City/county license

Journeyman Electrician License in Illinois

✓Written by a licensed IBEW journeyman electrician

Last updated: October 24, 2026

We found no statewide journeyman electrician license in Illinois. Electrician licensing is local. Chicago, Springfield and Peoria license at the supervising, master or contractor level, and we found no journeyman license in those cities. Check with the city where you'll work.

The facts, from the source

Who licenses

We found no statewide board. Licensing is local, for example the City of Chicago Department of Buildings, with exams through Continental Testing Services (CTS). (chicago.gov)

Exam vendor

Varies by city: Continental Testing Services (Chicago, its own exam) and ICC (Springfield, Peoria) (continentaltesting.net)

NEC edition

No statewide edition. The Chicago Electrical Code 2018 edition is NFPA 70 (2017 NEC) with Chicago amendments. Peoria adopted the 2017 NEC effective May 1, 2021. (continentaltesting.net)

Experience required

Varies by city. Chicago Supervising Electrician: age 21 or older and at least 2 years of experience under direct supervision of a supervising electrician or equivalent. (chicago.gov)

Fees

Chicago: $150 per exam (2026), $150 initial license, $150 per year renewal. (chicago.gov)

Fees (Peoria)

$150 license (calendar year); the applicant pays ICC testing fees. (peoriagov.org)

Reciprocity (Peoria)

Peoria accepts reciprocal licenses from Normal and Pekin, Illinois. (peoriagov.org)

Reciprocity (Springfield)

Springfield accepts certain other-municipality licenses issued before 10/10/07, per a 2018 city memo. (springfield.il.us)

Where the license comes from in Illinois

In Illinois, journeyman licensing is handled locally. Examples we verified:

• City of Chicago, Department of Buildings: Supervising Electrician license

  This is the examined electrician license; we found no separate journeyman license page. The city's own exam is given by Continental Testing Services (CTS), Profession 303. Supervising Electrician: 150 questions, 4 hours (Low Voltage Supervising Electrician: 100 questions), passing score 70, per a CTS study guide dated 2018 (https://www.continentaltesting.net/File/Download?name=Elec-Study-Guide&v=1). The CTS page confirms it is open book with only the 2018 Chicago Electrical Code, and an exam fee of $150. Initial license $150 and annual renewal $150 (2026). Age 21 or older and at least 2 years of experience under direct supervision of a supervising electrician or equivalent. The city's page notes Phase 3 of its Construction Codes Modernization Ordinance began Oct 6, 2026, so confirm the current code edition with the city.

  chicago.gov

• City of Springfield, Building & Zoning Department / Electrical Commission: Electrical License

  A master-level license: 5 years of experience including 2 years supervising. A city cover memo dated March 21, 2018 names the ICC National Standard Master Electrician Exam (W16), then based on the 2011 NEC. Confirm the current exam with the city.

  springfield.il.us

• City of Peoria, Community Development, Building Safety: HVAC and Electrical Contractor License

  A contractor-level license issued to individuals and valid one calendar year. The applicant takes an ICC contractor exam (open book) for the 2017 or newer code cycle. Reciprocal licenses from Normal and Pekin are accepted. $150 fee.

  peoriagov.org

Requirements differ city to city. Check with the building or licensing department where you’ll work.

Confirm these with the board

• Other Illinois cities (Rockford, Aurora, Elgin, Naperville, Evanston and others): check with the city where you'll work
• Statewide reciprocity: we found none

None statewide. Local: City of Chicago Department of Buildings (exams through Continental Testing Services) ↗

Partly verified October 24, 2026: some items couldn’t be confirmed from official sources and are listed above

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Facts on this page trace to primary sources or first-hand IBEW Local 134 experience — see sources & methodology.