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Strawberry Point Today
By the People, for the People
Iowa Considers Fully Online Hunter Safety Courses
House proposal would make in-person field days optional for young hunters
Jan. 29, 2026 at 7:47pm
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A bill in the Iowa House would allow young hunters to obtain safety certification through fully online courses, eliminating the current requirement for an in-person field day. The proposal is aimed at making hunter education more accessible for families in rural areas, though some officials warn it could impact reciprocity with other states.
Why it matters
Iowa's current hunter safety program requires either in-person classes or a combination of online coursework and an in-person field day. This proposal seeks to remove barriers for families in remote areas to complete the training, but raises concerns about potential impacts on hunter safety standards and interstate reciprocity.
The details
House File 2020, filed by Rep. Jason Gearhart, R-Strawberry Point, would allow hunter safety certification to be obtained through an online course offered or approved by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The bill also adds language allowing certification from "nationally recognized organizations, including the National Rifle Association." The Iowa DNR has not taken an official stance on the bill, but has expressed concerns that removing the in-person field day requirement could affect reciprocity agreements with other states.
- The bill advanced from a House subcommittee on Monday, January 30, 2026.
The players
Rep. Jason Gearhart
The Republican representative from Strawberry Point who filed the bill to allow fully online hunter safety courses in Iowa.
Tammie Krausman
The communications director for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, who expressed concerns that the bill's language could impact Iowa's reciprocity agreements with other states on hunter safety certifications.
What they’re saying
“'So we accept it from other states, I just feel like we should offer the same and make the field day optional.'”
— Rep. Jason Gearhart, State Representative
“'We want to make sure we have really good hunters out there with good ethics.'”
— Tammie Krausman, Communications Director, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
What’s next
The bill will now move forward in the Iowa legislative process, with potential amendments or further debate on the in-person field day requirement.
The takeaway
This proposal highlights the tension between increasing accessibility to hunter safety training and maintaining high safety standards. As more states explore online options, Iowa will need to carefully weigh the benefits and risks to ensure its hunter education program continues to produce responsible, ethical hunters.