Real Estate License from Illinois to Kentucky: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Kentucky accept an Illinois real estate license?
Yes — Kentucky has a reciprocity arrangement covering Illinois license holders. Apply to the Kentucky Real Estate Commission (KREC) under its reciprocity/endorsement track; it typically waives the national exam portion and complete Kentucky's remaining requirements.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Illinois is on Kentucky's recognition list, which puts this move on the streamlined track: your education and national exam are credited, and the requirements below are what Kentucky 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's different between Illinois and Kentucky
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Kentucky. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Illinois to Kentucky (this page): Reciprocity agreement.
Kentucky to Illinois (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The two directions differ: Illinois and Kentucky do not give each other's licensees the same route.
- Does coming from Illinois matter?
Coming from Illinois matters here: only 5 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Kentucky.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (45).
- Reciprocity agreements
Kentucky's reciprocity agreement list names 5 states (Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee), including Illinois.
Illinois's row names no reciprocity agreement states.
- Application fee
Kentucky lists $130 for an out-of-state applicant and Illinois lists $150 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Pre-license education
Kentucky's first-time-applicant standard is 96 hours of pre-license education; Illinois's is 75.
Kentucky's is 21 education hours higher than Illinois's.
- Exam rules on record
Kentucky and Illinois carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Kentucky (this move): Reciprocal applicants take ONLY the Kentucky law portion of the licensing exam (the PSI 'reciprocity sales associate exam'); the national portion and the full 96-hour pre-license course are waived. Instead they complete a 40-hour reciprocal license law course through a KREC-approved provider.
- Illinois (the reverse move): Effective January 1, 2026 an Endorsement Process replaced Illinois's former reciprocal agreements with specific states. An out-of-state broker/managing broker holding an active equivalent license completes a 30-hour Illinois Broker Pre-License Endorsement Course and must pass the Illinois Real Estate Endorsement Examination on Illinois brokerage law; the national/uniform exam portion is not retaken.
What changes, Illinois → Kentucky
| Illinois (current) | Kentucky (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-license education | 75 | 96 |
| 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.) | $130 ($130 fee for an active license ($120 if issued inactive). Separate costs: national criminal-history fingerprint check, the PSI reciprocity sales associate exam fee, and 40-hour reciprocal law course tuition.) |
| Processing time | IDFPR does not publish a stated processing time for endorsement applications | KREC does not publish a stated processing time; the application must be filed within 60 days of passing the exam |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — Division of Real Estate | Kentucky Real Estate Commission (KREC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Kentucky sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Kentucky's current requirements on the Kentucky Real Estate Commission (KREC) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the Kentucky Real Estate Commission (KREC) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Meet the partner-state experience threshold — at least one (1) year actively licensed as a sales associate (Tennessee: as an associate broker) in the reciprocal state immediately preceding application.
- Complete the 40-hour reciprocal license law course through a KREC-approved education provider.
- Submit fingerprints for a national criminal history check (valid 90 days; you must pass the exam and apply before it expires).
- Pass the Kentucky law portion via the PSI reciprocity sales associate exam, then file the application within 60 days of passing.
- Provide a license history certification / letter of good standing from every state where you are licensed and proof of errors and omissions insurance.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep selling in Illinois after I'm licensed in Kentucky?
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.
- Kentucky Real Estate Commission — Reciprocal Licensing (agreements with Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee; MOUs with Illinois and Ohio; 40-hour reciprocal license law course; national criminal check; $130 active / $120 inactive license fee; 60-day filing window) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 201 KAR 11:210 — Licensing, education, and testing requirements (reciprocal applicants: 6 academic credit hours or equivalent, pass Kentucky law portion, certification of licensure within 90 days, national criminal history check) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Kentucky Real Estate Commission — Education (Sales Associate new-applicant pre-license: 96 hours or 6 academic credit hours) ↗ (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 the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com