Illinois brokers who failed to renew their real estate licenses, complete their renewal applications and pay their fees to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) by April 30 must contact IDFPR for direction. They cannot practice selling real estate until the matter is resolved.

IDFPR is available by phone 1-800-560-6420 or email [email protected].

A late renewal fee of $50 is added to the license renewal fee of $150, making a total of $200.

In addition, those who renew without completing the required CE could face a penalty of up to $75 per 3 hour course, or $25 per credit hour, that you were deficient (e.g., deficient 3 hours, $75 penalty).

Those who were required to take post-license courses but renewed and then discovered they took CE will likely be notified of the mistake after the IDFPR audit. Those brokers should take the post-license coursework as soon as possible so the correct records may be sent to the department. Brokers may still be fined up to $25 per credit hour, but it is always best to notify the department to avoid additional penalties.  Unfortunately, the CE completed will not count for the brokers’ next renewal cycle.

What if brokers can’t find a course? The 15-hour Broker Post-License Topics may be taken by home study delivery, but if the Broker Post License Applied Real Estate Practices course isn’t available through any schools, a private instructor may be hired.

IDFPR website does not show updates immediately – The online License Lookup is updated daily but changes should appear in one to two business days, depending on volume.

Email notifications pending – Brokers who completed their CE, paid the fee and submitted the renewal form on or before April 30 may practice their profession even if they have not received the email notification yet.

The email notification will come from IDFPR Notification ([email protected]).

Keep copies – Brokers should keep records of their CE, their online renewal confirmation and payment in the case of an audit. Primary source verification and evidence that they are licensed can be obtained free of charge by visiting the IDFPR online License Lookup database at: https://ilesonline.idfpr.illinois.gov/DPR/Lookup/LicenseLookup.aspx.

Also, brokers may print out a screen shot of their license number showing that it is active. If the IDFPR does not have a current email address for a broker, he or she should notify the department immediately. Brokers can change their email addresses by contacting the IDFPR at: https://www.idfpr.com/applications/LicenseReprint/.