How Many Renewal Credits Do Iowa Teachers Need?

The short answer: Iowa Standard Teaching License holders need 6 License Renewal Credits (LRCs) every five years. Master Educator, Professional Administrator, and Professional Service license holders need 4 LRCs. Teachers with a Specialist or Doctoral degree holding a Master Educator or Professional Administrator license need only 2 LRCs.

But the number of credits is only part of the picture. Iowa has specific rules about what types of credits count, how an Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) can reduce your credit load, and what else is required at renewal beyond the credits themselves. This guide answers all of those questions so you can plan your renewal cycle without surprises.

Iowa Renewal Credits at a Glance

What Counts as a License Renewal Credit in Iowa

Iowa’s renewal system accepts only two categories of credits: college-level credits from regionally accredited institutions, and credits from Iowa-approved providers. This is more restrictive than many states, and it’s the most common source of confusion for Iowa teachers who have worked in other states or who assume their district’s professional development workshops count toward renewal.

College Credits (Graduate or Undergraduate)

Semester hours of credit from a regionally accredited college or university count directly toward Iowa renewal. Graduate credits are preferred if you also want to use the coursework for salary lane advancement, but undergraduate credits count equally for renewal purposes. The institution must hold institutional accreditation recognized by the U.S. Department of Education — this is the standard regional accreditation held by most colleges and universities. Credits for Teachers courses are issued through regionally accredited university partners and qualify for Iowa license renewal.

One credit hour equals approximately 15 hours of coursework. Six credits (the Standard Teaching License requirement) represents roughly 90 hours of coursework spread across a five-year renewal cycle — about 18 hours per year, or less than two hours per month.

Iowa-Approved Provider Credits

Iowa recognizes credits from a specific list of approved in-state providers: Iowa’s Area Education Agencies (AEAs), the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA), Professional Educators of Iowa (PEI), Iowa Safe Schools, Members Impacting Students: Improving Curriculum (MISC), and the School Administrators of Iowa (SAI). Credits from these organizations are specifically designed to meet Iowa’s renewal requirements and are commonly used by teachers who prefer locally organized professional development.

What Does NOT Count

Iowa explicitly does not accept “Professional Development Units” (PDUs) or similarly titled units from sources that are not college credits or approved Iowa providers. District-sponsored workshops, conference attendance, and online PD courses that award PDUs or contact hours — but not college credit — do not count toward Iowa license renewal. If you have been logging PD hours in a district system assuming they count toward renewal, verify with the BoEE before your renewal deadline.

Using an IPDP to Reduce Your Credit Requirement

Iowa allows teachers to use one Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) to satisfy up to half of their required renewal credits. For Standard Teaching License holders, that means one IPDP is worth three credits — reducing the college credit requirement from six to three. For Master Educator, Professional Administrator, and Professional Service license holders, one IPDP is worth two credits.

The IPDP is not a simple form. It must be completed in an Iowa school setting, signed by both the teacher and their evaluator, and must include specific goals, planned activities aligned to building and district goals and Iowa teaching standards, data collected during the plan period, and a reflection on how the goal impacted student learning. The plan must be completed after the issue date of your current license (or within five years if your license is expired). You upload the completed plan through the BoEE renewal portal when you submit your application.

The practical implication: if you use an IPDP, you only need three college credits (for a Standard Teaching License) instead of six. At $199 per credit through Credits for Teachers, that reduces your course cost from approximately $1,194 to $597 for the renewal cycle. However, the IPDP requires coordination with your evaluator and must be completed during the school year — it cannot be done retroactively. Start the conversation with your principal or supervisor early in your renewal cycle.

The Other Requirement: Mandatory Reporter Training

Renewal credits are not the only requirement for Iowa license renewal. Every Iowa educator must also complete Mandatory Reporter Training at each renewal, regardless of license type or how many renewal credits they have. Iowa law requires all mandatory reporters — which includes all licensed educators — to complete training on recognizing and reporting child abuse and dependent adult abuse.

The training is available online through the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services and typically takes one to two hours to complete. You will need to upload your completion certificate when submitting your renewal application through the BoEE portal. The portal will not allow you to submit your application without it. Complete this training well before your renewal deadline — it is easy to forget until the last minute, and a missed training can delay your renewal.

When Your Credits Must Be Earned

Iowa has specific rules about the timing of renewal credits. All credits must be earned after the issue date of your current license. Credits earned before your current license was issued do not count toward renewal, even if they were earned within the past five years. If your license has expired, credits must be no more than five years old at the time of renewal.

This rule catches some teachers off guard, particularly those who completed graduate coursework in the year or two before their license was renewed. If you took a course in 2021 and your license was issued in 2022, that 2021 course does not count toward your next renewal cycle. Check your current license issue date before enrolling in any course to confirm it will qualify.

Planning Your Five-Year Renewal Cycle

Six credits over five years is a manageable pace — roughly one to two credits per year. The most common approach is to complete two 3-credit courses over the renewal cycle, one in the first half and one in the second half. Teachers who also want to advance a salary lane typically add three to nine additional credits beyond the renewal requirement, pacing their coursework around their district’s lane submission deadlines.

If you plan to use an IPDP for half your credits, start the process in year one of your renewal cycle. The IPDP must be completed and signed before you can use it for renewal, and waiting until year four or five leaves no room for complications. Coordinate with your evaluator early, complete the plan during the school year, and keep a signed copy for your records.

The renewal portal opens 90 days before your license expiration date. Iowa recommends submitting at least 60 days before expiration to allow time to correct any issues. Set a calendar reminder 90 days before your expiration date to begin the submission process, and another reminder 60 days out as a hard deadline.

The Bottom Line

Iowa Standard Teaching License holders need 6 License Renewal Credits every five years. Master Educator, Professional Administrator, and Professional Service license holders need 4. An IPDP can cover half of those credits if you complete it in an Iowa school setting with your evaluator’s signature. All credits must come from regionally accredited institutions or approved Iowa providers — PDUs and generic contact hours do not qualify. And every renewal requires Mandatory Reporter Training, regardless of how many credits you have.

The renewal cycle is manageable with early planning. Confirm your license issue date before enrolling in any course, start your IPDP conversation with your evaluator in year one if you plan to use it, and don’t leave the Mandatory Reporter Training until the week before your deadline. Teachers who plan their renewal credits around their salary lane goals get double value from the same coursework.