Illinois Contractor License Requirements
No statewide general contractor license — the only statewide construction trade license is for roofing contractors.
License Requirement
Licensing body: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR, roofing only) — idfpr.illinois.gov/profs/roof.html; Illinois Attorney General's Home Repair and Remodeling Act oversees general home-repair disclosure rules.
Illinois has no statewide general contractor license — IDFPR's regulated-professions list limits construction licensing to Architect, Engineer, Landscape Architect, and Roofing Contractor. The one statewide construction trade credential is the Roofing Contractor License (225 ILCS 335), with Limited (residential, 8 units or fewer) and Unlimited (residential/commercial/industrial) classes. Chicago separately licenses general contractors at the city level — this was not independently verified this pass; confirm with the City of Chicago before relying on it.
Exam
For roofing: the "Illinois Residential" or "Illinois Residential, Commercial and Industrial" exam, required within 3 years of application. The testing vendor was not confirmed this pass.
Bonding
For roofing: $10,000 (Limited license) or $25,000 (Unlimited license), per 225 ILCS 335 Sec. 3(2)(d) and IDFPR bond forms.
Continuing Education
Not confirmed for roofing. Renewal is biennial, expiring December 31 of odd-numbered years.
Experience Requirements
No explicit years-of-experience requirement was found for the roofing license; qualification runs through the exam as the qualifying party.
Reciprocity
Not confirmed during this research pass.
Licensing requirements change and vary by locality within a state. Always verify current requirements with your state's contractor licensing board before applying. This page is an independent informational reference — it is not legal advice, and ContractorLicense.org is not a government agency and is not affiliated with any state licensing board.
Research note: High confidence on "no statewide GC license" and the roofing bond/insurance figures (idfpr.illinois.gov). Lower confidence on exam vendor, CE, and the Chicago city-license claim — verify directly before relying on those.
Still Not Sure What Illinois Requires?
Tell us your trade and project size — we'll tell you which classification and exam actually apply before you spend money finding out the hard way.