Reinstatement

Reinstatements are based on the amount of time the license has been inactive:

• When license is inactive for up to 12 months
• More than 12 months after the license's inactive date
• Reinstatement of restricted license

Reinstating When License Is Inactive for Up to One Year

To reinstate a license that has been inactive for up to one year, licensee must do the following:

• Submit an application for reinstatement to the board
• Provide documentation of completion of Category 1 continuing medical education (CME), training for identifying and reporting abuse to children and/or dependent adults, chronic pain management training, and end-of-life training, if applicable
• Submit the reinstatement fee.

The number of CMEs required to reinstate a license would be the same amount that would have been required on the most recent license renewal.  No hours earned in the inactive period may be carried over to a future license period.  Training for identifying and reporting child abuse or dependent adult abuse is required every five years of physicians who provide primary care to adults and/or children.  Click here to read about Training for Identifying and Reporting Abuse of Children and/or Dependent Adults.

The board requires physicians who provide primary care to patients to complete 2 hours each of Category 1 credits for Chronic Pain Management and End-of-Life Care every five years. These requirements became effective August 17, 2011. Physicians who had permanent Iowa licenses on August 17, 2011, have until August 17, 2016, to complete the training, and then once every five years thereafter. The board encourages physicians to pursue this CME credit as soon as possible. If a physician’s CME documentation is audited for cause or randomly after August 17, 2016, and there is no evidence they received the required CME prior to August 17, 2016, the physician would be in non-compliance with the administrative rule.

Upon receiving the completed application, staff may administratively reinstate the license and it will expire on the renewal date that would have been in effect if the licensee had renewed the license before the license expired.

The applicant who fails to submit all reinstatement information required within 365 days of the license's inactive date shall be required to meet the reinstatement requirements for licensees who have been inactive for more than twelve months.

Reinstating After License Is Inactive for More Than One Year

An individual whose license has been inactive for more than one year must do the following: 

• Submit an application for reinstatement to the board
• Submit the non-refundable fee, which includes a criminal history background check
• Provide documentation of completion of 40 hours of Category 1 CME within the previous two years
• Provide documentation of completion of training for identifying and reporting abuse of children and/or dependent adults, chronic pain management, and end-of-life training, if applicable
• Verify other state licenses and any new post-graduate training since the licensee was originally licensed
• If the physician has not engaged in active practice in the past three years in any jurisdiction of the United States or Canada, the board may require the applicant to:
  • Successfully pass a competency evaluation approved by the board
  • Successfully pass SPEX, COMVEX-USA, or another examination approved by the board
  • Successfully complete a retraining program arranged by the physician and approved in advance by the board
• An individual who is able to submit a letter from the board with different reinstatement or reactivation criteria is eligible for reinstatement based on those criteria.

Licenses expired more than five years are considered relinquished and shall not be reinstated, reissued, or restored. For more information, please go to the Relinquished Licenses page.

Reinstatement of Restricted License

A physician whose license has been suspended or revoked following a disciplinary proceeding is required to seek reinstatement pursuant to 653.26 (17A).

Read about the fee for a reinstatement application.

How to Apply for Reinstatement

A physician whose license has been inactive for under 12 months can complete the reinstatement application through the board’s online services.

A physician whose license has been inactive for over 12 months can find instructions for completing the application by going to the Applying for License page on our website.