How to check an Illinois roofing contractor's license

Who needs a license, limited vs. unlimited licenses, the bond, insurance and qualifying party behind every license, and how to look a roofer up.

Illinois is one of the states that licenses roofers at the state level. The Roofing Industry Licensing Act (225 ILCS 335) is administered by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), and it is stricter than many homeowners expect: it covers repairs as well as new roofs, it splits licenses into two types, and it requires a bond, insurance and a tested "qualifying party" behind every licensed company. Here is how to check a roofer before you sign.

Who needs a license

Section 9 of the Act makes it unlawful "for any person to engage in the business of providing professional roofing services" or to hold itself out as a roofing contractor without a license, and says that no roofing or waterproofing work of any kind may be done except by a licensed roofing contractor or qualifying party (225 ILCS 335/9). The Act's exceptions are narrow (Section 11): you may work on your own property, a person may work for no pay, and a general contractor or retailer that sells roofing services does not need its own license if a licensed roofer actually does the work. Since 2025 the Act also says sellers of roofing services may subcontract the roofing only to licensed roofing contractors.

Limited or unlimited

Illinois issues two kinds of roofing license (225 ILCS 335/2):

• A limited license is for contractors "whose roofing business is limited to roofing residential properties consisting of 8 units or less".
• An unlimited license covers residential, commercial and industrial properties.

The difference is enforced at the permit counter. A municipality or county that requires a building permit may not issue one to a roofing contractor without proof of a current state license, and holders of a limited license "are restricted to permits for work on residential properties consisting of 8 units or less" (225 ILCS 335/5(a-3)). For a house, either type is fine. For a condominium building with more than eight units, a church, a store or a warehouse, you need an unlimited licensee. Every listing on this site shows which type the license is.

What stands behind a license

To be licensed, a roofing company must show IDFPR (225 ILCS 335/3):

• public liability and property damage insurance in amounts set by the Department;
• workers' compensation insurance for its employees, or approval as a self-insurer;
• an unemployment insurance employer account and no delinquency;
• a continuous bond to the Department of $10,000 for a limited license or $25,000 for an unlimited license;
• a qualifying party who passed the state examination.

The qualifying party is a real person who must be actively engaged in the company's day-to-day business, has authority to supervise roofing installation, and must be a W-2 employee rather than a contractor paid on a Form 1099. The exam differs by license type: the limited exam covers residential roofing practice, the unlimited exam covers residential, commercial and industrial practice, and both cover Illinois law (Section 3.5).

The public data file this site is built from does not include the bond, the insurance certificate or the qualifying party's name. The bond figure we show on profiles is the amount the law requires for that license type, not a document we have seen. Ask the roofer for a certificate of insurance naming you as certificate holder, and call the insurer to confirm it is current.

Step by step

1. Get the license number and exact name. Illinois requires every licensed roofing contractor to put its license number and its name as it appears on the license on all contracts and bids (225 ILCS 335/5(a)). Illinois roofing license numbers begin with 104.
2. Look it up. Search the number on IDFPR's License Look-Up. Check the status is Active, the expiration date, and whether the license is limited or unlimited.
3. Match the name. The license is issued in the company's name. A different company name on the estimate, even with the same owner, is a different business.
4. Check for discipline. IDFPR's licensing file records disciplinary actions against the license: fines, reprimands, probation, suspensions. We show them on each profile exactly as IDFPR lists them. Our guide to reading IDFPR discipline records explains what they mean.
5. Confirm the permit. If your town requires a roofing permit, the license number must appear on the application and permit. A roofer who asks you to pull the permit yourself is a warning sign.

When a license expires

Every active Illinois roofing license in IDFPR's file currently runs to December 31, 2027; licenses renew on a common two-year cycle. A license that shows Not Renewed, Cancelled, Suspended or Revoked is not active, and practicing on an inoperative license is itself a ground for discipline under Section 9.1. We list only licenses IDFPR shows as Active with an expiry that has not passed. A roofer missing from this site may still be licensed (for example, based in a state we do not cover, or licensed after our last weekly refresh), so check IDFPR directly rather than assuming the worst.

Out-of-state roofers

After big hailstorms, crews from other states often arrive. They need an Illinois license too. We include Illinois-licensed firms based in the bordering states (Missouri, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin and Kentucky), because many of them serve the Metro East, Quad Cities and Chicago-area markets every year. For any out-of-state firm, check the Illinois license number and ask who their qualifying party is and where they will be if a warranty problem shows up next spring.

A short checklist

• Active Illinois license, number on the bid and contract.
• Unlimited license if the building is commercial or has more than 8 units.
• Certificate of insurance, confirmed with the insurer.
• A written contract with the terms Illinois requires (see our contract guide).
• A permit pulled by the roofer where your town requires one.

Updated 2026-10-16.

General information only, current as of the date above. The information on Illinois Roofer Check is not a recommendation or a guarantee of anyone's work. A license record shows registration status on the date shown, not workmanship, insurance coverage at the time of your job, or suitability for your project. Confirm license, insurance and permits directly before you hire. Rules and programs change; check the official sources linked in this guide.