Real Estate License from Illinois to Colorado: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Colorado Division of Real Estate (Colorado Real Estate Commission), DORA ↗
Yes — Colorado recognizes real estate licenses from all states, including Illinois. Apply to the Colorado Division of Real Estate (Colorado Real Estate Commission), DORA for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Full reciprocity
Colorado honors licenses from every state, so your Illinois license clears the threshold automatically. The work that remains is Colorado-side mechanics: the application, the background check, the state-law exam where required, and affiliating with a Colorado brokerage to activate the license. None of it is difficult; all of it is sequential — start the license-history certification first, it has the longest lead time.
What changes, Illinois → Colorado
| Illinois (current) | Colorado (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Training hours | 75 | 168 |
| Application fee | $150 ($150 non-refundable endorsement application fee for the Broker profession ($175 for Managing Broker); separate from PSI endorsement-exam fees and 30-hour course tuition.) | $83 (Broker license application fee; + $44.95 broker examination fee; + fingerprint-based background-check vendor fee) |
| Processing time | IDFPR does not publish a stated processing time for endorsement applications | No board-stated timeframe; online applications are generally processed promptly once exam, fingerprints, and certified license history are on file |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — Division of Real Estate | Colorado Division of Real Estate (Colorado Real Estate Commission), DORA |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Colorado sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Colorado's current requirements on the Colorado Division of Real Estate (Colorado Real Estate Commission), DORA website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Colorado Division of Real Estate (Colorado Real Estate Commission), DORA (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a non-expired real estate license for at least two years in another U.S. jurisdiction.
- Complete a fingerprint-based background check.
- Provide a certified license history dated within 90 days that includes any disciplinary actions.
- Carry errors & omissions (E&O) insurance to activate the license.
- Pay the fees ($83 (Broker license application fee; + $44.95 broker examination fee; + fingerprint-based background-check vendor fee)) and allow No board-stated timeframe; online applications are generally processed promptly once exam, fingerprints, and certified license history are on file.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Colorado accept a Illinois real estate license?
Yes — Colorado recognizes real estate licenses from all states, including Illinois. Apply to the Colorado Division of Real Estate (Colorado Real Estate Commission), DORA for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
Which exams will I take moving from Illinois to Colorado?
National (general) portion waived; applicant must pass the state portion of the Colorado Real Estate Broker's Exam (each portion's passing score is valid for one year).
What does the move cost?
$83 (Broker license application fee; + $44.95 broker examination fee; + fingerprint-based background-check vendor fee) (Broker license application fee; + $44.95 broker examination fee; + fingerprint-based background-check vendor fee).
Can I keep selling in Illinois after I'm licensed in Colorado?
Yes — real estate licenses stack. Keep the Illinois license active (renewals and CE continue separately) and you hold both; many border-market agents do exactly this.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Colorado DRE — Broker License Partial Recognition Agreement & Reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Colorado DRE — Broker License Application Requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Colorado DRE — Broker Applications, Documents and Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Real Estate Brokerage page ('Endorsement Process becomes effective January 1, 2026 ... replaces a Reciprocal Process previously in place with specific states') ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Real Estate Application for Licensure by Endorsement (Broker $150 / Managing Broker $175; 30-hour endorsement course; endorsement exam on Illinois law) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — 30-Hour Real Estate Broker Pre-License Endorsement Course Curriculum (12-10-2024) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Broker 75-Hour Pre-License Curriculum (60 hours topics + 15 hours applied) ↗ (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]