Illinois Business License

General Business License Requirements for Illinois.

Business licenses are often required of business entities, regardless of their products and services. This page provides an overview of business license requirements in Illinois.

Illinois General Business Licenses

Illinois Business License

Not required

General Business License licensure is not required on the State level in Illinois.

Illinois does not have a general business license at the state level, but local licenses are often required.

Local General Business Licenses

Chicago, IL (City)

Chicago Business License

Agency:	City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection - Small Business Center (IL)
Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite:	No
Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required?	No
Fact Checked:	8/17/21

Automatic Exemption

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Exemption Eligible Organizations:	Acupuncturists, Chiropractors, Naprapaths, and Osteopaths Architects Athletics (i.e. Professional Boxers, Boxing Managers, Referees, Timekeepers, Judges, Boxing Promoters and Seconds) Cemetery (Authorities, Managers, and Customer Service Employees) Certified Public Accountants Clinical Psychologists Clinical Social Workers and Social Workers Counselors (Professional and Clinical Professional) Cosmetology Schools and similar establishments Detection of Deception Examiners Dentists, Dental Assistants, Dental Hygienists Dietitians and Nutrition Counselors Engineers (Professional and Structural) Environmental Health Practitioners Funeral (Directors and Embalmers) Geologists (Professional) Landscape Architects Marriage and Family Therapists Nurses Nursing Home Administrators Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapist Assistants Optometrists Pharmacists Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants Physicians and Physician Assistants Podiatrists Private Detectives, Private Alarm Companies, and Security Guards Real Estate Brokers Respiratory Care Practitioners Shorthand Reporters Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists Surgical (Assistants and Technologists) Veterinarians and Veterinary Technicians Wholesale Drug Distributors ATMs not owned by financial institutions Check Printers Mortgage Bankers and Brokers Savings and Loan Associations Savings Banks State Chartered Banks Trust Companies Credit Unions Currency Exchanges Money Transmitters Title Insurance Companies
Notes:	Many business activities regulated by the state of Illinois, through the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation (IDFPR), are exempt from the requirement to obtain a Chicago Business License. If additional business activities are offered in the establishment/facility, which are not covered by the State of Illinois license, then a Chicago Business License may be required.
Fact Checked:	8/17/21

Initial Registration

More Details

Filing Method:	Online
Agency Fee:	Vary by business activity. See this page for detailed information.
Fact Checked:	8/17/21

Registration Renewal

More Details

Filing Method:	Online
Agency Fee:	Vary by business activity. See this page for detailed information.
Due:	Biennially
Fact Checked:	8/17/21

Elgin, IL (City)

City of Elgin Business License

More Information:	City of Elgin
Agency:	City of Elgin Community Development Department
Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite:	No
Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required?	No
Fact Checked:	10/5/20

Registration Renewal

More Details

Filing Method:	Online
Agency Fee:	$0
Due:	Annually by December 31st
Fact Checked:	10/5/20

Elmwood Park, IL (City)

The Village of Elmwood Park Business License

More Information:	The Village of Elmwood Park, IL
Agency:	The Village of Elmwood Park Businesses (IL)
Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite:	No
Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required?	No
Fact Checked:	10/6/20

Broadview, IL (City)

Village of Broadview Business License

More Information:	Village of Broadview, IL
Agency:	Village of Broadview Building Department (IL)
Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite:	No
Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required?	No
Fact Checked:	10/6/20

Elmwood, IL (City)

Village of Elmwood Park Business License

More Information:	The Village of Elmwood Park, IL
Agency:	Village of Elmwood Park Business Section (IL)
Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite:	No
Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required?	No
Fact Checked:	10/6/20

Learn about general business licensing requirements in other states:

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho

Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri

Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania

Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

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Revised August 17, 2021. Complete data last reviewed August 04, 2017.

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Illinois Business License

Illinois General Business Licenses

Illinois Business License

Local General Business Licenses

Chicago Business License

Automatic Exemption

Initial Registration

Registration Renewal

City of Elgin Business License

Registration Renewal

The Village of Elmwood Park Business License

Village of Broadview Business License

Village of Elmwood Park Business License

Learn about general business licensing requirements in other states:

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