencies, a 2-year Regional Exchange Teaching License is issued so the applicant can teach (full authority, including long-term substitute) while completing the deficient Iowa coursework, then converts to full licensure. Fee: First-time applicants pay a $35 background-check fee within the online application plus a separate Fieldprint fingerprinting fee (or $75 for paper fingerprint cards); the license fee is assessed in the online application and was not published as a fixed figure on the reviewed pages.
Is teaching reciprocity automatic in Iowa?
No. Iowa reviews your out-of-state credential; if you still owe its requirements, it can issue a 2-year Regional Exchange Teaching License while you complete them. It is the right to apply, not an instant swap.
What tests or requirements does Iowa add?
Out-of-state applicants submit verification of any required assessments; where a Bureau of Educational Examiners transcript review finds coursework deficiencies, a 2-year Regional Exchange Teaching License is issued so the applicant can teach (full authority, including long-term substitute) while completing the deficient Iowa coursework, then converts to full licensure.
What does an Iowa out-of-state teaching certificate cost and how long does it take?
First-time applicants pay a $35 background-check fee within the online application plus a separate Fieldprint fingerprinting fee (or $75 for paper fingerprint cards); the license fee is assessed in the online application and was not published as a fixed figure on the reviewed pages. Processing: up to 6 weeks (Board states applications may take up to six (6) weeks to process; Fieldprint results usually within one week; paper fingerprint cards 4-6 weeks).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Iowa BoEE - Regional Exchange Teaching License (Out-of-State Applicants) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Iowa BoEE - More Application Information (processing times, background checks & fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]