Transfer Your CPA / Accounting License to Illinois: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation ↗
A CPA license transfers to Illinois by reciprocity: because Illinois treats every US CPA as substantially equivalent, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation grants its license on the strength of your existing one rather than re-qualifying you. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; the applicant has the original jurisdiction send certification of licensure/exam status directly to IDFPR (national lookup at CPAverify.org). Illinois does not require a separate state ethics exam for endorsement applicants.. Fee: $120 ($120 Licensed CPA application fee (same for all methods, including endorsement); non-refundable).
Moving to Illinois from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Full reciprocity — honors all states
Because Illinois recognizes substantial equivalency, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation looks at your standing, not your origin: a CPA in good standing from any state qualifies for a reciprocal license, and the Uniform CPA Exam does not come back. Read the requirements below as the destination's own layer — a background check, a state ethics or rules-of-conduct exam where one applies, and proof your CPE is current — rather than a re-credentialing.
Settle the mobility question before you file. If Illinois is not becoming your principal place of business — you are serving Illinois clients from elsewhere, or the work is temporary — practice privilege usually lets you work there with no Illinois license at all. Apply for the reciprocal license when Illinois is where you will actually be based.
Illinois grants a license by endorsement to any CPA originally licensed in a substantially-equivalent state, or (catch-up) to one with 4 years of public-accounting experience in the last 10, so there is no fixed partner list. The $120 application fee is the same for all methods. Endorsement applicants are NOT subject to the 90-hour CPE / 4-hour ethics reporting requirement that applies only to 'acceptance of examination' applicants whose certificate is more than 4 years old. Illinois requires no separate state ethics exam and no fingerprint background check (only self-disclosed personal history). Two Illinois bodies are involved: the Illinois Board of Examiners issues the CPA certificate (exam/education), while IDFPR issues the license needed to practice and use the title; endorsement applicants satisfy Illinois's 150-hour education standard through their existing license.
Illinois requirements at a glance
| Exam | The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; the applicant has the original jurisdiction send certification of licensure/exam status directly to IDFPR (national lookup at CPAverify.org). Illinois does not require a separate state ethics exam for endorsement applicants. |
|---|---|
| Training hours | 150 hours |
| Additional requirements |
|
| Fees | $120 ($120 Licensed CPA application fee (same for all methods, including endorsement); non-refundable) |
| Processing time | IDFPR publishes no processing time; an application stays active for three years from receipt. |
Step by step
- Confirm Illinois's current requirements on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation website — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity/endorsement application to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current CPA license in another state/jurisdiction at the time of application.
- Have been originally licensed in a substantially-equivalent state, OR have at least 4 years of public-accounting experience (after passing the CPA exam) within the 10 years preceding application.
- Have the original and current/most-recent jurisdictions send certification of licensure status directly to IDFPR.
- Document at least one year of qualifying full-time experience.
- Pay the fees ($120 ($120 Licensed CPA application fee (same for all methods, including endorsement); non-refundable)) and allow IDFPR publishes no processing time; an application stays active for three years from receipt..
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Illinois:
All 50 origin states
Frequently asked questions
Does my CPA license transfer to Illinois?
A CPA license transfers to Illinois by reciprocity: because Illinois treats every US CPA as substantially equivalent, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation grants its license on the strength of your existing one rather than re-qualifying you. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; the applicant has the original jurisdiction send certification of licensure/exam status directly to IDFPR (national lookup at CPAverify.org). Illinois does not require a separate state ethics exam for endorsement applicants.. Fee: $120 ($120 Licensed CPA application fee (same for all methods, including endorsement); non-refundable).
Do I have to retake the CPA Exam to get licensed in Illinois?
No. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; the applicant has the original jurisdiction send certification of licensure/exam status directly to IDFPR (national lookup at CPAverify.org). Illinois does not require a separate state ethics exam for endorsement applicants..
Do I even need a Illinois CPA license, or does mobility cover me?
If Illinois is not your principal place of business, practice privilege (mobility) usually lets you serve Illinois clients with no Illinois license, notice, or fee. You apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation for a reciprocal license when Illinois becomes where you are principally based.
What does a Illinois reciprocal CPA license cost?
$120 ($120 Licensed CPA application fee (same for all methods, including endorsement); non-refundable) ($120 Licensed CPA application fee (same for all methods, including endorsement); non-refundable).
How long does the Illinois reciprocity process take?
IDFPR publishes no processing time; an application stays active for three years from receipt. — IDFPR publishes no processing time; an application stays active for three years from receipt..
How does Illinois's education requirement affect a reciprocal CPA license?
Illinois's initial-licensure baseline is 150 semester hours. Reciprocal applicants normally satisfy education through the license they already hold rather than a fresh transcript review; if you were licensed before your state raised its education requirement, confirm your route with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- IDFPR — (065) Licensed CPA Application Checklist / User Guide (Endorsement method; substantial equivalency OR 4 years in 10; $120 fee all methods; no ethics exam) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — License qualifications for Certified Public Accountant (065), revised 09/2025 (endorsement path; exam certification sent directly to IDFPR) ↗ (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]