How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Illinois

Checked against Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Real Estate · Verified 2026-10-11

Exam: Required
Training: Required
Term: Expires April 30 of an even-numbered year; a broker first licensed on or after November 1, 2025 expires April 30, 2028
State fee: Initial broker license application fee: $150 (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1450.130). A broker first licensed within the first renewal period pays no initial renewal fee and receives a license that runs to the second renewal deadline. Card payments carry a processing fee.
Licensed by: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Real Estate

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Who can apply

Be at least 18 years old.
Have graduated from high school or have a GED.
Complete 75 hours of approved broker pre-license education (attorneys admitted to practice in Illinois are exempt).
Be sponsored by an Illinois sponsoring broker.

Step by step

Complete the 75-hour broker pre-license education at an IDFPR-approved school: Broker Pre-License Topics (60 hours) and Broker Pre-License Applied Real Estate Principles–Interactive (15 hours).
Create a PSI account and upload your course certificate; PSI approves your eligibility by email.
Pay the $58 exam fee and pass both the national and Illinois state portions of the PSI broker exam.
Within 1 year of passing, apply for the broker license on the IDFPR Online Services Portal and pay the $150 application fee.
Select your sponsoring broker in the application; the sponsoring broker must confirm the selection.
Complete the 45-hour broker post-license education before your first license expiration date.

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Training and exam

Training: 75 class hours from an IDFPR-approved real estate school: Broker Pre-License Topics (60 hours, any format) and Broker Pre-License Applied Real Estate Principles–Interactive (15 hours of situational and case studies, in a classroom, live interactive webinar, or online distance education). The education is valid for 2 years after completion. Attorneys admitted to practice law by the Illinois Supreme Court are exempt. Licensed brokers from other states may instead take a 30-hour Broker Pre-License Endorsement Course.

Exam: Given by PSI, at a test center or by remote proctoring (physical calculators allowed only at test centers). Broker exam: national portion, 100 questions, 150 minutes, passing score 70%; Illinois state portion, 40 questions, 90 minutes, passing score 75%. Up to 5–10 unscored experimental questions may be added. Fee: $58, not refundable; forfeited if you do not test within 1 year of payment. You only retake the portion you failed. You get up to 4 attempts during a 2-year eligibility period; after a fourth failure you must retake the 75-hour pre-license education and the whole exam. You must apply for the license within 1 year of passing or retake the exam.

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What it costs in Illinois

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

75-hour broker pre-license course tuition$
PSI exam fee$58
IDFPR broker license application fee$150

Estimated total in Illinois$208Plus 1 item with no state-set price. Add your quotes above to complete the total.

Cost details from the state

PSI exam fee: $58 per attempt.
Pre-license and post-license course tuition: set by each approved school; not stated by IDFPR.

What other sites get wrong about Illinois

Myth: The Illinois broker exam costs $55.

Fact: The PSI broker exam fee is $58 per attempt and is not refundable. source

Myth: The initial Illinois broker license application fee is $125.

Fact: The initial broker license application fee is $150 under 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1450.130. source

After you're licensed

Renewal: Broker licenses renew every 2 years, with a deadline of April 30 of even-numbered years; the renewal fee is $200. New brokers must finish 45 hours of approved post-license education before their first expiration (April 30, 2028 for licenses issued on or after November 1, 2025); it includes the required 1-hour sexual harassment prevention training. After that, each renewal needs 12 hours of CE: a 6-hour core course and 6 elective hours, including sexual harassment prevention training. A license expired up to 2 years can be renewed with a $75 late fee.

Good to know in Illinois

Sponsoring broker: You choose your sponsoring broker in the online license application, and the sponsoring broker must confirm the selection. IDFPR also publishes a sponsor card form.

Out-of-state licensees: A broker licensed and active in good standing in another state can qualify by endorsement after a 30-hour Broker Pre-License Endorsement Course, then must pass the PSI broker endorsement exam (unlimited attempts during a 2-year eligibility period), and must show proof of good standing from every state where they hold a license.

Unapproved school notice: IDFPR announced on December 16, 2025 that courses from Real Estate School of Illinois (ABR Real Estate Corporation) no longer satisfy Illinois education requirements until further notice.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Real Estate before you apply.