Illinois to California: general contractor license reciprocity

How it works in Illinois. No Illinois agency issues a general, commercial, building or unlimited contractor license, and there is no Illinois qualifying party or state business-and-law exam for general building work. Home rule municipalities control commercial construction through the permit, and each one writes its own contractor ordinance, so a contractor is licensed or registered separately in every jurisdiction where they build. Where a city does license, the credential is generally based on insurance, financial solvency, entity documents and a fee rather than on a competence exam, and none of the programs reviewed recognizes a general contractor license issued by another state. What genuinely travels into Illinois is a state trade license: roofing under 225 ILCS 335, plumbing under the Department of Public Health, and the state elevator, fire sprinkler and alarm credentials, all of which cities check before they issue a permit.

Chicago. Chicago's General Contractor license is the one credential that shapes commercial work in Illinois. It is required to bid on, undertake, hire or supervise, or control the means and methods of any 'regulated activity' - work requiring a building, sign or demolition (wrecking) permit, a sewer permit, a Department of Public Health permit for sandblasting, grinding or chemical washing, work exempt from permit under Section 402 of the Chicago Construction Codes Administrative Provisions, or work under a stormwater management plan. Licenses go to businesses, including sole proprietorships, in five classes graded by project value, defined as 'the fair market value of materials and labor provided by all contractors and subcontractors as part of all concurrent and consecutive regulated activities at the same site': Class A unlimited value, ordinary or complex demolition, $5 million per occurrence of insurance, $3,500.00; Class B up to $20 million, ordinary or complex demolition, $3 million, $1,800.00; Class C up to $10 million, ordinary demolition, $2 million, $1,300.00; Class D up to $4 million, ordinary demolition, $2 million, $900.00; Class E up to $500,000, no demolition, $1 million, $300.00. The Class B, C and D project limits and the Class C and D insurance figures took effect January 1, 2026, and for Class C and D licenses issued before that date the higher insurance requirement is enforced when the policy on file expires. Commercial general liability must come from an insurer authorized in Illinois and rated B+ or higher by A.M. Best, covering bodily injury, personal injury, property damage and completed operations, with primary plus excess or umbrella policies allowed above $1 million; the full requirements are in Section 4-36-090 of the Municipal Code. The application also needs a statement of financial solvency on the supplied form, proof of authority to do business in Illinois, an Assumed Name Certificate where a trade name is used, and government photo identification for the controlling persons. There is no exam, no experience review and no qualifying party. Continental Testing Services handles applications and renewals by mail for the Department of Buildings; the license is valid one year and is automatically inactivated if the insurance policy lapses. A licensed general contractor's own employees and subcontractors under its supervision and control do not need their own general contractor license, but electrical, plumbing, mason, drain layer, elevator mechanic and board-up work must be done by the holders of those separate City licenses, and anyone contracting directly with the owner needs their own license and must be listed on the permit.

Cook County (unincorporated areas). Every contractor working in unincorporated Cook County registers with the Department of Building and Zoning: $150 per trade to start and $75 per trade annually by December 31, with $1,000,000 general liability naming Cook County Building and Zoning at 69 W. Washington, Suite 2830, Chicago as certificate holder. The owner or a corporate officer files, with the Articles of Incorporation or current Annual Domestic Report. Roofing registrants file the State of Illinois roofing license and demolition registrants a fully approved bond. No exam. Check the site against the county's CookViewer tool first, because much of suburban Cook County is incorporated and licensed by its own village.

Aurora. A General contractor registration costs $200 and consists of the Contractor Licensing Application, a certificate of insurance naming the City of Aurora as primary and non-contributory additional insured with $1,000,000 general aggregate and $500,000 per occurrence, statutory workers' compensation, and Secretary of State registration or a county DBA certificate. Aurora tests only electrical and mechanical contractors, accepting ICC certifications or licenses from named municipalities in place of its own exam; the General category has no test. Elevator, fire suppression, roofing and sign registrations are also $200, and a dumpster or right-of-way obstruction registration needs a $5,000 surety bond. Delinquent permits will block a renewal.

Evanston. General Contractor registration is $150 a year, renewable through the Citizen Portal, with general liability of at least $300,000 per occurrence, bodily injury and property damage of at least $100,000 per occurrence each, and workers' compensation at statutory minimums naming Evanston as certificate holder. Right-of-way work requires $1,000,000 per occurrence with the city as an additional insured. State-regulated contractors submit a copy of the state license. Trade registration is $125.

Joliet. Registration is required before any permit is issued but costs nothing: 'there are no forms or fees for registration, unless you are a Sign Erector or for HVAC Testing.' The requirement is a certificate of insurance naming the City of Joliet, with minimum limits of $250,000 bodily injury per person, $500,000 bodily injury per occurrence and $250,000 property damage per occurrence. Trade credentials are checked separately: the Illinois State Roofer's License for roofing, the Illinois Plumbing Contractor Registration for plumbing, the State of Illinois elevator license, the Illinois sprinkler (FSC) and private alarm licenses, and a municipal electrical or HVAC license from Joliet's accepted list. Concrete work in the right-of-way needs a $10,000 street obstruction bond and demolition a $50,000 wrecking bond. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors file a project-specific Letter of Intent, and all subcontractors must be listed on the permit application.

Rockford. 'General contractors are not required to be licensed.' Rockford controls commercial work through the permit only, and enforces the State roofing license: 'roofing contractors are required to obtain a license from the State of Illinois Department of Professional Regulation.'

Springfield. The Building and Zoning Department publishes electrical and mechanical contractor license and registration applications and no general contractor registration at all; its building permit application asks for the general contractor's name and address but for a license number only on the roofing line. Building and Zoning, 300 South 7th Street, Room 304, (217) 789-2171.

Peoria. Peoria licenses electrical and HVAC contractors individually at $150.00 each, on an open-book ICC exam or a Normal or Pekin license, plus boiler tenders and stationary engineers. Its four Contractor Business Licenses cover parking lot paving, sidewalks and driveways, right-of-way dumpsters and sewer connections, at $25.00 or $60.00 a year with $5,000 or $10,000 license and permit bonds. There is no general building contractor license.

Everywhere else. Every other Illinois city, village and county sets its own rules; many suburban villages register contractors and charge an annual fee, while others require only a permit and proof of insurance. Confirm the requirement, the current fee and the insurance limits with each building department before you bid work there.