Real Estate License from Illinois to Connecticut: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection — Real Estate Commission ↗
Yes — Connecticut has a reciprocity arrangement covering Illinois license holders. Apply to the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection — Real Estate Commission under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Illinois is on Connecticut's recognition list, which puts this move on the streamlined track: your education and national exam are credited, and the requirements below are what Connecticut still insists on — typically its own law exam and a background check. One caution: agreements are directional and revocable. This page's verification date tells you when we last confirmed Illinois on the list; the commission link is the live truth.
What changes, Illinois → Connecticut
| Illinois (current) | Connecticut (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Training hours | 75 | 60 |
| 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.) | $670 (Reciprocal salesperson total: $80 application fee + $570 initial license fee + $20 guaranty fund fee) |
| Processing time | IDFPR does not publish a stated processing time for endorsement applications | No board-stated timeframe; applicant is invited to register and schedule any required exam only after DCP reviews and approves the application |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — Division of Real Estate | Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection — Real Estate Commission |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Connecticut sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Connecticut's current requirements on the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection — Real Estate Commission website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection — Real Estate Commission (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold an active salesperson license in good standing, originally obtained by examination, in a reciprocal state.
- Provide a certification of license history from the reciprocal state and from every other state where you hold or ever held a license.
- Have a Connecticut-licensed supervising broker (salesperson applicants).
- Pay the fees ($670 (Reciprocal salesperson total: $80 application fee + $570 initial license fee + $20 guaranty fund fee)) and allow No board-stated timeframe; applicant is invited to register and schedule any required exam only after DCP reviews and approves the application.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Connecticut accept a Illinois real estate license?
Yes — Connecticut has a reciprocity arrangement covering Illinois license holders. Apply to the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection — Real Estate Commission under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
Which exams will I take moving from Illinois to Connecticut?
Reciprocal-state applicants licensed by examination skip the Connecticut exam, EXCEPT applicants from Florida, Illinois, Indiana or Ohio, who must pass the state portion of the Connecticut Real Estate Examination (PSI); non-reciprocal-state licensees may also license by passing the CT state portion.
What does the move cost?
$670 (Reciprocal salesperson total: $80 application fee + $570 initial license fee + $20 guaranty fund fee) (Reciprocal salesperson total: $80 application fee + $570 initial license fee + $20 guaranty fund fee).
Can I keep selling in Illinois after I'm licensed in Connecticut?
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.
- Connecticut DCP — Real Estate Reciprocal Applications and Instructions (fees, exam rule) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Connecticut DCP — License Reciprocity for Real Estate (list of reciprocal states) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Connecticut DCP — Real Estate Salesperson Initial/Exam Application (60-hour pre-license course) ↗ (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]