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How do you check a contractor license in Illinois?

In Illinois, start with the Illinois Department of Public Health's plumbing page for plumbers and plumbing contractors; the law it names is quoted below. For roofers, see the Roofing Industry Licensing Act quoted below; the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation runs a License Lookup, and Chicago's Department of Buildings runs its own contractor search.

Source: Illinois Department of Public Health, plumbing page, read 22 October 2026.
Source: Illinois General Assembly, Roofing Industry Licensing Act, read 22 October 2026.
Source: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Check License page, read 22 October 2026.
Source: City of Chicago Department of Buildings, contractor search site, read 22 October 2026.

The license lookup is yours to run on the state's site.

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By InstaBids editorial team with AI research agents. Sources last read: 22 October 2026

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Key facts

Trade license pages

Who licenses plumbers in Illinois, and who may do plumbing?

The Illinois Department of Public Health's plumbing page, read 22 October 2026, says: "Under the Illinois Plumbing License Law (225 ILCS 320), the Department licenses plumbers, plumbing contractors, plumbers’ apprentices, irrigation contractors and retired plumbers."

Source: Illinois Department of Public Health, plumbing page, read 22 October 2026.

The same page says: "Individuals who plan, inspect, install, alter, extend, repair, and maintain plumbing systems in state of Illinois must be licensed."

Source: Illinois Department of Public Health, plumbing page, read 22 October 2026.

The Illinois General Assembly's site carries the full text of 225 ILCS 320. Section 0.01 of that law says: "This Act may be cited as the Illinois Plumbing License Law."

Source: Illinois General Assembly, Plumbing License Law (225 ILCS 320), read 22 October 2026.
Source: Illinois Department of Public Health, plumbing page, read 22 October 2026.

Section 3 of that law opens: “All planning and designing of plumbing systems and all plumbing shall be performed only by plumbers licensed under the provisions of this Act hereinafter called "licensed plumbers" and "licensed apprentice plumbers".”

Source: Illinois General Assembly, Plumbing License Law (225 ILCS 320), read 22 October 2026.

Section 3 of the same law also says: "Nothing herein contained shall prohibit the owner occupant or lessee occupant of a single family residence, or the owner of a single family residence under construction for his or her occupancy, from planning, installing, altering or repairing the plumbing system of such residence, provided that (i) such plumbing shall comply with the minimum standards for plumbing contained in the Illinois State Plumbing Code, and shall be subject to inspection by the Department or the local governmental unit if it retains a licensed plumber as an inspector; and (ii) such owner, owner occupant or lessee occupant shall not employ other than a plumber licensed pursuant to this Act to assist him or her."

Source: Illinois General Assembly, Plumbing License Law (225 ILCS 320), read 22 October 2026.

How do you check a plumber or plumbing contractor in Illinois?

Start from the department's plumbing page at dph.illinois.gov, the page quoted above, and ask the plumber for the license number. The plumbing page's Resources list links a plumbing license lookup.

Source: Illinois Department of Public Health, plumbing page, read 22 October 2026.

The plumbing page says: "All advertisements for plumbing services must include the plumbing license number in the advertisement." In our reading, a plumber's ad is one place to find the number before you hire.

Source: Illinois Department of Public Health, plumbing page, read 22 October 2026.

The plumbing page says: "All plumbing contractors must register with the state and pay an annual fee."

Source: Illinois Department of Public Health, plumbing page, read 22 October 2026.

Section 3 of the Plumbing License Law adds: "Plumbing contractors are also required to be registered pursuant to the provisions of this Act."

Source: Illinois General Assembly, Plumbing License Law (225 ILCS 320), read 22 October 2026.

Section 13.1 of the same law says: "All employees of a registered plumbing contractor who engage in plumbing work shall be licensed plumbers or apprentice plumbers in accordance with this Act."

Source: Illinois General Assembly, Plumbing License Law (225 ILCS 320), read 22 October 2026.

How do you look up a roofer's license in Illinois?

Through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. The Roofing Industry Licensing Act names it in section 2: the Department "means the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation."

Source: Illinois General Assembly, Roofing Industry Licensing Act, read 22 October 2026.

Section 9 of the Act reads: "It is unlawful for any person to engage in the business of providing professional roofing services or act in the capacity of or hold himself, herself, or itself out in any manner as a roofing contractor or a qualifying party without having been duly licensed or accepted by the Department under the provisions of this Act."

Source: Illinois General Assembly, Roofing Industry Licensing Act, read 22 October 2026.

Section 2 of the Act reads: “"Limited roofing license" means a license made available to contractors whose roofing business is limited to roofing residential properties consisting of 8 units or less.”

Source: Illinois General Assembly, Roofing Industry Licensing Act, read 22 October 2026.

Section 11 of the Act reads: "Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require a person who performs roofing or waterproofing work to the person's own property, or for no consideration, to be licensed as a roofing contractor."

Source: Illinois General Assembly, Roofing Industry Licensing Act, read 22 October 2026.

Section 5 of the Act reads: "Each State licensed roofing contractor shall affix the roofing contractor license number and the licensee's name, as it appears on the license, to all contracts and bids."

Source: Illinois General Assembly, Roofing Industry Licensing Act, read 22 October 2026.

The department's Check License page, idfpr.illinois.gov/checklicense.html, read 22 October 2026, says: "For Individuals or Entities, the following are License Look Up options for each of the Divisions for the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation."

Source: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Check License page, read 22 October 2026.

It also says: "All data within License Lookup is maintained by the State of Illinois, and it is updated regularly (daily updates for Single License Lookup, weekly updates for Bulk License Lookup) unless otherwise noted* below."

Source: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Check License page, read 22 October 2026.

A license issued in the last day may not show yet. The same page says: "Please allow up to 24 hours after your license is issued for it to be visible in the license lookup system."

Source: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Check License page, read 22 October 2026.

For discipline, section 11.6 of the roofing act reads: "A formal complaint filed against a licensee by the Department or any order issued by the Department against a licensee or applicant shall be a public record, except as otherwise prohibited by law."

Source: Illinois General Assembly, Roofing Industry Licensing Act, read 22 October 2026.

For copies, the Check License page says: "If you are requesting disciplinary documents for an individual or entity, please submit a FOIA request through their webpage."

Source: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Check License page, read 22 October 2026.

Who licenses other contractors in Chicago and elsewhere?

For Chicago, the city's Department of Buildings contractor site says: "The City of Chicago Department of Buildings administers licenses for contractors involved in the construction, maintenance, rehabilitation, and demolition of buildings and building systems."

Source: City of Chicago Department of Buildings, contractor search site, read 22 October 2026.

The same site adds: "Using this site, you can find currently licensed contractors and contractors with recently expired or inactivated licenses."

Source: City of Chicago Department of Buildings, contractor search site, read 22 October 2026.

Section 11 of the roofing act reads: "Nothing in this Act shall prevent a municipality, city, county, incorporated area, or school district from making laws or ordinances that are more stringent than those contained in this Act."

Source: Illinois General Assembly, Roofing Industry Licensing Act, read 22 October 2026.

For permits, the consumer rights text in section 20 of the Home Repair and Remodeling Act, 815 ILCS 513, says: "(6) Homeowners should check with local and county units of government to determine if permits or inspections are required."

Source: Illinois General Assembly, Home Repair and Remodeling Act, read 22 October 2026.

For other building work, ask the city or county where the job is what it requires.

Source: Illinois General Assembly, Home Repair and Remodeling Act, read 22 October 2026.

What should you ask an Illinois contractor before you search?

Ask for the license number and the name that will go on the contract, and, if you want, look it up with the agency that issued it as an optional public-record step. These are practical suggestions, not state rules.

  1. For plumbing, ask for the plumber's license number. The Illinois Department of Public Health's plumbing page says: "All advertisements for plumbing services must include the plumbing license number in the advertisement."

    Source: Illinois Department of Public Health, plumbing page, read 22 October 2026.

  2. Ask a plumbing contractor whether the business is registered with the state, then start from the department's plumbing page at dph.illinois.gov and note the date you looked. The plumbing page's Resources list links a plumbing license lookup.

    Source: Illinois General Assembly, Plumbing License Law (225 ILCS 320), read 22 October 2026.
    Source: Illinois Department of Public Health, plumbing page, read 22 October 2026.

  3. If you plan to do your own plumbing, read the section 3 text quoted above first.

    Source: Illinois General Assembly, Plumbing License Law (225 ILCS 320), read 22 October 2026.

  4. For roofing, ask for the license number and the name that go on the contract and bid, as quoted above from section 5.

    Source: Illinois General Assembly, Roofing Industry Licensing Act, read 22 October 2026.

  5. Open the Check License page, idfpr.illinois.gov/checklicense.html, use the License Look Up for the division that issued the roofing license, and note the date you searched; a brand-new license can take up to 24 hours to show.

    Source: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Check License page, read 22 October 2026.

  6. In Chicago, search the city's contractor site, which also lists recently expired or inactivated licenses.

    Source: City of Chicago Department of Buildings, contractor search site, read 22 October 2026.

  7. For a home repair job, ask the contractor for the Home Repair Consumer Rights document described below.

    Source: Office of the Illinois Attorney General, home repair fraud page, read 22 October 2026.

The Office of the Illinois Attorney General says: "The contractor should present the Home Repair Consumer Rights document for any work valued at $1000 or more."

Source: Office of the Illinois Attorney General, home repair fraud page, read 22 October 2026.

Who sees your contact details when you post a job on InstaBids?

One point about InstaBids follows. Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection.

Source: InstaBids process and privacy, live-page excerpts, read 22 October 2026.

Post your job on InstaBids, and contractors can bid in writing on one written scope.

Homeowners anywhere in the US can post a job; once you send it, InstaBids finds contractors to bid on it.

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