How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Illinois after Being Licensed in Another State

If you’re a broker who has recently moved here from another state, you may be wondering how to become a real estate agent in Illinois. As a licensed real estate professional, you already possess the knowledge needed to obtain the proper license, however, state laws do require that you at least pass a supplemental exam and possibly take classes. What you need to do will depend on where you have previously been licensed.

There are two ways that you would go about getting your Illinois license. Illinois has reciprocity with a number of other states and you may be able to move more quickly through the process if you have a license from one of these:

    • Colorado

    • Connecticut

    • Georgia

    • Indiana

    • Iowa

    • Nebraska

    • South Dakota

    • Wisconsin

If you have obtained a license in one of these states you must submit an application for reciprocity to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. You will need to be at least 21 years of age and must show proof of your licensing in the applicable state. After that, you will only need to take the Illinois supplemental exam to obtain a license here.

In the event you are not eligible for a reciprocal license, you will need to take 90 hours of pre-licensing education. Please note that 15 of those hours must be “interactive” instruction via a classroom or webinar. Once you have completed the necessary training, you will need to complete a final exam, which must be proctored.

After passing the proctored exam, you are then eligible to sit for the state licensure exam, which is administered by Applied Measurement Professionals at various locations throughout the state. If you successfully pass the exam, you may then apply for your license by paying the appropriate fee to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. You are then free to practice under the direct supervision of a managing broker.

The Chicago Real Estate Institute can assist you with how to become a real estate agent in Illinois. If you’ve previously been licensed in another state, you’ll already have much of the knowledge it takes to successfully complete the requirements set by the state of Illinois. Contact us today and we can help you through this process and provide you with the right training and/or testing to get your Illinois real estate license with ease.