How to Apply for an Iowa Substitute Teaching License

To be licensed as an Iowa substitute teacher, you must have completed a teacher education program from a regionally accredited institution.

If you have a current Iowa teaching license, you may substitute teach on that license.

However, if your license is about to expire or has expired, you may want to apply for a substitute teaching license rather than renew your teaching license. A substitute license will allow you to substitute teach without having to take the multiple renewal credits required for renewal of a regular teaching license.  The substitute license, however, doesn't let you fill a part-time or full-time contracted position if one should become available.  Nevertheless,  you can teach up to 90 days in any one assignment, on any grade level, and in any subject with a substitute license.

Once you have your substitute teaching license, you will have to renew it in 5 years.  After that, you may renew every five years for as long as you like.

To switch from a teaching license to a substitute teaching license all you have to do is download the application for a substitute teaching license  from the Iowa Department of Education's Board of Educational Examiner's website, print it, fill it out . Then, mail it in with a $85.00 check or money order (not cash) to the Board of Educational Examiners, Licensure, Grimes State Office Building, 400 E. 14th St., Des Moines, IA 50319-0147.

Be sure  you have your folder number to place on the application. This folder number is on your Iowa Teaching License or can be obtained from the Iowa Department of  Education's Board of Education Examiner's website.