Illinois Plumber License Renewal (IDPH)

Last reviewed October 2026 · 4 min read

Illinois plumber's and apprentice plumber's licenses from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) expire on April 30 every year. Renew online and pay before May 1, with proof of 4 hours of approved continuing education for a plumber's license. A renewal that comes in after May 1 costs an extra $100. If you do plumbing work for others for hire (not as an employee), your plumbing contractor registration is a separate yearly renewal, and IDPH must always hold a current certificate of insurance for it.

At a glance

Renews every: Year: plumber's and apprentice plumber's licenses expire on April 30 and renew for one year from May 1
Continuing education: 4 hours a year for a licensed plumber, in courses from sponsors IDPH has approved. None is due for the year your license was first issued
Fee: $150 to renew a plumber's license; $100 to renew an apprentice plumber's license
Deadline: Pay the renewal fee, with proof of your CE, before May 1
Renew: Online on IDPH's plumber renewal site, with the license ID and the online renewal PIN printed on your renewal form. Every applicant must certify whether they are delinquent in child support; the renewal isn't approved without it
Late renewal: A renewal IDPH receives after May 1 costs the renewal fee plus a $100 late fee
Plumber's license expired under 5 years: Apply to IDPH for reinstatement and pay all the renewal fees you missed plus the $100 reinstatement fee
Plumber's license expired over 5 years: Apply in writing for restoration: a $175 fee (it includes your first exam) and you must pass the Illinois plumber's license exam again
Apprentices: An apprentice plumber's license also ends when the sponsoring plumber stops sponsoring the apprentice, and nobody can be a licensed apprentice for more than 6 years
Plumbing contractors: A licensed plumber or apprentice who does plumbing work for others for hire (not as an employee) must also register with IDPH as a plumbing contractor every year: $150 a year, $100 to reinstate a registration. You file a certificate of insurance naming IDPH as certificate holder (general liability of at least $100,000 per occurrence, and $500,000 workers' compensation; contractors with no employees may file IDPH's Affidavit of No Employees instead) and a $20,000 bond or letter of credit on IDPH's form

Plumbing contractor registrations are yearly, but the sources disagree on the day they end: the Plumbing License Law (225 ILCS 320/13.1) and IDPH's registration form say September 30, while the Plumbing Contractor Registration Code (77 Ill. Adm. Code 894.20) still says April 30. Go by the date on your registration, and ask IDPH's Plumbing Program if you're unsure.

The law lets a city of 500,000 or more license its own plumbers, and IDPH's forms deal with City of Chicago licenses: this guide covers the state license IDPH issues. A plumbing contractor whose plumber of record holds a Chicago license sends IDPH a copy of that license each time it's renewed.

IDPH's contractor registration form asks for an insurance certificate that is good for at least 60 days after the registration is issued, and doesn't accept binders or continuous certificates.

How to renew

Look up your license on IDPH's plumbing license verification and note the April 30 expiration.
Take your 4 hours of CE in courses from IDPH-approved sponsors (not needed for the year your license was first issued).
When your renewal form arrives, log in to IDPH's online plumber renewal site with the license ID and online renewal PIN printed on it.
Answer the child support question, and pay $150 for a plumber's license or $100 for an apprentice license before May 1.
If you register as a plumbing contractor, send IDPH your renewed certificate of insurance and bond, and renew the registration every year.

Still tracking this in a spreadsheet? On a paid plan, get emailed 90, 60, 30, 7 and 1 days before it expires, by default.

Start free

Deadline checklist

Early in the yearBook your 4 hours of CE with an IDPH-approved sponsor, so it's done before your renewal is due.
When your renewal form arrivesRenew on IDPH's online plumber renewal site with the license ID and PIN on the form.
Before May 1Pay $150 (plumber) or $100 (apprentice). Your license expires April 30, and a renewal received after May 1 costs an extra $100.
Before your COI expiresIf you're a registered plumbing contractor, send IDPH the renewed certificate of insurance before the one on file runs out, or your registration is suspended.

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

The license isn't the only thing expiring

Most lapses that cost contractors work aren't the license itself. They're one of these, renewing on a different date:

Your plumbing contractor registration with IDPH (every year, $150)
The certificate of insurance IDPH holds for your contractor registration: send the renewed one before the one on file expires, or the registration is suspended
Your $20,000 contractor bond or letter of credit
Your apprentices' licenses (April 30, every year)
General liability insurance policy
Workers' compensation policy (or exemption)
Certificates of insurance (COIs) you've given to clients and GCs
Commercial auto insurance

LicenseLedger keeps every one of those dates in one place and emails you before each one expires, with reminders far enough ahead to finish CE and paperwork.

Track your renewal dates free

Frequently asked questions

When do Illinois plumber licenses expire?

Plumber's and apprentice plumber's licenses expire on April 30 and renew for one year from May 1. Pay the renewal fee, with proof of your CE, before May 1.

How many CE hours does an Illinois plumber need?

4 hours a year for a licensed plumber, in courses from sponsors IDPH has approved. None is due for the year your license was first issued.

How much does it cost to renew an Illinois plumber license?

$150 to renew a plumber's license and $100 to renew an apprentice plumber's license. A renewal IDPH receives after May 1 costs the renewal fee plus a $100 late fee.

What if my Illinois plumber license expired?

If it expired less than 5 years ago, apply to IDPH for reinstatement and pay all the renewal fees you missed plus the $100 reinstatement fee. After more than 5 years, apply in writing for restoration: a $175 fee (it includes your first exam) and you must pass the Illinois plumber's license exam again.

Do Illinois plumbing contractors register separately?

Yes. A licensed plumber or apprentice who does plumbing work for others for hire (not as an employee) must also register with IDPH as a plumbing contractor every year: $150 a year, with a certificate of insurance naming IDPH as certificate holder and a $20,000 bond or letter of credit.

Official sources

Rules, fees and CE requirements change. Confirm the current requirements with the official source before you renew:

Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Plumbing

This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Other Illinois guides

All Illinois guides on one page

Plumber guides for other states

2027 license renewal deadlines, month by month

Get a reminder before this renewal is due

Add this license, your insurance policies and the COIs you collect from subs to LicenseLedger, and get an email before each one expires. Free for up to 3 records, no credit card required.

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How LicenseLedger works for plumbers

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Illinois Plumber License Renewal (IDPH)

Last reviewed October 2026 · 4 min read

At a glance

Renews every: Year: plumber's and apprentice plumber's licenses expire on April 30 and renew for one year from May 1
Continuing education: 4 hours a year for a licensed plumber, in courses from sponsors IDPH has approved. None is due for the year your license was first issued
Fee: $150 to renew a plumber's license; $100 to renew an apprentice plumber's license
Deadline: Pay the renewal fee, with proof of your CE, before May 1
Renew: Online on IDPH's plumber renewal site, with the license ID and the online renewal PIN printed on your renewal form. Every applicant must certify whether they are delinquent in child support; the renewal isn't approved without it
Late renewal: A renewal IDPH receives after May 1 costs the renewal fee plus a $100 late fee
Plumber's license expired under 5 years: Apply to IDPH for reinstatement and pay all the renewal fees you missed plus the $100 reinstatement fee
Plumber's license expired over 5 years: Apply in writing for restoration: a $175 fee (it includes your first exam) and you must pass the Illinois plumber's license exam again
Apprentices: An apprentice plumber's license also ends when the sponsoring plumber stops sponsoring the apprentice, and nobody can be a licensed apprentice for more than 6 years
Plumbing contractors: A licensed plumber or apprentice who does plumbing work for others for hire (not as an employee) must also register with IDPH as a plumbing contractor every year: $150 a year, $100 to reinstate a registration. You file a certificate of insurance naming IDPH as certificate holder (general liability of at least $100,000 per occurrence, and $500,000 workers' compensation; contractors with no employees may file IDPH's Affidavit of No Employees instead) and a $20,000 bond or letter of credit on IDPH's form

IDPH's contractor registration form asks for an insurance certificate that is good for at least 60 days after the registration is issued, and doesn't accept binders or continuous certificates.

How to renew

Look up your license on IDPH's plumbing license verification and note the April 30 expiration.
Take your 4 hours of CE in courses from IDPH-approved sponsors (not needed for the year your license was first issued).
When your renewal form arrives, log in to IDPH's online plumber renewal site with the license ID and online renewal PIN printed on it.
Answer the child support question, and pay $150 for a plumber's license or $100 for an apprentice license before May 1.
If you register as a plumbing contractor, send IDPH your renewed certificate of insurance and bond, and renew the registration every year.

Still tracking this in a spreadsheet? On a paid plan, get emailed 90, 60, 30, 7 and 1 days before it expires, by default.

Start free

Deadline checklist

Early in the yearBook your 4 hours of CE with an IDPH-approved sponsor, so it's done before your renewal is due.
When your renewal form arrivesRenew on IDPH's online plumber renewal site with the license ID and PIN on the form.
Before May 1Pay $150 (plumber) or $100 (apprentice). Your license expires April 30, and a renewal received after May 1 costs an extra $100.
Before your COI expiresIf you're a registered plumbing contractor, send IDPH the renewed certificate of insurance before the one on file runs out, or your registration is suspended.

Put this renewal in your calendar

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

The license isn't the only thing expiring

Most lapses that cost contractors work aren't the license itself. They're one of these, renewing on a different date:

Your plumbing contractor registration with IDPH (every year, $150)
The certificate of insurance IDPH holds for your contractor registration: send the renewed one before the one on file expires, or the registration is suspended
Your $20,000 contractor bond or letter of credit
Your apprentices' licenses (April 30, every year)
General liability insurance policy
Workers' compensation policy (or exemption)
Certificates of insurance (COIs) you've given to clients and GCs
Commercial auto insurance

LicenseLedger keeps every one of those dates in one place and emails you before each one expires, with reminders far enough ahead to finish CE and paperwork.

Track your renewal dates free

Frequently asked questions

When do Illinois plumber licenses expire?

Plumber's and apprentice plumber's licenses expire on April 30 and renew for one year from May 1. Pay the renewal fee, with proof of your CE, before May 1.

How many CE hours does an Illinois plumber need?

4 hours a year for a licensed plumber, in courses from sponsors IDPH has approved. None is due for the year your license was first issued.

How much does it cost to renew an Illinois plumber license?

$150 to renew a plumber's license and $100 to renew an apprentice plumber's license. A renewal IDPH receives after May 1 costs the renewal fee plus a $100 late fee.

What if my Illinois plumber license expired?

Do Illinois plumbing contractors register separately?

Official sources

Rules, fees and CE requirements change. Confirm the current requirements with the official source before you renew:

Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Plumbing

This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Other Illinois guides

All Illinois guides on one page

Plumber guides for other states

2027 license renewal deadlines, month by month

Get a reminder before this renewal is due

Add this license, your insurance policies and the COIs you collect from subs to LicenseLedger, and get an email before each one expires. Free for up to 3 records, no credit card required.

Start free

How LicenseLedger works for plumbers

Not ready to sign up? Get the free tracking spreadsheet