Before you hire · Illinois
Verify a contractor license in Illinois.
Thirty seconds on the official lookup beats a year of regret. Here is where Illinois keeps the records, and what to actually check.
The official source
IDFPR — idfpr.illinois.gov/
No statewide general contractor license — cities license GCs (Chicago has its own system). Roofing contractors are state-licensed, and that one is worth checking every time.
What to check, in order
- The license exists and is active — not expired, not suspended. Match the exact business name or license number from the bid.
- The classification fits your job — a handyman registration is not a roofing license; several states cap the dollar size of jobs by license class.
- Bond and insurance are current — where the state lookup shows them, read them. Where it doesn't, ask for certificates and call the carrier.
- Complaint or discipline history — one old complaint means little; a pattern means everything.
Three questions that expose problems fast
- "What name is your license under?" — evasive answers here end conversations.
- "Who carries your liability policy?" — legitimate pros answer instantly.
- "Will the permit be pulled under your license?" — a contractor asking you to pull the permit is often working around a license they don't have.
Keep going
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