StateLicensed

Esthetician License Requirements in Illinois

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
750 hrs
Upfront cost
$175
Exam
Esthetician Licensing Examination
Renewal cycle
Every 2 years
Issuing board
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR)

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Be at least 16 years old, High school diploma or equivalent, or being beyond the age of compulsory school attendance, pass a criminal background check. IDFPR's licensure packet requires disclosure of criminal convictions, professional discipline history, and other personal-history questions as part of every application; a 'yes' answer triggers a request for court records and supporting statements. Applicants for original licensure on or after January 1, 2026 must also complete an approved abnormal-skin-growth/melanoma-identification course. Minimum age and education requirements come from 225 ILCS 410, Article IIIA, which could not be directly re-fetched during this research session (ilga.gov timed out on direct access and the Wayback API was rate-limited); these two figures are corroborated by independent secondary summaries of the statute text rather than a firsthand refetch. [1]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete 750 hours of training at a state-approved program. 750 clock hours of esthetics curriculum at an IDFPR-licensed esthetics school or a cosmetology school approved to teach esthetics. Applicants for original licensure on or after January 1, 2026 must also complete an approved abnormal-skin-growth/melanoma-identification course (the Department has approved 'Skinny on Skin' by Impact Melanoma, Inc.). [1]

  3. 3

    Esthetician Licensing Examination

    Pass the Esthetician Licensing Examination (fee: $175). Written exam; offered in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese effective October 1, 2026 [2]

  4. 4

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). [1]

  5. 5

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) issues your Esthetician for Illinois.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [1] None specified
License fee [1] None specified
Renewal fee [1] None specified
Esthetician Licensing Examination [2] $175

IDFPR's own esthetician qualifications packet (profession code 131) and profession page do not publish a numeric application or renewal fee schedule; only the $175 exam fee (paid to Continental Testing Services) is posted on an official page. Multiple non-official aggregator sites cite a $45 application fee and $50 renewal fee, but per source rules those could not be used to populate this field without a primary citation, so all three fields are recorded as null pending direct confirmation from an IDFPR fee schedule.

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 2 years. 10 continuing education hours required per cycle.

All Esthetician licenses expire September 30 of each odd-numbered year, regardless of issuance date. 10 CE hours are required during the 2-year period leading up to each renewal, except the license's first renewal, which is exempt.

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

IDFPR explicitly distinguishes 'endorsement' (available) from 'reciprocity' (not available): 'Illinois does not reciprocate licenses of another state, other jurisdiction of the United States, or foreign jurisdiction.' Endorsement requires official certification of current (and original, if different) out-of-state licensure that is 'the same or substantially similar' to the Illinois esthetician license; a minimum-years-of-practice requirement (3 of the last 5 years) applies only to the separate Foreign Endorsement Method for applicants licensed outside the U.S., not domestic endorsement. Illinois is not listed as a member of any occupational-licensing compact for esthetics; the Cosmetology Licensure Compact is not operational in any state.

32 state-approved training providers in Illinois — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.

Cost calculator

  • $175
Total$175

Frequently asked questions

How many training hours does Illinois require for an esthetician license?

750 clock hours of esthetics instruction at an IDFPR-approved esthetics or cosmetology school.

Who administers the Illinois esthetician exam?

Continental Testing Services, Inc. administers the licensing exam under contract with IDFPR. As of October 1, 2026, the $175 exam is offered in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese.

Does Illinois offer reciprocity for out-of-state esthetician licenses?

No. IDFPR explicitly states Illinois does not reciprocate out-of-state licenses, but it does offer an Endorsement Method for applicants with a current, substantially similar license from another U.S. jurisdiction.

How often do I need to renew my Illinois esthetician license, and is continuing education required?

Every 2 years — all licenses expire September 30 of odd-numbered years. 10 hours of continuing education are required each renewal cycle, except the first renewal after initial licensure.

Is there a new education requirement for 2026 applicants?

Yes. Applicants for original licensure on or after January 1, 2026 must complete an IDFPR-approved abnormal-skin-growth/melanoma-identification course; the Department has approved the 'Skinny on Skin' course by Impact Melanoma, Inc.

Sources

  1. [1] idfpr.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/idfpr/core/dpr/131-qualifications-for-licensure.pdf — accessed 2026-07-11
  2. [2] idfpr.illinois.gov/profs/esthetics.html — accessed 2026-07-11