Real estate license · Illinois

Illinois real estate license: the official requirements

Age, pre-licensing hours, the exam, background check, broker sponsorship, fees and renewal, from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

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Updated Nov 6, 2026 · Requirements: each state's real estate licensing authority or its statute

Quick answer

To get a real estate license in Illinois (the broker license): Minimum age: At least 18, with a high school diploma or its equivalent (GED). Pre-licensing education: 75 class hours at an IDFPR-approved school: Broker Pre-License Topics (60 hours) and Applied Real Estate Principles, interactive (15 hours); valid for two years after completion. Licensing exam: A state licensing exam run by PSI for the Department, with national and state portions; the national broker portion passes at 70%. Your licensing authority is the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

Requirements

Requirements for the Illinois broker license

Data

Illinois real estate license requirements (Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation)
Requirement	Illinois
License you apply for	The Illinois real estate broker license.
Minimum age	At least 18, with a high school diploma or its equivalent (GED).
Pre-licensing education	75 class hours at an IDFPR-approved school: Broker Pre-License Topics (60 hours) and Applied Real Estate Principles, interactive (15 hours); valid for two years after completion.
Post-licensing education	45 hours of post-license education before your first renewal; a license first issued on or after November 1, 2025 must complete it by 4/30/2028.
Licensing exam	A state licensing exam run by PSI for the Department, with national and state portions; the national broker portion passes at 70%.
Background check	Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
Sponsoring broker	Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
State fees	Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
License term	Licenses renew by April 30 of the renewal year (the 2026 deadline was April 30, 2026); a license first issued on or after November 1, 2025 expires on 4/30/2028.
Continuing education	After the post-license period, 12 hours per renewal: a 6-hour Core course and 6 elective hours, including sexual harassment prevention training.

Where the official source we read does not state something, the table says so rather than guessing. Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools and course providers, and fingerprint vendors are not included.

Steps

How to get licensed in Illinois

Data

Complete the 75 class hours of pre-license education at an IDFPR-approved school.
Create a PSI account and upload your course certificate to become eligible to test.
Pass the licensing exam.
Apply to IDFPR through its Online Services Portal within one year of passing.

Go further

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FAQ

Questions people ask

How do I get a real estate license in Illinois?

How many hours of pre-licensing education does Illinois require?

75 class hours at an IDFPR-approved school: Broker Pre-License Topics (60 hours) and Applied Real Estate Principles, interactive (15 hours); valid for two years after completion.

Do I need a sponsoring broker in Illinois?

Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

How long is a Illinois real estate license good for?

Licenses renew by April 30 of the renewal year (the 2026 deadline was April 30, 2026); a license first issued on or after November 1, 2025 expires on 4/30/2028.

How much does a Illinois real estate license cost?

Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

Method

How this page is built

Each fact on this page comes from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation's current instructions govern. We re-read each state's sources every six months (next review by May 6, 2027).

What this page can't tell you

Not legal advice.
Licensing rules can change. Verify current requirements with the issuing agency.
Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools and course providers, and fingerprint vendors are not included.
This page covers the entry-level license. Broker, nonresident and reciprocal licenses have their own rules.

Sources

Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Real Estate Brokerage, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.
PSI Services, Illinois Real Estate Candidate Information Booklet (6/24/2026), linked by IDFPR as its Real Estate Exam Candidate Bulletin, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, 2026 CE Fact Sheet, Real Estate Broker (Revised 2/25), official source, read Nov 5, 2026.