Illinois Certified Public Accountant (CPA) License Requirements
What the state board actually requires: fees, renewal cycle, and requirements from official records.
Provides accounting and auditing services. Requires Uniform CPA Exam.
What the Illinois data shows for Certified Public Accountant (CPA)s
Becoming a licensed certified public accountant (cpa) in Illinois means clearing a defined set of hurdles: board-approved training, a passing score on Uniform CPA Examination, and 1 year of supervised work experience, plus a background history check once the applicant turns 18. Illinois regulators place this credential inside their licensing framework, which classifies the training track as "Bachelors Degree with 150 credit hours".
The initial price tag is $464, and renewal costs $372 every 2 years. The license also carries an ongoing 80-hour continuing-education requirement per 2-year cycle that adds to the true cost of staying licensed.
Reciprocity for this profession works like this: CPA mobility: practice rights in all 55 US jurisdictions.
Licensing Ease Score
A higher score means this specific license is LESS burdensome to obtain and maintain here than the national requirement corpus, based on education hours, fees, continuing education, and experience requirements, not an overall judgment of the profession or the state.
Licensing Requirements in Illinois
Frequently Asked Questions
What license do I need for Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Illinois? ▼
How do I get certified as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Illinois? ▼
Can I transfer my Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license to Illinois from another state? ▼
Does Illinois require a background check for Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensing? ▼
What are the continuing education requirements for Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Illinois? ▼
Related Guides
What to do with this certified public accountant (cpa) license
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Illinois, with a documented reciprocity path, is one requirement row in a certified public accountant (cpa)-wide, 50-state comparison.
- See how Illinois's certified public accountant (cpa) requirements compare to every other state before relocating. Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in every state
- Confirm whether your out-of-state certified public accountant (cpa) license transfers under an interstate compact before starting a new application. Reciprocity guide
- See how Illinois's overall licensing burden compares to other states, not just this one profession. Illinois overview
Requirements shown are compiled from NCSL and Institute for Justice research; verify current rules with the Illinois licensing board before making career decisions.
Source: NCSL Occupational Licensing Database, Institute for Justice License to Work (3rd Ed.), state licensing board websites
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Institute for Justice, the PlainCredential comparison corpus (current as of May 15, 2026) maps 4,947 state licensing requirement records; see the methodology.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.