Become a Nurse in Illinois – Licensure & Requirements

^{Credential requirements above reflect the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (209) Qualifications for Licensure, Registered Nurse User Guide, and Licensed Practical Nurse User Guide, current as of this page’s last review.}

Illinois Nursing Salaries

^{Careers as a nurse salaries above were retrieved from the Bureau of Labor Statistics – Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for the May 2025 reference period.}

There are many paths to becoming a nurse in Illinois. The path you take will mostly depend upon the type of nurse you’d like to become and your current or prospective level of education. The higher your level of education, the more opportunities you’ll have to choose where and how you pursue your career in nursing.

In addition to nursing salaries in Illinois, you’ll find information on acquiring and maintaining several types of Illinois nursing licensure. We’re constantly making updates, but with the speed of change in the healthcare sphere it’s difficult to stay current. If you have any comments or suggestions for our information on nursing in Illinois, please email us at info@nursinglicensemap.com!

Illinois Nursing Licensure Fees at a Glance

* The NCLEX-RN/NCLEX-PN examination fee is $200 for U.S. licensure through January 31, 2027. According to NCSBN’s NCLEX Fees & Payment page, a $350 fee takes effect February 1, 2027. The application and endorsement fees above are drawn from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s Registered Nurse User Guide and Licensed Practical Nurse User Guide; the 20-hour continuing-education figure is drawn from the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center’s RN and LPN continuing-education FAQs.

APRN fees and renewal follow a different structure tied to an underlying RN license — see Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in Illinois below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Illinois a Nurse Licensure Compact state?

No — see Compact State Status below.

How much does it cost to get an RN or LPN license in Illinois?

$98 to apply and $200 for the NCLEX exam either way (rising to $350 on February 1, 2027), plus $50 if you’re transferring a license from another state. See the fee table above.

How often do Illinois nurses renew their license?

RNs renew by May 31 of even-numbered years; LPNs renew by January 31 of odd-numbered years. Both require 20 hours of continuing education.

Can Illinois APRNs practice without physician collaboration?

Some can. An APRN who meets Illinois’s Full Practice Authority clinical-hour and continuing-education thresholds may qualify — see Prescriptive Authority in Illinois below.

Can I transfer my out-of-state nursing license to Illinois?

Yes, through endorsement. Both RNs and LPNs licensed in another state may apply for an Illinois license through endorsement, subject to board approval, for a $50 application fee, per the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s Registered Nurse User Guide and Licensed Practical Nurse User Guide — see the Endorsement note in the RN and LPN sections below.

Compact State Status

As of September 2026, Illinois has not enacted the Nurse Licensure Compact.

A nurse licensed only in Illinois does not hold a multistate license, and a multistate license issued by another compact state is not valid for practice in Illinois. According to the Nurse Licensure Compact’s current member map, Illinois is not a member state.

Prescriptive Authority in Illinois

An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) may apply for Full Practice Authority after completing at least 4,000 hours of qualifying APRN clinical practice and at least 250 hours of qualifying continuing education. An APRN who holds Full Practice Authority and prescribes, stores, or dispenses Schedule II–V controlled substances must also hold the applicable Full Practice Authority controlled-substances registration. An APRN who has not met the Full Practice Authority thresholds generally practices under a written collaborative practice agreement with a physician, subject to the facility-based exceptions IDFPR recognizes.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in Illinois

APRNs in Illinois include nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, registered nurse anesthetists, and clinical nurse specialists.

Education: Graduate degree leading to national certification in clinical advanced practice registered nursing specialty or graduate degree or post-master’s certificate from a graduate level program in clinical advanced practice registered nursing speciality.

Examination: Varies for Different Certifications

Certification Required:

• Nurse Midwife: Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) from the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB)
• Nurse Practitioner: Nurse Practitioner certification from AACN Certification Corporation, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB, operating as the Nurse Practitioner Certification Board (NPCB)), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the National Certification Corporation (NCC), or the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB)
• Nurse Anesthetist: Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) from the National Board on the Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA)
• Clinical Nurse Specialist: Clinical Nurse Specialist certification from AACN Certification Corporation or the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)

Accepted certifying organizations for each APRN role are listed in IDFPR’s Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (209) qualifications for licensure.

Fees:

• Certification Examination Fee (Varies for Different Certifications)

Additional Information: An active Illinois registered nurse license is required for application.

Renewal: APRNs must renew registered licenses before renewing advanced practice nurse (APN) or controlled substance licenses. Except for a nurse’s first APRN renewal, which is exempt from the continuing-education requirement, advanced practice nurses must complete 80 hours of continuing education per two-year renewal cycle, including at least 50 hours through qualifying continuing-education programs, of which at least 20 hours must be pharmacotherapeutics hours, including 10 hours of opioid-prescribing or substance-use-disorder education. APRNs must retain records of current national certification, active RN licensure, and completed continuing education, and produce them if IDFPR requests them. This structure reflects the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center’s APRN and FPA-APRN continuing education requirements (published October 17, 2025).

Learn more on how to become an advanced practice registered nurse.

Registered Nurse (RN) in Illinois

Education: Completion of an Approved Registered Nurse Program

Examination: NCLEX-RN

Fees:

• $98 Application Fee
• $200 Examination Fee (NCLEX-RN) through January 31, 2027; $350 beginning February 1, 2027

Endorsement: Individuals licensed as a registered nurse in another state may apply for licensure through endorsement, subject to board approval. A $50 application fee is required.

Renewal: Registered nurses must renew registered licenses by 5/31 of each even year with proof of completion of 20 hours of continuing education completed in the past two years.

Learn more on how to become a registered nurse.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in Illinois

Education: Completion of an Approved Licensed Practical Nurse Program

Examination: NCLEX-PN

Fees:

• $98 Application Fee
• $200 Examination Fee (NCLEX-PN) through January 31, 2027; $350 beginning February 1, 2027

Endorsement: Individuals licensed as a licensed practical nurse in another state may apply for licensure through endorsement, subject to board approval. A $50 application fee is required.

Renewal: Licensed Practical Nurses must renew licenses by 1/31 of each odd year with proof of completion of 20 hours of continuing education completed in the past two years.

Learn more on how to become a licensed practical nurse.

Information Disclosure:

^{Information for the nursing careers above: advanced practice registered nurse, registered nurse and licensed practical nurse was retrieved from the Illinois Nurse Practice Act and Rules, current as of this page’s last review.}