Illinois · Checked October 22, 2026
State license. Illinois requires a state roofing contractor license from the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) for roofing work — general contractors who roof need it too; there is no separate general-contractor license that covers roofing. The business licenses through a qualifying party who passes the Continental Testing exam: a Limited license covers residential buildings of 8 units or fewer, an Unlimited license covers residential, commercial and industrial work, and a Commercial/Industrial-only path also exists. Bond, liability/property-damage insurance, workers' compensation and unemployment-insurance compliance are all conditions of the license.
| Item | Illinois |
|---|---|
| Regime | State license (Roofing Industry Licensing Act, 225 ILCS 335 — IDFPR) |
| Exam | IDFPR roofing qualifying-party examination via Continental Testing Services (CTS) — pass mark 70%. Three exams (Residential; Commercial/Industrial; combined Residential, Commercial & Industrial), administered at least 4 times a year (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1460.12), covering roofing practice plus Illinois jurisprudence. Exam fee $248 to Continental Testing. Application for examination is due about 60 days before the exam; the exam process must be completed within 3 years of application. |
| Experience | No fixed years-of-experience requirement in the Act — competence is tested by examination. The qualifying party must be a bona fide employee (W-2, under the employer's supervision/control, with payroll tax withholding and workers' comp) — a 1099 qualifier does not satisfy 225 ILCS 335/3 as amended by P.A. 104-427 (eff. Aug. 15, 2025). |
| Application fee | $125 not-returned application fee to IDFPR |
| License / registration fee | Exam fee $248 (Continental Testing) is separate from the IDFPR application fee |
| Total state cost | $373 in state/testing fees ($125 application + $248 exam), before bond premium and insurance — Renewal is priced at $62.50 per year ($125 for the 2-year period) in IDFPR fee summaries reported by multiple secondary guides; the $125 application fee is consistently reported against IDFPR. One secondary source listing Unlimited/Commercial application at $375 conflicts with the $125 figure and was not adopted. |
| Bond | Continuous surety bond filed with IDFPR (225 ILCS 335/3 and 3.2): $10,000 for a Limited license, $25,000 for an Unlimited license. The bond must stay in force; a 60-day termination notice by the surety cancels the license unless a new bond is filed effective on the termination date. |
| Insurance minimums | Public liability and property damage insurance as set by the Department (225 ILCS 335/3): the IDFPR certificate (Form RF-INS) minimums applied in practice are $500,000 per occurrence for personal injury / general liability and $250,000 per occurrence for property damage, plus workers' compensation for roofing employees (or approved self-insurance) and a Department of Employment Security unemployment-insurance account in good standing. |
| Who qualifies | Every licensee must designate a qualifying party — an owner/officer or full-time W-2 employee under the licensee's supervision and control — who passes the exam for the license class. The license is inoperable without a qualifying party; changes must be reported to IDFPR. |
| Timeline | Realistically 2-3 months: exam registration about 4-8 weeks ahead (exams offered at least quarterly / about 6 dates a year), results, then IDFPR application processing commonly 4-6 weeks after a complete packet (application, bond, insurance certificate, qualifying-party proof). |
| Renewal | Licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years (next: Dec. 31, 2027) regardless of issue date. Renew online/by mail with the renewal fee ($62.50/year), a certifying statement of continued bond and insurance compliance, and the designated qualifying party. No continuing education is required. Restoration after lapse costs the renewal fees plus $50 per lapsed year (capped, per secondary fee summaries). |
| Credential | Scope | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Limited | residential | Residential work only, on buildings of 8 units or fewer. Bond $10,000. |
| Unlimited | both | Residential, commercial and industrial work. Bond $25,000. Taken as the combined Residential, Commercial and Industrial exam, or by adding the Commercial/Industrial exam after passing Residential. |
| Commercial/Industrial | commercial | Commercial and industrial roofing only. Per 77 Ill. Adm. Code Part 1460 / IDFPR exam structure there are three examinations: Residential; Commercial and Industrial; and Residential, Commercial and Industrial. A holder must have passed the Residential exam before sitting for the Commercial/Industrial upgrade in the usual upgrade path described by IDFPR testing materials. |
A subcontractor performing roofing work needs its own Illinois roofing license in the right class — working under a licensed general contractor does not license the roofer. Sellers of roofing services/materials whose work is actually performed by a licensed subcontractor or another person are carved out by 225 ILCS 335/3(5). Public owners must verify the awarded vendor or subcontractor holds the active license and qualifying-party credential (P.A. 104-427).
The state license governs statewide and the license number must appear on contracts, bids, proposals, vehicles and advertising. Chicago adds its own layer: City of Chicago general contractor licensing and permits apply to work in the city on top of — never instead of — the state roofing license.
Paying, waiving or advertising a deductible waiver is an offense. Citation: 225 ILCS 335 (contract statement, P.A. 104-427) and 815 ILCS 513/18(b) (Home Repair and Remodeling Act). Two layers. (1) Every Illinois roofing contract must state in writing that if the owner pays with property-and-casualty insurance proceeds, the contractor cannot pay, waive, rebate, or promise to pay, waive or rebate all or part of any applicable insurance deductible. (2) 815 ILCS 513/18(b) independently bans any home repair/remodeling contractor from advertising or promising to pay or rebate all or any portion of an insurance deductible as an inducement — 'promise' expressly includes allowances, discounts and any compensation to the insured. Classified explicit_ban because the roofing Act bans the payment/waiver itself, not only the advertising.
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