Contractor License from Illinois to Vermont: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety (electricians and plumbers); Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation (residential contractor registration) ↗
A contractor license transfers from Illinois to Vermont by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety (electricians and plumbers); Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation (residential contractor registration), verify your Illinois license, and meet Vermont's endorsement requirements. Vermont has no state general-contractor license — residential contractors merely register with the Secretary of State's Office of Professional Regulation, with no exam and therefore nothing to reciprocate. The Division of Fire Safety licenses electricians and plumbers statewide, and both boards issue licenses without the Vermont examination on two routes: a bilateral reciprocal license for residents of Maine or New Hampshire (electrical), and a 'universal license' for anyone currently licensed outside Vermont at a level equal to the Vermont credential sought, supported by a certified letter of licensure from the issuing state..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Vermont does not have a trade agreement covering Illinois for the selected trade, so this move runs on Vermont's case-by-case endorsement process. If you do commercial general-building work, check whether Vermont accepts the NASCLA exam — passing it once can replace the trade exam here and in about fourteen other states. Electricians should check Vermont's NERA status.
What changes, Illinois → Vermont
| Illinois (current) | Vermont (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | No reciprocity/endorsement fee exists because there is no reciprocity path; standard plumber licensing fees apply and were not captured. | $90–$150 (Division of Fire Safety trade licenses are 3-year: Electrical Master $150, Electrical Journeyman $115, Electrical Specialist $115 per field; Plumbing Master $120, Plumbing Journeyman $90, Plumbing Specialist $50 per field. Exam fees are not included in the application. The separate OPR residential-contractor registration carries its own fee, which is published only behind OPR's online fee page and is not asserted here.) |
| Processing time | Not applicable — no reciprocity path. | No week range is published. Applications must be postmarked or delivered to the Division of Fire Safety two weeks before the board meeting date or they are held for a later agenda, and incomplete applications are returned. |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Public Health — Plumbing Program (general contractors are licensed municipally) | Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety (electricians and plumbers); Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation (residential contractor registration) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Vermont sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Vermont's current requirements on the Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety (electricians and plumbers); Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation (residential contractor registration) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety (electricians and plumbers); Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation (residential contractor registration) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Submit a certified letter of licensure from the issuing state — a photocopy of the license alone is not accepted.
- Maine and New Hampshire bilateral electrical reciprocity is limited to residents of those states; applicants from elsewhere use the universal-license route.
- Universal-license plumbers must document the apprenticeship or schooling required for the out-of-state license plus 8,000 hours (journeyman) or 12,000 hours (master) of experience.
- File the application at the Division of Fire Safety two weeks before the licensing board meeting, signed and notarized.
- Residential contractors on work valued at $10,000 or more must separately register with the Secretary of State's OPR, carry liability insurance and use a written contract.
- Pay the fees ($90–$150 (Division of Fire Safety trade licenses are 3-year: Electrical Master $150, Electrical Journeyman $115, Electrical Specialist $115 per field; Plumbing Master $120, Plumbing Journeyman $90, Plumbing Specialist $50 per field. Exam fees are not included in the application. The separate OPR residential-contractor registration carries its own fee, which is published only behind OPR's online fee page and is not asserted here.)) and allow No week range is published. Applications must be postmarked or delivered to the Division of Fire Safety two weeks before the board meeting date or they are held for a later agenda, and incomplete applications are returned..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Vermont accept a Illinois contractor license?
A contractor license transfers from Illinois to Vermont by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety (electricians and plumbers); Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation (residential contractor registration), verify your Illinois license, and meet Vermont's endorsement requirements. Vermont has no state general-contractor license — residential contractors merely register with the Secretary of State's Office of Professional Regulation, with no exam and therefore nothing to reciprocate. The Division of Fire Safety licenses electricians and plumbers statewide, and both boards issue licenses without the Vermont examination on two routes: a bilateral reciprocal license for residents of Maine or New Hampshire (electrical), and a 'universal license' for anyone currently licensed outside Vermont at a level equal to the Vermont credential sought, supported by a certified letter of licensure from the issuing state..
What still applies even if reciprocity covers my trade?
Vermont's business and law exam, financial statement, bond, and registration — reciprocity waives the trade exam only, not these.
What does the Illinois-to-Vermont move cost and how long does it take?
$90–$150 (Division of Fire Safety trade licenses are 3-year: Electrical Master $150, Electrical Journeyman $115, Electrical Specialist $115 per field; Plumbing Master $120, Plumbing Journeyman $90, Plumbing Specialist $50 per field. Exam fees are not included in the application. The separate OPR residential-contractor registration carries its own fee, which is published only behind OPR's online fee page and is not asserted here.); processing No week range is published. Applications must be postmarked or delivered to the Division of Fire Safety two weeks before the board meeting date or they are held for a later agenda, and incomplete applications are returned..
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 Vermont is one on the Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety (electricians and plumbers); Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation (residential contractor registration) site.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- VT Division of Fire Safety — Electrician License Application (Master $150 / Journeyman $115 / Specialist $115; Maine and New Hampshire residents only; universal-license route) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- VT Division of Fire Safety — Instructions for Applying for a Vermont Electrical License (fees; two-week pre-meeting filing deadline) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- VT Division of Fire Safety — Plumbers License Application Instructions (Master $120 / Journeyman $90 / Specialist $50; universal-license route and hour requirements) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- VT Secretary of State OPR — Residential Contractors, Apply or Renew ($10,000 threshold, liability insurance, written contract, registration not licensure) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 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 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]