State of illinois department of professional regulation

$60

By November 30 of even-numbered years.

Online

$150

Triennially by May 31. Upcoming renewal years are 2021, 2024, 2027, etc.

$0

Changes to company address, email addresses, and telephone numbers can be reported online.

$25,000 surety bond.

Online

$750

Triennially by May 31. Upcoming renewal years are 2021, 2024, 2027, etc.

$0

Changes to company address, email addresses, and telephone numbers can be reported online.

File online.

$20

By August 31 of odd-numbered years.

Online

$60

By August 31 of odd-numbered years.

225 ILCS 305/21; 225 ILCS 325/23; 225 ILCS 330/25; and 225 ILCS 340/19

• Business Corporations
• Professional Corporations
• Professional Limited Liability Companies
• Partnerships (GP, LP, LLP)
• Sole Proprietorship

Business Corporations:

• At least one Illinois licensed professional, who is a director and full-time employee, must be designated through a resolution as the managing agent in responsible charge of the practice for each professional service offered by the firm.
• Firms that provide architectural services are required to have at least 2/3 of their board of directors licensed in any state to practice architecture, professional engineering, structural engineering or land surveying.

Professional Corporations:

• All of the directors, officers, and shareholders must be individuals who are licensed in one of the professions offered by the firm or a related profession.

Professional Limited Liability Companies:

• All of the managers and members must be individuals who are licensed in one of the professions offered by the firm or a related profession.

Partnerships:

• At least one Illinois licensed professional, who is a partner and full-time employee, must be designated through a resolution as the managing agent in responsible charge of the practice for each professional service offered by the firm.
• Firms that provide architectural services are required to have at least 2/3 of their partners licensed in any state to practice architecture, professional engineering, structural engineering or land surveying.

The Illinois Secretary of State requires that all businesses organized as a Limited Liability Company (LLC) and who plan to provide professional services which are regulated/licensed by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, must register as a Professional Limited Liability Company (PLLC) with the IL SOS or have an assumed name listed as a PLLC.

Sole Proprietorships: Registration is not required for a licensed sole proprietor who offers or provides design services in his or her individual name and is not employing other individuals to perform work for which professional licensure is required. However, any sole proprietorship conducting business as a design professional under an assumed name must register as a professional design firm. Any sole proprietorship not owned by an Illinois licensed design professional is prohibited from offering professional services to the public.

• Managing Agent Requirement: The organization, through official Board Resolution of the organization's Board of Directors/Members/Partners, must appoint a Managing Agent who is licensed in Illinois for the profession(s) in which the organization plans to offer and who
  will be responsible for the respective profession(s) in Illinois.
  • The managing agent must be a full-time employee of the business organization. For the profession of architecture, the named Managing Agent must also be a director, member, or partner of the business organization. A Firm may appoint more than one managing agent for a profession if desired. 
  • An individual can only be named Managing Agent of a profession for one firm at a given time.
  • A Resolution must be made for each Managing Agent that is being appointed.
  • If the fi rm’s practice includes architecture, the licensee designated as the managing agent for architecture must be a member of the board of directors, full partner, or member of PLLC or LLP and stated as such in the resolution.
  • The engineering profession must be specifi ed as either Professional Engineering or Structural Engineering. 

Special Requirement for the practice of Architecture: Two-thirds of the individuals who make up the business organization's Board of Directors/Members/Partners must be
licensed in any of the four applicable design professions (in Illinois or any U.S. State/territory), with one being licensed in Illinois as an architect who will function as the Managing Agent for the firm.

Professional Design Firm Registration Application

Mail your completed application, fee, and support documents to:

Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation,
Attn: Division of Professional Regulation, Design/PSS4
P.O. Box 7007
Springfield, Illinois 62791

$75

~2 weeks. Confirmation will be sent to applicants via email.

Foreign Qualification - YES
Certificate of Good Standing - YES (from Illinois)
Certified Copy of Articles of Incorporation - YES, The Purpose Clause must note each profession your firm plans to offer. 
Annual Report - YES (a filed copy of the latest Annual Report with the Illinois Secretary of State identifying the current directors)
members, and partners.
Name: Requires board approval if an assumed name is used
Ownership/ Entity:

• Business Corporations: The purpose clause must be specific to the profession(s) for which the design firm is seeking registration, (i.e. professional engineering).
• Professional Corporations: All of the directors, officers, and shareholders must be individuals who are licensed in one of the professions offered by the firm or a related profession.
• Professional Limited Liability Companies: All of the managers and members must be individuals who are licensed in one of the professions offered by the firm or a related profession.
• Partnerships: At least one Illinois licensed professional, who is a partner and full-time employee, must be designated through a resolution as the managing agent in responsible charge of the practice for each professional service offered by the firm. Firms that provide architectural services are required to have at least 2/3 of their partners licensed in any state to practice architecture, professional engineering, structural engineering or land surveying.
• The firm must provide the name of each director, member or partner of the firm who is a licensed design professional, as well as their license number and state of licensure. If the individual is licensed in more than one jurisdiction, only a copy of the active license of main practice is required.
• The firm must provide a list of all Illinois office locations.

Qualified Party:

• At least one Illinois licensed professional, who is a director and full-time employee, must be designated through a resolution as the managing agent in responsible charge of the practice for each professional service offered by the firm.
• Obtain a copy of a signed board resolution designating the Illinois licensed design professional(s) as the managing agent(s) of the firm (to be filed with license application). The resolution must include the licensee's name and Illinois license number, that the licensee is a full-time employee of the firm, the licensee's relationship to the firm, e.g. director (if applicable), and that the licensee has been designated as the managing agent in charge of that professional practice in Illinois.
   

Domestic Applicants:

1. File entity formation documents with the Illinois Secretary of State - Business Services Department.
2. Obtain a Certificate of Good Standing and a copy of the most recently filed annual report from the Illinois Secretary of State - Business Services Department (these documents are not required if your entity was formed within one year of submitting your firm license application).
3. If applicable, obtain a filed copy of the application with the Illinois Secretary of State to adopt an assumed name and the letter issued by the Illinois Secretary of State approving the assumed name (to be filed with the license application).
4. Submit a Professional Design Firm Registration Application to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

Foreign Applicants:

1. File foreign qualification documents with the Illinois Secretary of State - Business Services Department.
2. Obtain a Certificate of Good Standing and a copy of the most recently filed annual report from the Illinois Secretary of State - Business Services Department (these documents are not required if your entity was formed within one year of submitting your firm license application).
3. If applicable, obtain a filed copy of the application with the Illinois Secretary of State to adopt an assumed name and the letter issued by the Illinois Secretary of State approving the assumed name (to be filed with the license application).
4. Submit a Professional Design Firm Registration Application to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

• Articles of incorporation (or equivalent for any type of business entity)
• Certificate of good standing with the Illinois Dept of State
• Annual report identifying directors/members/partners designating licensed engineers
• Resolution stating the designated licensed professionals and their license information
• A filed copy of the application with the Illinois Secretary of State to adopt an assumed name and the letter issued by the state approving the assumed name (if applicable)

Online

$75

By April 30 of odd-numbered years. Renewals may be filed as early as 3 months prior to the expiration date.

Renewal notices are mailed 2 months prior to the expiration date.

• List of directors, officers, managers, or members of the firm including addresses
• List of licensees in responsible charge of the firm's professional services
• List of branch office locations including licensee in responsible charge

$0

If the managing agent status changes, the professional design firm must notify the Department by mail within 10 business days and notify within 30 days of the name and license number of the newly designated managing agent by submitting a Resolution of the board/members/partners and the seal and signature of the new managing agent.

Professional Design Firm Reinstatement Request

$75 for each renewal period missed + $50 late fee

If the license has been expired for 5 or more years, the license holder should apply for a new license.

• Certificate of Good Standing from the Illinois Secretary of State. Not required for partnerships or sole proprietors
  using their SSN.
• A Board resolution appointing the Managing Agent for each profession that the firm offers. For an Architect Managing Agent, the individual must be a Director/Member/Partner of the Firm, pursuant to the Architecture Act that 2/3rds of the Board members are licensed design professionals in a U.S. jurisdiction.
• A list of the current Board of Directors/Members/Partners with their applicable professional license numbers.

The licensee may provide, at his or her sole discretion, an original signature in the licensee's handwriting, a scanned copy of the document bearing an original signature, or a signature generated by a computer.

Illinois Admin Code Title 68 § 1380.295

Every licensed professional engineer shall have a reproducible seal or facsimile, which may be computer generated, the impression of which shall contain the name, the license number of the professional engineer, and the words "Licensed Professional Engineer of Illinois". A professional engineer shall seal all documents prepared by or under the direct supervision and control of the professional engineer. Any document that bears the name of a professional design firm, rather than bearing the name of the individual licensed professional engineer responsible for the document, shall be deemed an invalid seal. The individual licensee's written signature and date of signing, along with the date of license expiration, shall be placed adjacent to the seal.

Illinois Admin Code Title 68 § 1380.295

Online

$60

By November 30 of odd-numbered years.

Online

$60

By November 30 of even-numbered years.

The licensee may provide, at his or her sole discretion, an original signature in the licensee's handwriting, a scanned copy of the document bearing an original signature, or a signature generated by a computer.

Illinois Admin Code Title 68 § 1380.295

Every licensed professional engineer shall have a reproducible seal or facsimile, which may be computer generated, the impression of which shall contain the name, the license number of the professional engineer, and the words "Licensed Professional Engineer of Illinois". A professional engineer shall seal all documents prepared by or under the direct supervision and control of the professional engineer. Any document that bears the name of a professional design firm, rather than bearing the name of the individual licensed professional engineer responsible for the document, shall be deemed an invalid seal. The individual licensee's written signature and date of signing, along with the date of license expiration, shall be placed adjacent to the seal.

Illinois Admin Code Title 68 § 1380.295

Online

$60

By November 30 of even-numbered years.

Online

$30 for schedule V only or $100 for any other schedules.

By December 31 of eve-numbered years.

Online

$400

By December 31 of eve-numbered years.