Contractor License from Illinois to Nevada: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Nevada State Contractors Board ↗
A contractor license transfers from Illinois to Nevada by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Nevada State Contractors Board, verify your Illinois license, and meet Nevada's endorsement requirements. Licensure by endorsement waives the Nevada state-specific trade examination and the experience-certification requirement for applicants licensed (with the same qualified individual) for the past four years in an equivalency-chart state; the Nevada Business and Law examination is still required. The waiver is classification-specific per each state equivalency chart, and some classifications still require the Nevada trade exam..
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Nevada does not have a trade agreement covering Illinois for the selected trade, so this move runs on Nevada's case-by-case endorsement process. If you do commercial general-building work, check whether Nevada accepts the NASCLA exam — passing it once can replace the trade exam here and in about fourteen other states. Electricians should check Nevada's NERA status.
What changes, Illinois → Nevada
| Illinois (current) | Nevada (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | No reciprocity/endorsement fee exists because there is no reciprocity path; standard plumber licensing fees apply and were not captured. | Application/investigation fee is published on the board Forms and Applications page; bond and financial review additional. Not captured here to avoid an unverified figure. |
| Processing time | Not applicable — no reciprocity path. | Not published as a fixed range. |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Public Health — Plumbing Program (general contractors are licensed municipally) | Nevada State Contractors Board |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Nevada sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Nevada's current requirements on the Nevada State Contractors Board website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Nevada State Contractors Board (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold an active license with the same qualified individual in the endorsing state for the past four (4) years.
- No license revocation, discipline, or pending proceedings in any jurisdiction.
- Have the endorsing state complete the Request for Verification of License form.
- Pass the Nevada Business and Law examination.
- Provide a financial statement and bond appropriate to the license limit.
- Pay the fees (Application/investigation fee is published on the board Forms and Applications page; bond and financial review additional. Not captured here to avoid an unverified figure.) and allow Not published as a fixed range..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Nevada accept a Illinois contractor license?
A contractor license transfers from Illinois to Nevada by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Nevada State Contractors Board, verify your Illinois license, and meet Nevada's endorsement requirements. Licensure by endorsement waives the Nevada state-specific trade examination and the experience-certification requirement for applicants licensed (with the same qualified individual) for the past four years in an equivalency-chart state; the Nevada Business and Law examination is still required. The waiver is classification-specific per each state equivalency chart, and some classifications still require the Nevada trade exam..
What still applies even if reciprocity covers my trade?
Nevada's business and law exam, financial statement, bond, and registration — reciprocity waives the trade exam only, not these.
What does the Illinois-to-Nevada move cost and how long does it take?
Application/investigation fee is published on the board Forms and Applications page; bond and financial review additional. Not captured here to avoid an unverified figure.; processing Not published as a fixed range..
Would the NASCLA exam help for this move?
If you do commercial general-building work, possibly — about 15 states accept the NASCLA Accredited Commercial General Building exam toward licensure. Check whether Nevada is one on the Nevada State Contractors Board site.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Nevada State Contractors Board - Licensure by Endorsement ↗ (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 Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]