FAQs for Applicants
1. What professions are regulated by the Department? The Department’s website lists all regulated professions.
2. How can I apply for a license? You can find applications and information about applying for a license on the
Department’s website
. Click on the appropriate profession name and select “Licensee Application and Forms.” Please
note the Department no longer accepts paper applications for certain professions as indicated on the Department’s
website.
3. Which professions require an online application? Beginning September 1, 2017, the Department will no longer
accept paper applications for specific professions, including, but not limited to, the following:
• Advance Practice Nurse
• Barbers, Cosmetologists, Estheticians, Nail
Technicians
• Certified Public Accountants
• Massage Therapist
• Licensed Practical Nurse
• Limited Liability Company
• Medical Corporation
• Permanent Employee Registration Card
• Pharmacy Technician
• Professional Service Corporation
• Public Accounting Firm
• Registered Nurse
4. I don’t have access to a computer, how can I submit an application? Please contact the Division Call Center at 1-
800-560-6420 and request a “Special Processing Request Form.” Please note that this form is only available for those
who cannot gain access to a computer without experiencing extreme hardship and may result in an additional 6 to 8
weeks of delay compared to applications submitted via the Department’s website.
5. Do I have to pay a fee with my application? Yes, fees are stated in the application materials and in administrative
rules which you can find on your profession’s page
.
6. How do I check the status of my application? You can call the Division Call Center at 1-800-560-6420 to check the
status of your application.
7. When will I receive examination results? If you have taken an examination administered in Illinois by the
Department or its designated testing agent, your results will be mailed to the address on your examination application
as soon as they are received by the Department from the testing service or national board. If you have moved since
taking the exam or have questions regarding your examination results, please contact Continental Testing Service at
708-354-9911.
8. Will my criminal conviction prevent me from becoming licensed? Most criminal convictions are not an automatic
bar to licensure, however, the following may apply, but is not a complete list of all requirements for licensure:
• Health care workers, as listed in 68 IAC 1130.110
, are automatically and permanently denied licensure for
the following convictions: (1) crimes requiring registration under the Sex Offender Registration Act or for
which sex offender registration is sentenced; (2) involuntary sexual servitude of a minor; (3) criminal battery
against any patient in the course of patient care or treatment; and (4) forcible felonies, as listed in
68 IAC
1130.120. However, beginning January 1, 2017, a health care worker denied licensure or permanently
revoked due to certain forcible felonies may file a Petition to Review the denial or revocation. See FAQs for
first time applicants or previously denied/revoked persons for more information.
• Pharmacists & Pharmacy Technicians, as listed in the Pharmacy Practice Act
, are automatically and
permanently denied licensure for the following convictions: (1) a second felony conviction under the Illinois
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
Division of Professional Regulation
Controlled Substances Act; or (2) a second Class 1 felony conviction under Sections 8A-3 and 8A-6 of the
Illinois Public Aid Code.
• Massage therapists, as listed in the Massage Licensing Act
, are automatically barred from licensure for any
conviction of prostitution, rape, or sexual misconduct, or where the applicant is a registered sex offender. 225
ILCS 57/15(a)(2).
9. I received a “Notice of Intent to Deny Licensure” based on my criminal conviction, what should I do? Your
conviction may not be an automatic bar to the issuance of a license and usually does not result in denial of licensure,
so you are strongly advised to cooperate with the Department. You have twenty (20) days from the date the notice
was mailed to submit a written statement indicating why your license should be issued and request a hearing. You
may wish to submit evidence showing that you are rehabilitated, that you cooperated with any investigative
authorities, that you paid restitution to injured parties, that you self-reported misconduct, or any voluntary remedial
actions you have taken, etc. You have the right to be represented by an attorney and are strongly advised to seek
representation.
10. I have a criminal conviction, what factors will the Department look at when considering whether my license
should be issued? The Department may consider, but is not limited to, the following factors: (i) the direct relation of
the offense to the responsibilities of the license being sought; (ii) whether you have been subsequently convicted since
the date of the conviction or your release from confinement; (iii) lack of prior misconduct in a licensed profession in
this State or another state or jurisdiction; (iv) your age at the time of the offense; (v) if your conviction would prohibit
you from such work through federal law; (vi) completion of sentence, parole, probation, etc.; (vii) your professional
character; and (viii) evidence of rehabilitation.
DISCLAIMER: The above questions and answers are provided for general information only and may not be completely accurate in every circumstance, do not purport
to be legal advice, and are not intended to be legally binding on the Department in a particular case. Questions involving interpretation of the law and your legal rights
and obligations should be addressed to your lawyer.
