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Professional Licensing in Illinois
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (“IDFPR”) serves as the regulatory backbone in the Land of Lincoln, licensing and regulating more than 1.2 million professionals across more than 100 various professions. This webpage will provide an outline of what’s needed to become licensed in your chosen field. Learn more about the future of professional licensing in Illinois here.
NOTE: If you are a Architect, Barber, Clinical & Prescribing Psychologist, Cosmetologist, Marriage & Family Therapist, Nail Technician, Salon Shop, Pharmacist, Pharmacy Technician, Physician, Professional Counselor, Professional Engineer, Registered Nurse, Social Worker, and Licensed Practical Nurse looking to reactivate your license, please click here for specific instructions.
Types of Applications
Before you begin working on your application, please make sure you’ve selected the right type. The types of professional license applications available are:
- New Applications – applicants applying for first-time licensure in Illinois.
- Renewal Applications – applicants with an Illinois license(s) who must renew their active license to remain in active status. If your license is expired or inactive, this option is not available to you.
- Endorsement Applications – applicant who is applying for Illinois licensure and is already actively licensed in another state.
Paper Application Workflow
- Restoration Applications – applicants seeking to reactivate their license to active status due to a disciplinary issue or whose license lapsed more than three or five years ago (depending on their profession).
- You may request a Restoration from Disciplinary Status by completing and submitting this application.
- For Chiropractic Physician, Optometrist, Optometrist Controlled Substance, Perfusionist, Physician, Physician Controlled Substance, and Physician Assistant licensees seeking to reinstate their license from inactive status or not renewed status that has been lapsed more than three years, you may request an application by going here.
- For all other professions regulated by the Division of Professional Regulation seeking to reinstate a license from inactive or not renewed status that has been lapsed more than five years, you may request an application by going here.
- Reinstatement Applications – applicants seeking to reactivate their Illinois license that was allowed to expire or was inactivated by the professional within the last three or five years (depending on their profession).
- For Chiropractic Physician, Optometrist, Optometrist Controlled Substance, Perfusionist, Physician, Physician Controlled Substance, and Physician Assistant licensees seeking to reinstate their license from inactive status or not renewed status that has been lapsed less than three years, you may request an application by going here.
- For all other professions regulated by the Division of Professional Regulation seeking to reinstate a license from inactive or not renewed status that has been lapsed less than five years, you may request an application by going here.
- Certification of Licensure Applications – applicants with an Illinois license(s) who are seeking certification documents that they are actively or have been licensed in Illinois as part of the professional licensure process in another state. You may request a license certification by completing these steps.
- Deficiency Notice Responses – additional materials that were not included with one of the application types listed above.
While most professionals may submit new applications and renewal applications by creating an account on our online portal, some applications must be printed and mailed to IDFPR. Those applications and additional resources may be found on each profession’s webpage. A complete list of those industry webpages may be found here.
Submitting Your Application
We ask that you print and keep this checklist handy while completing your application. Doing so will help ensure your application is completed and submitted correctly. Your application will be reviewed and approved (if all requirements are met) as soon as possible.
Starting June 4, 2024, as part of a pilot program, professionals in select professions will be able to submit payments for their paper applications online using ePay. Learn more about this process here.
If you submit your license application via the online portal, be sure to check your portal account for updates to the status of your application. Status updates will include:
- If your application is currently being worked or is pending review,
- If your license has been issued, or
- If your application has deficiencies that must be met before your license is issued.
- In Illinois, a criminal conviction is NOT an automatic bar to licensure. As part of the application process, applicants do not need to disclose sealed and expunged convictions to IDFPR. Learn more in our informational guide.
If you need assistance with your online account, please contact IDFPR’s call center at 1-800-560-6420.
Application Checklist Video
After Your Application is Submitted
Once IDFPR receives an application for professional licensure, it is reviewed in the order received by the Department. Professional licenses will be issued once the Department reviews an application and confirms all required materials have been submitted and all requirements for licensure have been met. IDFPR will submit deficiency notices to applicants if required material is not included in the application or if a requirement for licensure is not met. Once IDFPR receives and reviews materials that were deficient, the professional license will be issued.
Applicants for licensure may also request to authorize individuals or companies to contact IDFPR on your behalf regarding your application. You may do so by completing and submitting this form. Please note, this form does require notarization. Find a list of electronic notarization system providers from the Illinois Secretary of State’s office by going here.
IDFPR may issue a letter requesting more information or an Intent to Deny (ITD) when a criminal conviction is discovered or if an applicant was disciplined by their profession in another state. Learn more about this process and the steps you should take if you receive an ITD or a letter requesting information about your background here. If you received an order denying your licensure and you want to know what your licensure options are, please email FPR.ITD@illinois.gov. This email inbox is only for ITD inquiries. All other emails sent to this email address will be disregarded.
