Chicago Electrical Contractor License Renewal

At a glance

Who needs it

Anyone who installs, alters or maintains wiring or equipment for the utilization of electricity for light, heat, power, signaling or communication, or any other equipment regulated by the Chicago Electrical Code, whether or not the work needs a permit. That includes electrical, lighting, communication and alarm systems

Not required for

Wiring or equipment used by a public utility under the jurisdiction of the Illinois Commerce Commission in its operation as a public utility, and private alarm contractors or agencies licensed by the State of Illinois acting within the scope of that license (to get a Chicago permit, a state-licensed private alarm contractor registers its state license with the city)

Who holds it

Businesses, including sole proprietorships, that employ at least one licensed supervising electrician. It covers work by the business and its employees under a supervising electrician's supervision, not individuals paid as independent contractors. If another business's employees do electrical work at a job site, that business must be licensed as an electrical contractor and listed on the permit

License types

General: any type of electrical work, subject to the limits on Class 1 work below. Low voltage: only Class 1, 2 and 3 remote-control, signaling and power-limited circuits and communications circuits. The type follows the examination the business's supervising electrician passed

Class 1 work

Work in a building over 55 feet tall, or in an area classified as an assembly (Group A) occupancy with an occupant load of 300 or more, done before a certificate of occupancy is issued for that part of the building or as part of work that will need a new one. Each person doing electrical work for or at the direction of the contractor at that site must be a licensed supervising electrician, have completed a U.S. Department of Labor-recognized electrician apprenticeship requiring at least 8,000 hours of relevant on-the-job training and classroom instruction (shown by a written certificate of completion), or be enrolled in one. The contractor keeps records of this at the work site and for at least two years after the work is done

Supervising electrician

An individual license, issued after a written examination. A supervising electrician performs, or supervises and directs, all of the contractor's electrical work, and may not be the primary supervising electrician for more than one licensed electrical contractor

Renews every

Year: an electrical contractor license is valid for one year from issuance, and a supervising electrician license for one year from issuance or renewal

Supervising electrician lapse

An electrical contractor license is automatically inactivated if there is no valid supervising electrician license associated with it

How to renew

Online, through the Department of Buildings web portal (Continental Testing Services handles new applications). Log in, or create an account as an Electrical Contractor with your license number and its prefix (SE for a supervising electrician, ECC for an electrical contractor) and the daytime phone number on your trade license account, which must match exactly. Follow the steps for your license type and pay the renewal fee online; some license types may also have to mail in supporting information

Proof of renewal

Print or save the confirmation page at the end of the renewal. Supervising electricians should print their certificate before leaving the portal. Renewal questions go to Continental Testing Services at 800-359-1313

Renewal fees (2026)

For calendar year 2026: $150 for an electrical contractor license, general or low voltage, and $150 a year for a supervising electrician license

2027 fees

On September 28, 2026, the Department of Buildings published the trade license fee rates applicable January 1, 2027 (some City fees are adjusted each year for the Consumer Price Index): check the current rate before you pay a renewal due in 2027

Expired license

An expired license can only be renewed within three years of expiring. A supervising electrician license expired for three years or more can't be renewed; the electrician may apply for a new license

Reinstatement fee

$100 for each year, or fraction of a year, the license has been expired (calendar-2026 fee tables)

Continuing education

None listed: the Department of Buildings' electrical contractor and supervising electrician license pages name no continuing education requirement

The pages this guide was checked against don't list insurance or bond requirements for electrical contractors. Their fee tables do mention updating required insurance or bond information, so check Chapter 4-290 of the Municipal Code of Chicago, which governs electrical contractor licenses, before assuming none apply: the Department of Buildings' page says the ordinance or rules control where its summary differs.

Additional licenses issued by the State of Illinois may be required for some types of work, the Department of Buildings notes; this guide covers only the City of Chicago licenses.

How to renew

1. Find the expiration dates of your company's electrical contractor license and of each supervising electrician license it relies on: each runs one year.
2. Renew the supervising electrician's license on time: without a valid one associated with it, the contractor license is automatically inactivated.
3. Log in to the Department of Buildings web portal, or create an account as an Electrical Contractor with your prefixed license number (SE or ECC) and the daytime phone number on your trade license account.
4. Follow the on-screen steps, pay the renewal fee online (check the 2027 rate if your renewal falls in 2027) and mail any supporting information the portal asks for.
5. Print or save the confirmation page; supervising electricians should print their certificate before leaving the portal.
6. Missed it? An expired license can only be renewed within three years, with the reinstatement fee for each year or part of a year it was expired.

Deadline checklist

• 60 days outNote the expiration dates of the company license and every supervising electrician license it relies on.
• 30 days outCheck you can log in to the Department of Buildings web portal, and that the daytime phone number on your trade license account is the one you'll enter.
• Before each expiresRenew the supervising electrician license and the electrical contractor license online, paying the current fee.
• After renewingSave the confirmation page, print the supervising electrician's certificate and mail any supporting information the portal asked for.

Put this renewal in your calendar

Know your expiration date? Download a free calendar file with reminders before it, no sign-up needed. It's made in your browser: nothing you type is sent to us (your browser keeps it only if you follow the sign-up link, for your new ledger). A Google Calendar button sends just that one event to Google.

The file covers one date: once you renew, make a new one. How to add it to your calendar

Frequently asked questions