Skip to content
State Cert Guide

Independent guide, not a government agency. We earn commissions on some links.

How do I get an Illinois real estate license?

The usual path to an Illinois broker license is 75 hours of classes and a state exam. You must be at least 18. Licensed in another state? You apply by endorsement instead.

By State Cert GuideChecked against the sources listed below.Report a mistake

The rule, fact by fact

Who needs it
Practicing real estate brokerage without a license can bring disciplineThe Department can discipline brokerage work done without a license. That includes an expired or inactive one.
Verified. Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation · Real Estate License Act update (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Minimum age
Every broker applicant must be at least 18 years oldThis is the Department's minimum age for a broker applicant.
Same source and date as above
Course hours
75 hours of pre-license education, with 15 hours of situational and case studiesFifteen of the hours are case studies. Pick a school from the Department's list.
Same source and date as above
Online accepted
60 hours in any format; 15 hours in a classroom, live webinar or online distance courseAsk your school which format each course is before you pay.
Verified. Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation · Broker 75-hour pre-license curriculum (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Cost
$58 for the Broker ExaminationThis is the exam fee the testing company lists. It is not refundable or transferable, and you lose it if you don't test within one year of when the company gets it.
Provider's claim. PSI Services LLC · Illinois real estate candidate booklet (opens provider website) · checked Nov 13, 2026

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check the basics first. A broker applicant must be at least 18 years old. Ask the Department about a high school diploma or GED too.

  2. Step 2. Pick a school from the Department's list of approved pre-license providers.

  3. Step 3. Finish both courses. The 60-hour course can be in any format. The 15-hour course must be taught in a classroom, by live webinar, or by online distance education.

  4. Step 4. Book the broker exam. The Department's page links it to PSI, a testing company. PSI's bulletin says the classes are valid for two years after you satisfactorily complete them.

  5. Step 5. Apply to the Department within one year of passing the exam. If you don't submit an application and meet all the requirements in that year, you lose the exam accreditation and must retake the exam. Its real estate page links "Apply For a License" to an online portal. Ask the Department for the application fee before you send it.

  6. Step 6. Line up a sponsor. The Department's sponsor card form says you need it to be licensed with an active status. A license goes inactive when a sponsorship ends, until a new one is registered.

  7. Step 7. Once you're licensed, plan the post-license courses. The Department says they total 45 hours, as three 15-hour courses.

Courses

We earn a commission when you buy through the links marked (paid link).

Before you pay

The Department keeps a list of approved pre-license providers. Before you pay a school, check that it is on that list. The Department's real estate page also carries a student notice: one school's courses no longer satisfy the Illinois requirements until further notice. Read the notice to see which school. If you already paid that school, ask the Department what counts.

We haven't confirmed what any school charges, which ones teach the 15-hour course live or online, the application fee for a first Illinois license or whether the broker license requires fingerprints. Ask the school which format you are buying and what it costs.

The Department may change its list or its fees, and the rules behind them. Check them yourself on the day you sign up.

Questions

Do I take a final exam at the end of the course?

This covers the pre-license courses only, and it depends on the format. The Department says you don't need an exam to get credit for a course taken in a classroom, by live webinar or as an online distance course. A correspondence or home-study course needs an in-person, proctored exam. The state license exam is a separate step, and its fee is not refundable.

I'm licensed in another state. Do I start over?

Since January 1, 2026, brokers from outside Illinois apply by endorsement and must hold an active license in good standing. You need a 30-hour pre-license endorsement course, proof of passing a Department-approved exam on Illinois-specific brokerage laws, and a certification from the licensing agency of each state where you're licensed. The $150 broker application fee isn't refundable. If you were actively practicing under 2 years at home just before applying, you owe 45 post-license hours at your first Illinois renewal.

How long does an Illinois broker license last?

It renews every two years. The Department says broker renewals fall in even-numbered years. Its license lookup shows exactly when yours expires. The renewal FAQ that says this is a few years old, so use the lookup for your own date. First-time renewers owe the post-license courses. If you are first licensed within 180 days before a renewal deadline, you have until the second deadline to finish them.

Do I need fingerprints?

Ask the Department whether the broker license requires them before you book a vendor. Its fingerprint guide covers professions that require fingerprints. They go through a Department-licensed vendor, within 60 days of the application.

Can I get a license with a conviction on my record?

Maybe. The Department says that if you are otherwise qualified, a criminal conviction is not a bar to licensure. You must disclose certain convictions and pleas on the application, and the Department's FAQ lists the offense types. Ask the Department about your own record before you pay for classes.

Do I need a broker license to lease property?

For commercial property, yes. Leasing commercial property requires a broker license. A residential leasing agent license covers residential leasing only. The Act also exempts some cases. A person under the resident lessee exemption can receive no more than $5,000 or the equivalent of 2 months' rent in any 12-month period (225 ILCS 454 Section 5-20(10)). Check the Act for your case. It is the Real Estate License Act, 225 ILCS 454.

What to do next

Start with the Department's Real Estate Brokerage page. It links the approved pre-license providers and the broker exam.

idfpr.illinois.gov

Sources we read