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LicenseReciprocity

Transfer Your Contractor License to Illinois: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Illinois Department of Public Health — Plumbing Program (general contractors are licensed municipally) ↗

No — Illinois offers no contractor reciprocity of any kind. Every out-of-state contractor applies to the Illinois Department of Public Health — Plumbing Program (general contractors are licensed municipally) as a new licensee, completing its exams, financial, and bonding requirements regardless of trade. Application fee: No reciprocity/endorsement fee exists because there is no reciprocity path; standard plumber licensing fees apply and were not captured..

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Verdict

No reciprocity offered

The honest framing for Illinois: budget for a full application, not a transfer. Because Illinois recognizes no other state's contractor license, the productive move is to start early — pull the Illinois Department of Public Health — Plumbing Program (general contractors are licensed municipally)'s current requirements, book the exams, and get your financials and bond lined up before you need to bid. Your experience shortens the studying, not the checklist.

No state general contractor license — general contractors and electricians are licensed at the municipal level (e.g., Chicago). The only state-licensed trades are plumbing (IDPH) and roofing (IDFPR), neither of which offers interstate reciprocity; IDPH's only 'reciprocity' form is intrastate, for City of Chicago plumbers converting to the state license. Marked no_reciprocity because no trade offers interstate reciprocity.

Illinois requirements at a glance

Out-of-state contractor license transfer requirements for Illinois, verified 2026-07-21
ExamNo interstate reciprocity. The state plumbing license (Illinois Department of Public Health) offers only an intrastate path for City of Chicago licensees; there is no exam waiver for out-of-state plumbers. Roofing (IDFPR) and municipally-licensed general and electrical trades have no reciprocity.
Additional requirements
  • Pass the Illinois state plumbing licensing examination (no out-of-state exam waiver)
  • Complete a licensed apprenticeship of 48–72 months before licensure
  • Obtain any general contractor or electrical license from the local municipality (no state license)
  • Roofing contractors must separately hold an IDFPR roofing contractor license
FeesNo reciprocity/endorsement fee exists because there is no reciprocity path; standard plumber licensing fees apply and were not captured.
Processing timeNot applicable — no reciprocity path.

Step by step

  1. Confirm Illinois's current requirements on the Illinois Department of Public Health — Plumbing Program (general contractors are licensed municipally) website — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Illinois Department of Public Health — Plumbing Program (general contractors are licensed municipally).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
  4. Pass the Illinois state plumbing licensing examination (no out-of-state exam waiver).
  5. Complete a licensed apprenticeship of 48–72 months before licensure.
  6. Obtain any general contractor or electrical license from the local municipality (no state license).
  7. Roofing contractors must separately hold an IDFPR roofing contractor license.
  8. Pay the fees (No reciprocity/endorsement fee exists because there is no reciprocity path; standard plumber licensing fees apply and were not captured.) and allow Not applicable — no reciprocity path..

Official links

Illinois Department of Public Health — Plumbing Program (general contractors are licensed municipally) ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Illinois:

Alabama → IllinoisAlaska → IllinoisArizona → IllinoisArkansas → IllinoisCalifornia → IllinoisColorado → IllinoisConnecticut → IllinoisDelaware → IllinoisDistrict of Columbia → IllinoisFlorida → IllinoisGeorgia → IllinoisHawaii → IllinoisIdaho → IllinoisIndiana → IllinoisIowa → IllinoisKansas → IllinoisKentucky → IllinoisLouisiana → IllinoisMaine → IllinoisMaryland → Illinois
All 50 origin states
Massachusetts → IllinoisMichigan → IllinoisMinnesota → IllinoisMississippi → IllinoisMissouri → IllinoisMontana → IllinoisNebraska → IllinoisNevada → IllinoisNew Hampshire → IllinoisNew Jersey → IllinoisNew Mexico → IllinoisNew York → IllinoisNorth Carolina → IllinoisNorth Dakota → IllinoisOhio → IllinoisOklahoma → IllinoisOregon → IllinoisPennsylvania → IllinoisRhode Island → IllinoisSouth Carolina → IllinoisSouth Dakota → IllinoisTennessee → IllinoisTexas → IllinoisUtah → IllinoisVermont → IllinoisVirginia → IllinoisWashington → IllinoisWest Virginia → IllinoisWisconsin → IllinoisWyoming → Illinois

Frequently asked questions

Does my contractor license transfer to Illinois?

No — Illinois offers no contractor reciprocity of any kind. Every out-of-state contractor applies to the Illinois Department of Public Health — Plumbing Program (general contractors are licensed municipally) as a new licensee, completing its exams, financial, and bonding requirements regardless of trade. Application fee: No reciprocity/endorsement fee exists because there is no reciprocity path; standard plumber licensing fees apply and were not captured..

Does reciprocity waive all of Illinois's requirements?

No. Illinois's reciprocity does not exist — you complete every requirement as a new applicant.

What does a Illinois contractor license cost and how long does it take?

No reciprocity/endorsement fee exists because there is no reciprocity path; standard plumber licensing fees apply and were not captured.; processing Not applicable — no reciprocity path..

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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]