Iowa certificate of need
Iowa has a certificate of need program, run by Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (CON program staff and State Health Facilities Council). It covers 6 kinds of services, listed below.
- CON program
- Yes
- Services covered
- 6
On this page
Iowa CON program
Iowa has a certificate of need program, run by Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (CON program staff and State Health Facilities Council). It covers 6 kinds of services, listed below.
- CON program
- Yes
- Program
- Certificate of Need
- Agency
- Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (CON program staff and State Health Facilities Council)
- Application fee
- 0.3% of anticipated project cost, minimum $600, maximum $21,000. Partial refunds on voluntary withdrawal (75% within 30 days, 50% within 60 days, 25% after). ICF/ID and ICF for persons with mental illness applicants are exempt from the fee.
- Review timeline
- Department checks the application within 15 business days of receipt and completes formal review within 90 days after accepting it; failure to decide on time counts as a denial and final agency action (Iowa Code 135.68).
- Recent changes
- The CON subchapter was amended by 2023 Acts ch. 16, 2024 Acts ch. 1012 and 2025 Acts ch. 43, and was transferred back into chapter 135 from §10A.711 in Code 2026 (2025 Acts ch. 120). Residential care facilities are excluded from CON.
- Statute
- Iowa Code §§135.61–135.73 (Code 2026)
Services that need a certificate of need
- hospitals
- health care facilities as defined in Iowa Code 135C.1 (nursing facilities, ICF/ID, ICF for persons with mental illness)
- organized outpatient health facilities
- ambulatory surgical centers
- community mental health facilities
- new or relocated institutional health facilities and changed institutional health services, including mobile health services
Frequently asked questions
Does Iowa have a certificate of need law?
Iowa has a certificate of need program, run by Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (CON program staff and State Health Facilities Council). It covers 6 kinds of services, listed below.
How long does a Iowa CON review take?
Department checks the application within 15 business days of receipt and completes formal review within 90 days after accepting it; failure to decide on time counts as a denial and final agency action (Iowa Code 135.68).
How much is a Iowa CON application?
0.3% of anticipated project cost, minimum $600, maximum $21,000. Partial refunds on voluntary withdrawal (75% within 30 days, 50% within 60 days, 25% after). ICF/ID and ICF for persons with mental illness applicants are exempt from the fee.