If you wish to report a COVID-19-related violation in a food business, please use the COVID-19 Violation in a Food Business Form. This form asks specific questions about COVID and is configured to be sent directly to the appropriate regulating authority.

Types of complaints or abuse to report to DIA:

• Health Facilities and Adult Abuse. Complaint about an Iowa nursing home, assisted living facility, residential care facility, intermediate care facility, hospital, ambulatory surgical center, rural health clinic, or other facility regulated by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, a staff member of one of these facilities, and/or specific instances of dependent adult abuse in an Iowa health facility or program;
• Food Businesses or Hotel. Report a non-COVID-related health or food code violation at an Iowa restaurant, bar, grocery or convenience store, food truck, or other food establishment (Click here to make a complaint regarding a COVID-related violation at a food establishment); or
• Administrative Law Judge. File a complaint about an administrative law judge who works for the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals.

Your name and personal information will be kept confidential to all but DIA staff who investigate your submission.

If you wish to report a COVID-19-related violation in a food business, please use the COVID-19 Violation in a Food Business Form. This form asks specific questions about COVID and is configured to be sent directly to the appropriate regulating authority.

If you have any photos or video that support your complaint, please upload them below.

Licenses, certifications, and registrations handled by DIA:

• Boarding home registration. Owners, operators, and managers of Iowa boarding homes.
• Direct Care Worker Registry. The registry is for Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs, sometimes referred to as Certified Nurse Aides) who work in long-term care facilities. 
• Food business or hotel license. Hotels and motels, bars, restaurants, farmer's markets, food processing plants and warehouses, mobile food trucks, vending machines, unattended food establishments, home bakeries, convenience and grocery stores, events, and temporary food establishments. The department also offers certificates of free sale.
• Health facility licenses and certificates. Residential care facilities, nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities for persons with intellectual disabilities, intermediate care facilities for persons with mental illness, hospices, psychiatric mental institutions for children, hospitals, assisted living programs and assisted living programs for people with dementia.
• Nursing home activity director certificate.
• Social or charitable gambling license. Games of skill or chance, raffles, bingo, social gambling, amusement concessions, and amusement devices. 

Many records are accessible online via DIA's online databases and do not require that you complete this form:

• Health facility reports
• Routine restaurant and other food business inspections

Your records request will normally be fulfilled within 10 business days. However, in some cases, these requests may take longer than usual. We will do our best to reply in a timely manner and will communicate with you about the reason for any possible delay. Thank you for your understanding.

If your request will take longer than three staff hours to fulfill, there may be a cost to you. If it is estimated that your request will incur a charge, we will communicate that to you prior to working on the request, including the estimated cost. We can work with you to try to narrow the scope of your request in order to eliminate the possibility of an incurred cost.

Records requests may also be made by phone, fax or mail, or in person.

Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals
321 E. 12th Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0083
T: 515.281.7102
F: 515.281.6863

DIA's Administrative Hearings Division provides independent administrative law judges to make decisions regarding disputes primarily between private citizens and government agencies. The department strives to fairly and impartially decide cases, consistent with the law and in an efficient and professional manner.

Administrative Hearing Proceedings DIA Does Not Handle

If you are inquiring about unemployment insurance or an unemployment insurance appeal, you will need to visit the Iowa Workforce Development website. Information about first- and second-level appeals can be found on this website.