Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-111.7
All applicants for any permit defined herein must possess adequate qualifications and experience and facilities to house and properly confine species held under the permit if applicable. Applicants are subject to the following standards:
| Standards/Publications | Association/Society Name |
| Minimum Standards for Wildlife Rehabilitation, Fourth Edition 2012 | International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IWRC) National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (NWRA) |
| Migratory Bird Permit Memorandum, MBPM-12, December 31, 2024 | Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) |
| Buhl G. Wildlife in Education: A Guide for the Care and Use of Program Animals. Second. Buhl G, Schlieps J, Smith L, editors. Bloomington, MN: National Wildlife Rehabilitation Association, 2018 | NWRA |
| Animal Welfare Act and Animal Welfare Regulations Blue Book, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, July 2023 | United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) |
| Arent, Lori, “Raptors in Captivity: Guidelines for Care and Management,” Hancock House, 2007 | FWS |
For scientific collectors permits, the applicant must certify to following the guidelines set forth by the organization’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee or the organization overseeing the research.
For education and rehabilitation permits, the applicant and officer will be provided the appropriate Permit Inspection Sheet based on the guidelines set forth by the appropriate governing body and the appropriate governing body’s permit resources.
If they are housing animals, wildlife rehabilitation and educational project applicants must provide a completed and signed Consulting Veterinarian Agreement on the form provided by the department from a licensed veterinarian that will provide professional counsel to the applicant. Applicants must list species or groups of species, such as but not limited to rabbits, squirrels, migratory birds, snakes or turtles, for which they will be providing rehabilitation services on the applicants’ permit application narrative.
The application narrative for an educational project permit must list the species and number of each species that will be held. Facilities for migratory birds must meet the design and size criteria set forth by the standards listed above.
If an applicant has been found in court to have committed an act of animal cruelty or neglect, the applicant shall not be eligible for a license for at least five years from the date of the conviction or guilty plea.
[ARC 0284D, IAB 5/13/26, effective 6/17/26]