CPA requirements in Illinois
Illinois licenses CPAs through the Illinois Board of Examiners (exam) / IDFPR (licensure). Exam eligibility: 120 semester hours with required accounting coursework (allowed since January 2023). Licensure: 150 semester hours on the standing route. Experience: one year of full-time experience under a licensed CPA.
$80,230
median accountant wage, IllinoisBLS OEWS · May 2025
$88,910
mean annual wageBLS OEWS · May 2025
54,930
accounting jobs in the stateBLS OEWS · May 2025
Requirements
The sheet
| Exam eligibility (education) | 120 semester hours with required accounting coursework (allowed since January 2023) |
| License education | 150 semester hours on the standing route |
| Experience | One year of full-time experience under a licensed CPA |
| Ethics requirement | AICPA Professional Ethics exam |
| CPE after licensure | 120 hours per three-year renewal cycle, including four ethics hours |
Compiled 2026-08-02 from the board's published framework. Rules change; Illinois Board of Examiners (exam) / IDFPR (licensure) is the source of record before you file anything.
Pathway status
The 120-hour question in this state
Illinois enacted pathway legislation in 2025 with new routes phased in from 2027. Confirm the effective dates with the Board of Examiners before relying on the shorter route. Cross-jurisdiction context: AICPA/NASBA model legislation, May 2025NASBA · May 2025, and NASBA's licensure-pathways list.
Moving
Reciprocity
Reciprocal licensure for substantially equivalent out-of-state CPAs.
Neighbouring sheet: CPA requirements in Indiana. Path overview: how to become a CPA; exam detail: the CPA exam; all states: the master table.