Real Estate License from Indiana to Illinois: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Illinois accept an Indiana real estate license?
A real estate license transfers from Indiana to Illinois by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — Division of Real Estate, verify your Indiana license, and meet Illinois's endorsement requirements. 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.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Illinois publishes no agreement covering Indiana, but it does evaluate out-of-state licensees individually — so this move runs on Illinois's endorsement judgment rather than a guarantee. The requirements below are what the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — Division of Real Estate commits to in writing; for anything discretionary (exam waivers, education credit), get the commission's answer in writing before you rely on it.
What's different between Indiana and Illinois
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Illinois. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Indiana to Illinois (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Illinois to Indiana (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Indiana matter?
Coming from Indiana does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Illinois.
- Application fee
Illinois lists $150 for an out-of-state applicant and Indiana lists $60 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Pre-license education
Illinois's first-time-applicant standard is 75 hours of pre-license education; Indiana's is 90.
Illinois's is 15 education hours lower than Indiana's.
- Exam rules on record
Illinois and Indiana carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Illinois (this 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.
- Indiana (the reverse move): Indiana has NO reciprocity agreements with any state. An actively-licensed out-of-state broker applies via Endorsement; the Commission reviews whether the other state's requirements are equivalent to Indiana's. Qualifying 'Real Estate Broker by Endorsement' candidates take ONLY the Indiana state portion of the broker exam (60 questions, 90 minutes) and the 90-hour pre-licensing course is not required. If the Commission does not approve the equivalency, the applicant must qualify by the Examination route (90-hour course + full national and state exam).
What changes, Indiana → Illinois
| Indiana (current) | Illinois (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-license education | 90 | 75 |
| Application fee | $60 ($60 due with the Indiana broker license application, payable to the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency: the $50 application fee under 876 IAC 5-3-1(a)(1) plus the $10 investigative-fund fee that 876 IAC 5-3-1(b) adds to every broker license issuance. State Form 44176 is the same application used by reciprocity/endorsement applicants, and it states the fee as $60.00. All fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable. NOT included: the Pearson VUE 'Broker by Endorsement' state-portion exam fee ($55), pre-licensing course tuition, and renewal ($50 renewal + $10 investigative fund).) | $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.) |
| Processing time | The Commission states endorsement 'is not a fast process' — a Commission member must review the licensing state's requirements and recommend to the full Commission before approval | IDFPR does not publish a stated processing time for endorsement applications |
| Licensing authority | Indiana Real Estate Commission (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — Division of Real Estate |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Illinois sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Illinois's current requirements on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — Division of Real Estate website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — Division of Real Estate (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold an active license in good standing as a broker, managing broker, or its equivalent in another state or jurisdiction (managing-broker endorsement additionally requires 2 years of active managing-broker practice in the immediately preceding period).
- Complete the 30-hour Broker Pre-License Endorsement Course and provide a Uniform Real Estate Transcript from an IDFPR-approved provider.
- Pass the Real Estate Endorsement Examination on Illinois real estate brokerage laws.
- Submit a Certification by Licensing Agency/Board (or Certification of License History) from each state in which licensed.
- Provide a Sponsor Card from an Illinois actively licensed brokerage for an active license (otherwise the license issues inactive).
- 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 Indiana after I'm licensed in Illinois?
Yes — real estate licenses stack. Keep the Indiana 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 Indiana 2026-09-01, Illinois 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)
- Indiana Real Estate Commission — Real Estate home / Reciprocity ('the Real Estate Commission does not have reciprocity agreements with any state ... submit your application via Endorsement') — official page via Internet Archive snapshot 2025-12-07 (live in.gov blocked from research environment) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Pearson VUE — Indiana Real Estate Candidate Handbook (rev 08/2025): broker exam requires a 90-hour pre-licensing course; 'Broker by Endorsement' takes the state portion only, 90-hour course not required; endorsement state exam $55 ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Indiana Real Estate Commission / Professional Licensing Agency — Application for Licensure as a Real Estate Broker, State Form 44176 (R16 / 4-23): 'The fee for this application is $60.00, payable to the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, in accordance with 876 IAC 5-3-1'; form includes the 'applying by reciprocity' election — official state form via Internet Archive snapshot 2026-01-17 (live forms.in.gov / in.gov still blocked from the research environment on 2026-09-01) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-01)
- Indiana Administrative Code, Title 876 Article 5 (876 IAC 5-3-1 Fee schedule): application for real estate broker license $50; commission also charges $10 for the investigative fund under IC 25-34.1-8-7.5 on issuance and renewal — official IAC text (iac.iga.in.gov) via Internet Archive snapshot 2024-12-17 ↗ (accessed 2026-09-01)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources Indiana 2026-09-01, Illinois 2026-07-21
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