Contractor License from Illinois to Arkansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
No — Arkansas has no reciprocity or endorsement path for Illinois contractor license holders. You must apply to the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board (Dept. of Labor and Licensing) as a new applicant and meet Arkansas's full licensing requirements, including any exams it requires that you have not already passed. Arkansas's electrical, plumbing, and HVAC licenses are handled separately; choose your trade in the checker.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Full re-application
Arkansas's general contractor agreement covers only Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee; Illinois is not among them and Arkansas has no endorsement path, so this move is a new application to the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board (Dept. of Labor and Licensing): plan for Arkansas's own exams and any education, bond and insurance it requires, with your Illinois credentials and experience counting only where its rules credit them. Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board; a completed reciprocal form substitutes for the Arkansas Business & Law exam if the license was held 1+ year in the listed state. Arkansas's electrical, plumbing, and HVAC licensing runs separately, on its own terms — select your trade in the checker.
What changes, Illinois → Arkansas
| Illinois (current) | Arkansas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | General contractor fee: none at state level — general contractor licensing is local, so the city or county sets any fee | $100 (ACLB commercial/Residential-Builder license filing fee is $100 per the board's application (Residential Remodeler/Home Improvement $50); electrical, plumbing, and HVAC/R licenses carry separate agency fees not captured.) |
| Processing time | None at state level — set by the local authority | Not stated on official pages |
| Licensing authority | General contracting: licensed locally (city or county); trade licenses: Illinois Department of Public Health — Plumbing Program (general contractors are licensed municipally) | Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board (Dept. of Labor and Licensing); trades via the Board of Electrical Examiners, HVAC/R Licensing Board, and Dept. of Health plumbing program |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Arkansas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Review Arkansas's initial-licensure requirements on the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board (Dept. of Labor and Licensing) website (linked below): it has no reciprocity or endorsement path for your Illinois license in this trade.
- Expect to meet Arkansas's education/experience requirements and pass its exams as a new applicant — prior out-of-state licensure can count toward experience.
- Submit the standard (new applicant) application to the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board (Dept. of Labor and Licensing) with the fees it sets for this license.
- Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC licensing in Arkansas runs separately, on its own terms: use the checker with your trade selected.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Arkansas accept an Illinois contractor license?
No — Arkansas has no reciprocity or endorsement path for Illinois contractor license holders. You must apply to the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board (Dept. of Labor and Licensing) as a new applicant and meet Arkansas's full licensing requirements, including any exams it requires that you have not already passed. Arkansas's electrical, plumbing, and HVAC licenses are handled separately; choose your trade in the checker.
What still applies even if reciprocity covers my trade?
Arkansas's business and law exam, financial statement, bond, and registration — reciprocity waives the trade exam only, not these.
What does the Illinois-to-Arkansas move cost and how long does it take?
The figures on file for Arkansas may cover its trade licenses rather than a general contractor application, so confirm the general contractor fee with the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board (Dept. of Labor and Licensing): $100 (ACLB commercial/Residential-Builder license filing fee is $100 per the board's application (Residential Remodeler/Home Improvement $50); electrical, plumbing, and HVAC/R licenses carry separate agency fees not captured.) Processing time: Not stated on official pages.
Would the NASCLA exam help for this move?
Possibly — NASCLA accredited exams replace the trade exam only in participating states, and this site has not verified that Arkansas is one. Check on the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board (Dept. of Labor and Licensing) site.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board — Reciprocal Form (AL, TN, LA, MS, NC; 1 year held; substitutes for Business & Law exam) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Arkansas Electrical Inspection and Licensing — reciprocal agreements (journeyman 16 states; master IA/ND/OR/TX; original license only) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Arkansas HVAC/R (Dept. of Labor and Licensing) — no reciprocal agreements with any other state ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Arkansas Dept. of Health — Plumbing & Natural Gas (discretionary substantially-similar recognition, no formal reciprocity) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Illinois Department of Public Health — Plumbing (licensing, forms; reciprocity form is Chicago-only) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Illinois IDFPR — Roofing Contractors (no reciprocity provision) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]