STATE LICENSE
RequiredIllinois Department of Financial and Prof…
Illinois is a roofing-license state even though it has no general contractor license. Under the Roofing Industry Licensing Act (225 ILCS 335), every roofing business needs an IDFPR license: a Limited license for residential properties of 8 units or less, or an Unlimited license for residential, commercial, and industrial work. The license is held by the company and qualified by one designated individual — the qualifying party — who must pass the state exam.
The Act was rewritten by P.A. 104-427 (effective August 15, 2025) and now runs to January 1, 2031. Two details trip up out-of-state crews: the qualifying party must be a W-2 employee of the licensee (never a 1099 contractor), and every homeowner contract must carry a 72-hour rescission clause, an insurance-deductible warning, and a bold-faced statement that payments are held in trust until materials arrive or most of the work is done.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
State licensure is a precondition to the local permit: a municipality or county may not issue a roofing building permit without proof of a current state license, and limited licensees may only pull permits for residential properties of 8 units or less (225 ILCS 335/5(a-3)). The Act expressly preserves local permits, inspections, plan review, and occupational license fees, and lets local governments adopt stricter ordinances (§ 11(1), (5), (6), (12)). Local code officials may also enforce the vehicle-marking rule.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Illinois county on file.
Each row names the issuing authority, cost, timeline, citation, and status behind the requirement — verified against the official source.
Published fees from the issuing authorities, as of October 2026. Local permit fees vary by project and jurisdiction — the basis is stated where a flat number does not exist.
P.A. 104-427 (eff. Aug 15, 2025) overhauled the Act, raised the unlicensed-practice civil penalty ceiling to $15,000, and extended the sunset to January 1, 2031.
The qualifying party must be on payroll with FICA and withholding deducted and workers' comp provided — renting someone's credential is a disciplinary violation.
If the surety files a 60-day termination notice and no replacement bond is filed, the license cancels on the termination date without a hearing.
A practical sequence for a new roofing contractor in Illinois. Actual agency processing times are noted in the ledger above.
Each item names the issuing authority, cycle, and citation.
Statutory consequences with their citations — not estimates, not “commonly cited” guesses.
Practicing, offering, or holding out as a roofer without a license draws a Department civil penalty after hearing, payable within 60 days and enforceable as a judgment.
Any violation of the Act is a Class A misdemeanor for a first offense; second and subsequent offenses are Class 4 felonies. Each day is a separate offense.
Knowingly advertising without the license number, or lending your number to another, is a Class A misdemeanor; each day an ad runs is a separate offense.
Inside city limits, the city office listed here issues the permit; the county office serves unincorporated areas. Every office links to its official page.
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: Current qualifying-party exam fee charged by IDFPR's testing vendor (the Act and rule leave it to the testing service) · Exact consumer-facing CTS exam schedule and pass score (not stated in the Act or Part 1460)
General information, not legal advice. Always confirm requirements, deadlines, and forms with the issuing authority before filing or contracting.
Store licenses, permits, policies, and renewal dates in one place.