How to check a contractor license in Illinois

Illinois has no statewide general contractor license, so you check a general contractor with the city or county where the work is. The state does license roofing contractors through IDFPR, which you can search in its License Look-Up, and plumbers and plumbing contractors through the Illinois Department of Public Health, which runs its own verification tool.

How do I verify a contractor license in Illinois?

Start with the trade, because Illinois splits contractor licensing between two state agencies and your local government. Roofers are in IDFPR's License Look-Up, plumbers are in IDPH's Plumbing License Verification tool, and general contractors are a question for the city or county.

Work out what the job is. A new roof, a sewer line and a kitchen remodel each send you to a different place.
For a roofer, open IDFPR's professional regulation License Look-Up, search the business name or license number, and confirm the roofing contractor license is active.
For a plumber, open IDPH's Plumbing License Verification tool and search the plumber or the plumbing contractor.
For a general contractor or any other trade, call the building department for the city or county where the house is and ask what it requires.
In every case, check that the name on the record matches the business on the bid.

We last checked this lookup on 2026-10-19. Both state search tools blocked the tool we used to check them that day, so they may need to be opened in a regular web browser. You can also reach the License Look-Up from the IDFPR home page, or call IDFPR at 1 (888) 473-4858. IDFPR says a newly issued license can take up to 24 hours to show up, so a brand-new roofer may not appear right away.

Does Illinois require a general contractor license?

No. Illinois has no statewide general contractor license, so any license or registration a general contractor needs comes from the city or county where the work is.

IDFPR's list of the professions it regulates includes roofing contractors and home inspectors, but no general contractor. Ask the local building department whether it licenses or registers contractors, and whether the job needs a permit. In a town that does neither, there may be nothing to look up, which puts more weight on references and insurance.

Who licenses roofers in Illinois?

IDFPR does, under the Illinois Roofing Industry Licensing Act. Every roofing contractor license names a qualifying party, a person at the business who has passed the state roofing exam.

There are two kinds of roofing license. A limited license covers residential roofing only, on buildings of 8 units or less, and an unlimited license covers commercial roofs as well. To get either, the business files a bond with IDFPR and certifies at least $500,000 in liability insurance and $250,000 in property damage insurance per occurrence. IDFPR's application says a license becomes inoperable when it has no active qualifying party, so a roofer who just lost a key person is worth a fresh look.

IDFPR also publishes monthly enforcement reports that name disciplined licensees. In its March 2026 report, one roofing contractor's license was permanently revoked for failing to do the work on a roof and failing to return the homeowner's deposit.

Who licenses plumbers in Illinois?

The Illinois Department of Public Health does, not IDFPR. Under the Illinois Plumbing License Law, 225 ILCS 320, IDPH licenses plumbers, plumbing contractors, plumbers' apprentices, irrigation contractors and retired plumbers.

That split catches people out, because IDFPR handles so many other trades. If a plumber doesn't turn up in the License Look-Up, that doesn't mean they're unlicensed. Search IDPH's tool before you draw any conclusion.

What should you check for electricians and other trades?

Ask the city or county, because the state agencies on this page don't list them. IDFPR's list of regulated professions has no electrician or HVAC license, so the local building department is the place to ask what an electrician or heating contractor needs where your client lives.

Whatever the trade, ask for a current certificate of insurance and make sure a permit is pulled when the job calls for one. A license record only shows that the license exists. It says nothing about whether the work is good, and only your clients' experience tells you that. For other states, see how to check a contractor license, state by state.

A job near a state line can involve a contractor based next door, so check that state's records too. The lookups for Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky and Indiana are on their own pages.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm details with IDFPR, IDPH or your city.

Sources

Agents can keep these contractors in Proferral

Proferral is a free app real estate agents use to keep a go-to list of the providers they trust and to remember every referral they send. Its license checks cover Oregon and Washington only, so for Illinois you still run the lookup above by hand. Here's how Proferral's license checks work.

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