Pet care | Iowa | Licensing updates
Iowa Proposes a Chapter 67 Animal-Welfare Rewrite
Iowa's proposed rules address emergency plans, animal records, vaccinations, sanitation, grooming, training, and daycare—but the rewrite is not yet final.
- Continue following the current Chapter 67 until an official adoption and effective date are published.
- Build a current-versus-proposed matrix for emergency planning, records, vaccinations, and sanitation.
- Retain clear owner, animal, stay, service, illness, treatment, and vaccine documentation.
- Watch the Iowa Administrative Bulletin for final adoption and any changes from the draft.
Published: 2026-09-01 · Reviewed: 2026-09-01
Official context
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship published a proposed rescission and readoption of 21 Iowa Administrative Code Chapter 67 in the July 8, 2026 Iowa Administrative Bulletin. Comments and the public hearing were scheduled for July 29. The proposal reaches boarding kennels, commercial kennels, groomers, trainers, dog daycare facilities, shelters, pounds, and other regulated animal establishments. As of this September 1 review, the official materials located still identify the rewrite as proposed rather than adopted and effective.
What this means
The draft would require a documented emergency or disaster contingency plan, 12-month records for each animal boarded, groomed, or trained, vaccination or veterinarian-exemption documentation, and cleaning and sanitizing of grooming and training equipment between animals owned by different people. It also contains dog-daycare screening and operational standards. Some themes already appear in Iowa's current framework, so operators should compare current text with the proposal instead of assuming every sentence is entirely new or already enforceable.
Official sources
- https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/aco/bulletin/07-08-2026.pdf
- https://www.legis.iowa.gov/law/administrativeRules/rules?agency=21&chapter=67&pubDate=01-21-2026
Licensing & Industry Updates is an educational summary of official public communications. It is not legal advice, and filing decisions should be checked against the current board page or rule text.