How to check a real estate license in Illinois

To check an Illinois real estate license, use the Real Estate License Look Up linked from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation's Check License page. IDFPR says its lookup shows a license's current status, a summary of any discipline and the expiration date, and that single-license results are updated daily. IDFPR also publishes a monthly report of disciplinary actions across its divisions. To complain, complete the Division of Real Estate's brokerage complaint form and email or mail it to the division. IDFPR cannot give legal advice, order refunds of fees, award damages or enforce contracts. Illinois law provides a Real Estate Recovery Fund for certain cash losses caused by a licensee, collected through a court judgment.

Sources checked Sep 30, 2026 on official Illinois government pages. Next review due Mar 30, 2027.

Look up the license

Open the IDFPR Real Estate License Look Up

What the search shows

According to the regulator’s own description, the search shows:

The current status of the license
A summary of discipline, if any

IDFPR says discipline that has been stayed or reversed does not appear in the summary. Source

IDFPR's renewal page says the lookup also shows a license's expiration date. Source

IDFPR says single-license lookup results are updated daily. For disciplinary documents, it asks you to submit a Freedom of Information Act request. Source

Match the license number as well as the name. Different people can share a name.

Check for disciplinary actions

IDFPR publishes a monthly report of the disciplinary actions it takes, with the professional's name, the city where the licensee is registered, the discipline imposed and a brief description.

Open the official page

File a complaint

Complete the Division of Real Estate Brokerage Complaint Form.
Email it to the address on the form, or mail it to the Division of Real Estate's Complaint Intake Unit in Chicago at the address on the complaint page.

IDFPR acknowledges complaints that are not anonymous in writing and tells you when it has closed the matter, but it cannot give a specific timeline. An anonymous complaint must be supported by evidence or it will be closed. You may be required to testify as a witness in an administrative proceeding.

Limits on what the regulator can do

IDFPR cannot give legal advice or act as your attorney.
It cannot order the refund of fees, award damages, or enforce or cancel contracts, and it cannot mediate commission disputes.

Open the official complaint page

Real Estate Recovery Fund

Illinois law provides a Real Estate Recovery Fund for people who lose actual cash money, as opposed to market value, through certain violations by a licensee, such as embezzlement, fraud, misrepresentation, discrimination or deceit. Recovery comes through a court judgment and a post-judgment order for collection from the fund. The lawsuit must be started within 2 years after you knew or should have known of the violation, and you must give the Department written notice within 30 days of any judgment. The law also requires naming every responsible licensee as a defendant in the lawsuit, and it sets further conditions. The maximum amounts are set by rule.

This page summarizes official state sources. It is not legal advice.

Read the official page

What a license check cannot tell you

A current, active license shows that the state allows the person to practice. It does not show sales results, skill or client satisfaction.
A lookup shows the record as of the regulator’s last update. Check again close to when you sign an agreement.