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How to get a Registered Professional Nurse (RN) license in Illinois

Illinois licenses registered nurses statewide through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation.1 For the Registered Professional Nurse (RN) license you need a passing score on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for registered professional nurses2 and a criminal background check1. The board lists $50 for the application3. You renew every 2 years4 and complete at least 20 hours of continuing education5.

Last checked · 16 official sources

Who issues it

Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation

Training and experience

An approved education program; see the requirements

Exam

National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for registered professional nurses2

Fees the board lists

Application fee: $503

Renewal

Every 2 years4, at least 20 hours of continuing education5

From another state

License by endorsement, Temporary license or permit and Military service members and spouses678 Details

On this page
  1. Who needs a Registered Professional Nurse (RN) license
  2. Requirements for a Registered Professional Nurse (RN) license
  3. How much a Registered Professional Nurse (RN) license costs
  4. How to apply
  5. Renewal and continuing education
  6. Moving to Illinois with a license from another state
  7. Check a license or report a problem
  8. Laws and rules
  9. Rule changes since January 2024
  10. Common questions
  11. Registered nurse (RN) licenses in other states

Who needs a Registered Professional Nurse (RN) license

Protection, promotion and optimisation of health, prevention of illness and injury, developing and implementing the nursing plan of care, nursing interventions, care coordination and advocacy, with or without compensation, in all settings.9

Other rules on who may do this work:

  • License-pending RN: a graduate who has passed the NCLEX and applied may work under RN/APRN direction (not in management) for up to 6 months after passing, until licensed or denied.1

Requirements for a Registered Professional Nurse (RN) license

Education or training
Graduation from a professional (RN) nursing education program approved by IDFPR, or a certificate of completion of pre-licensure requirements from another U.S. jurisdiction.1
Who may teach it: Board-reviewed, Department-approved program; since December 31, 2022 programs must hold national programmatic accreditation recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.10
Alternative: Internationally educated: credentials evaluation report (CGFNS/TruMerit CES, ERES or other approved service) and, if first language is not English, TOEFL or IELTS; apply by examination if never licensed in the U.S.6
Alternative: Graduates of a nonapproved correspondence or non-concurrent program may be licensed with an approved advanced graduate nursing degree, or with another-state license plus at least 2 years of active clinical practice (1,500 direct-care hours per year).11
Exam
National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for registered professional nurses2
Given by: Continental Testing Services (Department-designated testing service) and Pearson VUE12
Passing score: Pass/fail grade on an ability scale measuring minimum RN competency2
When you can take it: CTS approves the exam application once educational documents, the fingerprint TCN receipt and other materials arrive; Pearson VUE then emails the ATT (valid 6 months). After passing, apply to IDFPR within one year.12
Retakes: Failed candidates reapply to CTS and Pearson VUE. Illinois graduates who do not test within 180 days of graduation or fail a second time must complete an NCLEX prep class (or free remediation from their school) before retesting.12
Time limit: Pass within 3 years of the initial application or the application is denied; a new application then requires an additional course of education (NCLEX review course per rule).1
Exam waived: Not re-taken by endorsement applicants who passed the NCLEX or State Board Test Pool Examination.7
Background check
Background check required1
Fingerprints required11
Most convictions are not an automatic bar; sex-offender-registration offenses, involuntary sexual servitude of a minor, criminal battery of a patient and (depending on dates) forcible felonies bar licensure by law.13
Social Security number
Applicants who cannot obtain an SSN complete an IDFPR affidavit; proof of an SSN is due within 10 days of receipt, and a new affidavit may accompany the first renewal.6
Also required
An exam application stays open 3 years; after that the applicant must start over.6

How much a Registered Professional Nurse (RN) license costs

FeeAmountPaid toNotes
Application fee$503Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional RegulationLicensure by examination or endorsement. Not refundable
Temporary license or permit$253Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional RegulationTemporary endorsement permit or temporary restoration permit. Not refundable
License verification to another state$203Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional RegulationNot refundable
Review and verification of examination scoring$203Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional RegulationPlus testing-service charges. Not refundable
Individual program approval request (out-of-state CE)$255Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional RegulationCE from an unapproved out-of-state sponsor; late requests add $50 per CE hour (max $300)

Each line is a separate charge as the board lists it. The board does not publish a combined total, so none is shown here.

The board's pages we cite do not list the exam fee.

How to apply

  1. Get fingerprinted by an Illinois-licensed Livescan vendor within 60 days before applying (keep the TCN receipt).11
  2. Apply to sit for the NCLEX-RN with both Continental Testing Services (CTS) and Pearson VUE (this is the exam application, not the license application); CTS reviews documents and Pearson VUE emails the Authorization to Test.12
  3. Take the exam; CTS mails official results within 10 business days and sends a pass letter.12
  4. After passing, apply for the license with IDFPR and pay the $50 application fee (mail the pass letter/"mini app" or pay online); apply within one year of passing.12
  5. Licensed in another state? Apply by endorsement online ($50) with license verification from the original and current states; a $25 temporary endorsement permit lets you work for up to 6 months.3
Temporary or provisional license
License-pending RN status for exam passers (up to 6 months); temporary endorsement permit ($25, 6 months, extendable for hardship) for nurses licensed elsewhere; foreign graduates may get a temporary license once fingerprinted, credentials verified and fees ($50 + $25) paid.1
Processing time
Temporary endorsement permit issued no later than 14 days after a complete application; after renewing online, allow 2-4 business days for the license to post.7

Renewal and continuing education

How often
Every 2 years4
Renewal fee
$403 (Charged per year of the license period)
Continuing education
At least 20 hours each renewal period5
Required topics
1 hour sexual harassment prevention training (all DPR licenses requiring CE), counted within the 20 hours.15
1 hour implicit bias awareness training (from the 2024 renewal), counted within the 20 hours.16
1 hour Alzheimer's disease and other dementias for RNs with direct patient interaction with adults 26 and older (from 2024), may count toward the 20 hours.16
Mandated reporter training at least every 6 years for nurses who work with children (Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act).16
Skills certification courses count for at most 5 hours (max 2 CPR, max 3 BLS/ACLS/PALS).5
Approved courses
CE from approved sponsors: ANCC-accredited providers, CME conferences, other states' board-approved providers, approved nursing programs, licensed hospitals/ASTCs, accredited schools and government agencies, or a licensed IDFPR nurse CE sponsor.5
Exemptions
No CE for the first renewal of an Illinois license.5
Waiver for extreme hardship (armed forces service, incapacitating illness, physical inability to reach programs, similar circumstances) requested before the renewal date.5
Late renewal
Reinstatement fee: $503 (expired license: $50 plus all lapsed renewal fees, max $250)
If it expires
Practising on an expired license is unlicensed practice. Restore by application with proof of fitness and the restoration fee; more than 5 years expired/inactive requires an application and proof of fitness as specified by rule. A $25 temporary restoration permit is available to nurses with an active license elsewhere.8
If the online renewal window closes, request a Reinstatement application from IDFPR.14
CE audit: licensees certify compliance on the renewal and must keep certificates for random audit.5

Renewal planner

Enter the expiration date printed on your Illinois Registered Professional Nurse (RN) license. The count is worked out on your device from today's date; nothing is sent anywhere.

Moving to Illinois with a license from another state

These are the routes the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation publishes for the Registered Professional Nurse (RN) license.

Route
License by endorsement
What the board says
Licensure by endorsement for nurses licensed in another jurisdiction: $50 fee, proof of graduation from a qualifying program, NCLEX (or SBTPE) passage, fingerprints, verification from original and current licensing states; foreign-educated applicants add a credentials evaluation.6
Conditions
Applicants licensed elsewhere are exempt from the 3-year NCLEX review-course rule.2
Fee
$503
Route
Temporary license or permit
What the board says
Temporary Endorsement Permit: work pending the endorsement license; requires the endorsement application and fee, copies of current licenses (at least one active U.S. license, checked on Nursys), fingerprint verification and the $25 permit fee; issued within 14 days, ends after 6 months.7
Fee
$253
Route
Military service members and spouses
What the board says
RN licenses that expired during active federal military service may be restored without lapsed renewal fees within 2 years of honourable termination of service.8
Conditions
Temporary endorsement permits can be extended beyond 6 months for full-time Armed Forces service (hardship).7

Check a license or report a problem

Before you hire a registered nurse in Illinois, you can confirm the license is current on the board's own search. Every board we cover in Illinois is on the Illinois license lookup page.

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

Rule changes since January 2024

  • May 12, 2026: IDFPR internationally-educated-nurse guide lists new minimum English-test scores effective 5/12/2026.6

Common questions

Can I transfer my registered nurse license to Illinois?

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation publishes these routes for the Registered Professional Nurse (RN) license: license by endorsement6 and temporary license or permit7. Conditions and forms.

How often do you renew a Registered Professional Nurse (RN) license in Illinois?

Every 2 years4. Continuing education: at least 20 hours5. The renewal fee is $403.

Registered nurse (RN) licenses in other states

Sources

Every number and rule above links to one of these official pages. Select a footnote number to read the board's own words.

  1. 225 ILCS 65/60-10 RN licensure by examinationIllinois General Assembly (Illinois Compiled Statutes)Dated January 1, 2025Checked November 7, 2026
  2. 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1300.310Illinois Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1300, IDFPR rules)Dated January 4, 2021Checked November 7, 2026
  3. 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1300.30 FeesIllinois Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1300, IDFPR rules)Dated January 4, 2021Checked November 7, 2026
  4. 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1300.40Illinois Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1300, IDFPR rules)Dated June 14, 2019Checked November 7, 2026
  5. 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1300.130Illinois Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1300, IDFPR rules)Dated January 4, 2021Checked November 7, 2026
  6. License Regulations – Internationally Educated NursesIllinois Department of Financial and Professional RegulationDated September 24, 2026Checked November 7, 2026
  7. 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1300.320Illinois Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1300, IDFPR rules)Dated January 4, 2021Checked November 7, 2026
  8. 225 ILCS 65/60-25 Restoration of RN license; temporary permitIllinois General Assembly (Illinois Compiled Statutes)Dated January 1, 2018Checked November 7, 2026
  9. 225 ILCS 65/60-35 RN scope of practiceIllinois General Assembly (Illinois Compiled Statutes)Dated January 1, 2018Checked November 7, 2026
  10. 225 ILCS 65/60-5 RN education program requirementsIllinois General Assembly (Illinois Compiled Statutes)Dated January 1, 2024Checked November 7, 2026
  11. 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1300.300Illinois Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1300, IDFPR rules)Dated January 4, 2021Checked November 7, 2026
  12. Overview of the Nurse Testing Application ProcessIllinois Department of Financial and Professional RegulationChecked November 7, 2026
  13. FAQs About How Having a Criminal Conviction Could Affect Getting a Nursing LicenseIllinois Department of Financial and Professional RegulationChecked November 7, 2026
  14. IDFPR – NursesIllinois Department of Financial and Professional RegulationChecked November 7, 2026
  15. Sexual Harassment Prevention Training CE requirement FAQsIllinois Department of Financial and Professional RegulationChecked November 7, 2026
  16. FAQs About Illinois RN Continuing EducationIllinois Department of Financial and Professional RegulationChecked November 7, 2026