Do you need a state license in Illinois?
Illinois does not issue a statewide electrical license. Any license you need comes from the city or county where the job is, so the rules can change from one town to the next.
Each city may require electrical contractors to register. If you are registered in one Illinois city, another city cannot make you register or pay its fee again. Chicago requires its own electrical contractor license for work under the Chicago Electrical Code.
How to get set up in Illinois, step by step
- Ask the city or county where you will work whether it requires electrical contractor registration or a license.
- Register as an electrical contractor in one Illinois city that requires it.
- Use that registration in other cities instead of registering again.
- If you work in Chicago, get a City of Chicago electrical contractor license from the Department of Buildings.
What it costs in Illinois
The board lists one fee for this license. These are the state's own numbers. Insurance, any bond, exam prep and your business registration come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| City electrical contractor registration, where a city requires it, per year (set by state law) | $25 |
Good to know in Illinois
- In Chicago, the licensed business and its employees work under a licensed supervising electrician.
- Chicago electrical contractor licenses come from the Chicago Department of Buildings.
- Local rules differ. For example, the Village of Libertyville asks for 4 years (8,000 hours) of documented electrical experience and a 70% score on its open-book exam. The exam costs $100 and the license renews every year for $120.
Once you are cleared to work
The license lets you take the work. Getting the work is the next job.
- Register the business. If you work under a name other than your own, register it where your state asks (often the Secretary of State, sometimes the county), and keep the name the same on your license, your truck and your invoices.
- Claim your Google Business Profile. It is the listing people see when they search for an electrician near them. Fill in your service area, hours and real photos of your work.
- Put up a website that shows the license. Customers look for it before they call. Koira builds a contractor website for you and keeps it current.
- See where you stand. The free Koira report checks how your business shows up in search and on maps against shops near you.
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below, checked October 8, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with your city or county before you file.
More for your trade: how electrical contractors run on Koira.