Iowa Law Guide • Updated November 2026
Iowa Radon Testing Requirements: Who Has to Test, and When.
Iowa has the highest radon levels in the country, but the rules about who must test are narrower than most people think. Here is what the law actually requires for home sales, new construction, child care centers, schools, rentals, and homeowners.
Schedule a Certified TestRequirements at a Glance
Only two situations in Iowa carry a legal duty to test: licensed child care centers and public schools. Home sales are governed by a disclosure law, new construction by a building requirement, and everything else by public health guidance. The table below sorts it out; the sections that follow give the details and the code sections behind each one.
Selling a home
Disclosure only
Iowa Code 558A
Sellers must disclose known test results and hand over the state fact sheet. No test is required to sell.
Buying a home
Not required
Buyer’s choice
No law requires it, but the test is normally ordered by the buyer during the inspection period.
Building a new home
Passive system, no test
HF 2297
New single- and two-family homes need a passive radon system. The law does not require a test.
Licensed child care center
Test required
441 IAC 109.11
Test within one year of opening. Confirmed results above 4.0 pCi/L require a mitigation plan.
Public school
Test required
Iowa Code 280.32
Every attendance center tested by July 1, 2027, then at least every five years.
Rental property
Not required
No statewide rule
Des Moines is studying a rental-certificate requirement. Nothing is in force as of November 2026.
Existing homeowner
Recommended
Iowa HHS and EPA guidance
No legal requirement. Every public health agency recommends testing, and retesting every two years.
Home Sales: Disclosure, Not Testing
Iowa does not require a radon test to sell a home. What it requires is honesty about what the seller already knows. Iowa Code chapter 558A, the residential property disclosure law, together with Iowa Code 543B.9 and 543B.18 and Iowa Administrative Code 193E chapter 14, requires a seller to disclose any known radon test results, including the date of the last report and what it showed.
The seller must also give the buyer the Iowa Radon Home Buyers and Sellers Fact Sheet published by Iowa HHS. Both parties acknowledge the fact sheet on the disclosure statement. The disclosure is due before an offer is made or accepted, not at closing.
If the home has never been tested, there is nothing to disclose, which is why the test is almost always ordered by the buyer during the inspection period. A certified 48-hour test fits inside a standard inspection window, and the report is formatted for the disclosure statement if the home is sold again later.
New Construction: A Pipe, Not a Test
House File 2297, signed May 19, 2026 and effective July 1, 2026, requires every newly constructed single-family and two-family home in Iowa to include a passive radon mitigation system. The law is a construction requirement. It does not require anyone to test the finished home.
That gap matters. A passive system with no fan typically cuts radon by a third to a half, which in Iowa soil is often not enough to get below the EPA action level of 4.0 pCi/L. The only way a new-home buyer knows whether the pipe needs a fan is to test after move-in.
HF 2297 Explained →Where Testing Is Required
Two kinds of buildings in Iowa must test by law: licensed child care centers and public schools.
Iowa Administrative Code 441-109.11
Licensed child care centers
- 1.Applies to licensed centers that operate at ground level, use a basement as program space, or have a basement beneath their program space.
- 2.Testing must be completed within one year of opening, following a nationally recognized radon measurement protocol.
- 3.If confirmed results exceed 4.0 pCi/L, the center must develop radon mitigation procedures.
- 4.Iowa HHS guidance has called for retesting every two years. Confirm the current retest cycle with your licensing consultant before your next inspection.
- 5.Before-school, after-school, and summer-only programs that serve school-age children inside a public school building follow the school rule below instead.
Iowa Code 280.32 (HF 2412)
Public schools
- 1.The Gail Orcutt School Radon Safety Act requires every public school attendance center to be tested at least once by July 1, 2027.
- 2.After the first round, each building must be retested at least once every five years.
- 3.Results must be posted on the school district website.
- 4.A result above 4.0 pCi/L requires the district to hire an Iowa-credentialed radon mitigation specialist.
- 5.Private schools are exempt from the testing requirement.
Rentals: Nothing Statewide, One City Studying It
Iowa has no statewide radon testing requirement for rental housing. Landlords are not required to test, and tenants have no statutory right to a test result.
In May 2026 the Des Moines City Council voted to direct city staff to study adding radon testing, and mitigation where levels are high, to the city's rental certificate program. As of November 2026 that is a study and a pending staff recommendation, not an ordinance. If it is adopted, it would apply only inside Des Moines city limits. We will update this page when the council acts.
Renters who want to know their level can test with a kit or hire a certified tester, and landlords in the Des Moines metro who want to get ahead of a possible requirement can start with a single certified radon test per building.
Existing Homeowners: Recommended, Not Required
No Iowa law requires a homeowner to test a house they already live in. Iowa HHS, the EPA, the American Lung Association, and the U.S. Surgeon General all recommend that every home be tested, and EPA guidance calls for retesting every two years and after major renovations or any change in which floors of the home are lived in.
Every one of Iowa's 99 counties is in EPA Zone 1, and the state's average indoor level is several times the national average. See how your county compares on our Iowa radon levels by county page. If a test comes back high, radon mitigation in Des Moines and the surrounding metro is a one-day job with a guaranteed result.
Who Is Allowed to Perform the Test
Homeowners may test their own home with a do-it-yourself kit. Anyone who performs radon testing for others for compensation in Iowa must be certified by Iowa HHS as a radon measurement specialist under Iowa Code chapter 136B. The same chapter credentials the mitigation specialists who install systems.
That certification is what a real estate transaction, a child care license, or a school compliance file relies on. A kit result from the homeowner is fine for peace of mind, but it will not satisfy a licensing consultant or a buyer's lender.
Iowa HHS publishes the list of certified measurement and mitigation specialists by county, and the Iowa Radon Hotline is 1-800-383-5992.
Sources
- Iowa Code chapter 558A (residential property disclosure); Iowa Code 543B.9 and 543B.18; Iowa Administrative Code 193E chapter 14.
- Iowa HHS, Iowa Radon Home Buyers and Sellers Fact Sheet (rev. February 2020).
- House File 2297 (2026), passive radon systems in new residential construction, effective July 1, 2026.
- Iowa Administrative Code 441-109.11 (Iowa HHS child care center licensing, radon testing).
- Iowa Code 280.32 (House File 2412, Gail Orcutt School Radon Safety Act); Iowa HHS K-12 school radon page.
- Iowa Code chapter 136B (radon testing and mitigation credentialing).
- Des Moines City Council action of May 18, 2026 directing staff to study radon testing for rental certificates.
- U.S. EPA, A Citizen's Guide to Radon (testing and retesting guidance).
Iowa Testing Requirements: Common Questions
Does Iowa require a radon test to sell a house?
No. Iowa Code chapter 558A is a disclosure law. A seller who knows of a radon test on the property must disclose the date of the last report and its results, and must provide the Iowa Radon Home Buyers and Sellers Fact Sheet. If the home has never been tested, there is nothing to disclose. In practice the buyer orders a test during the inspection period.
Do daycares in Iowa have to test for radon?
Yes, licensed child care centers do. Under Iowa Administrative Code 441-109.11, a licensed center that operates at ground level, uses a basement as program space, or has a basement beneath its program space must test within one year of opening using a nationally recognized measurement protocol. Confirmed results above 4.0 pCi/L require the center to develop mitigation procedures. Iowa HHS guidance has called for retesting every two years, so confirm the current cycle with your licensing consultant.
When do Iowa schools have to test for radon?
Iowa Code 280.32, the Gail Orcutt School Radon Safety Act, requires every public school attendance center to be tested at least once by July 1, 2027, and at least once every five years after that. Results must be posted on the district website. If a result is above 4.0 pCi/L, the district must hire an Iowa-credentialed radon mitigation specialist. Private schools are exempt from the testing requirement.
Does the new Iowa radon law (HF 2297) require testing?
No. HF 2297, signed May 19, 2026 and effective July 1, 2026, requires a passive radon mitigation system in newly constructed single- and two-family homes. It says nothing about testing. A passive system on its own often is not enough in Iowa soil, so a test after move-in is the only way to know whether the system needs a fan.
Can I test my own home, or do I need a certified tester?
You may test your own home with a do-it-yourself kit. Anyone who performs radon testing for others for compensation in Iowa must be certified by Iowa HHS as a radon measurement specialist under Iowa Code chapter 136B. Real estate transactions, child care licensing, and school compliance all rely on a certified test. Iowa HHS publishes the list of certified specialists, and the Iowa Radon Hotline is 1-800-383-5992.
Required or not, the test is the only way to know.
Iowa-certified measurement, 48 to 72 hours on site, and a report formatted for disclosure, licensing, or your own records.