1.2 License Renewal, Continuing Education & Professional Status

License Renewal, Continuing Education & Professional Status

Quick Summary: Illinois nail technician licenses expire on October 31 of every even-numbered year (e.g., 2026, 2028). The renewal fee is calculated at $25 per year, so a full cycle costs $50. Active licensees must complete 10 clock hours of continuing education (CE) per two-year cycle, including a 1-hour Sexual Harassment Prevention course on every renewal; the first renewal requires 1 hour of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Awareness education and is exempt from profession-specific CE. All CE may be earned online through registered sponsors. A license expired under 5 years is restored with fees plus 10 CE hours; at 5 years or more the applicant must also verify at least 24 months of lawful practice elsewhere within the preceding 5 years, or instead pass the Illinois exam or complete the 60-hour refresher course.

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1. Biennial Renewal Cycle & Fee Schedule

In Illinois, professional licenses for nail technicians operate on a standardized two-year cycle governed by 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.1025.

Expiration Schedule

• Fixed Expiration Date: October 31 of every even-numbered year (e.g., October 31, 2026; October 31, 2028; October 31, 2030). Renewal is filed during the month preceding expiration.
• Biennial Renewal Fee: 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.100 sets renewal "at the rate of $25 per year," so a two-year cycle costs $50 (payable online through the IDFPR portal).
• Grace Period: Illinois law does not grant an automatic practice grace period after October 31. Practicing on an expired license is unlicensed activity subject to discipline: civil penalties of up to $500 per violation under 225 ILCS 410/4-7(1), citations of up to $500 per violation under 225 ILCS 410/4-19, and criminal liability under 225 ILCS 410/4-20 (Class B misdemeanor for a first offense, Class A misdemeanor for a second, Class 4 felony with a $1,000-$5,000 fine thereafter).

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2. Continuing Education (CE) Architecture

Under 225 ILCS 410/3C-8 and 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.1025(b), all active licensed nail technicians must complete 10 clock hours of continuing education during each two-year renewal period. (The CE machinery - sponsor approval, credit hours, DV/SA and abnormal-skin-growth education - sits in Subpart L at 1175.1200 through 1175.1225.)

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                   ILLINOIS 10-HOUR BIENNIAL CE REQUIREMENT STRUCTURE                    |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                                                                         |
|  [SUBSEQUENT RENEWALS (Standard 2-Year Cycle)]                                          |
|  +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+  |
|  | 1 Hour: Sexual Harassment Prevention (20 ILCS 2105/2105-15.5)                     |  |
|  +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+  |
|  | 9 Hours: General Industry CE (Infection Control, Advanced Techniques, Chemistry,  |  |
|  |           Salon Safety, Business Management, or Ergonomics)                       |  |
|  +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+  |
|  | TOTAL = 10 HOURS (100% Distance Learning / Online Permitted)                       |  |
|  +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+  |
|                                                                                         |
|  [FIRST-TIME RENEWAL (Newly Licensed Technicians)]                                      |
|  +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+  |
|  | 1 Hour: Sexual Harassment Prevention (required beginning with the FIRST renewal)  |  |
|  +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+  |
|  | 1 Hour: Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Awareness                              |  |
|  |          (225 ILCS 410/3C-8; 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.1220)                         |  |
|  +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+  |
|  | Remaining profession-specific CE: WAIVED for the first renewal after original     |  |
|  |          licensure                                                                |  |
|  +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+  |
|  | TOTAL = 2 HOURS                                                                   |  |
|  +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+  |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Mandatory Specific Coursework

1. Sexual Harassment Prevention (1 Hour - Every Renewal): Required by Section 2105-15.5 of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois (20 ILCS 2105/2105-15.5) for every IDFPR licensee, beginning with the first renewal after original licensure. The training may be provided by the licensee's employer, the Department of Human Rights, or any CE provider authorized under an Act the Department administers.
2. Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Awareness (1 Hour - First Renewal): Required by 225 ILCS 410/3C-8 and 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.1220 for the initial renewal that requires CE; on later renewals one CE hour may be in this subject. Designed to help salon professionals recognize signs of abuse and refer clients to support services.
   • Immunity: Under 225 ILCS 410/3-7, a person licensed under the Act who completes this education - and their employer - is not civilly or criminally liable for acting in good faith on, or failing to act on, information obtained during employment about potential domestic violence or sexual assault. The Act creates no reporting duty for salon licensees; it creates immunity.

Online CE and Independent Study

• 100% Online Permitted: Under 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.1210(e), a licensee may earn the full renewal requirement through in-person courses, individual-study (online) courses, or any mix. An online course counts only if the sponsor builds in an examination and a means of verifying successful completion (1175.1200(c)(6)).
• Approved Sponsors: 1175.1200(a) defines sponsors as accredited universities and colleges, industry or trade associations, corporate/franchise/independent salons, vocational and technical schools, cosmetology schools, and other entities approved by the Division.
• Credit conversions (1175.1210): a CE hour is at least 50 minutes of class time; college coursework converts at 15 CE hours per semester hour or 10 per quarter hour; teaching an approved course earns credit for actual presentation time plus 1 hour of preparation credit per 2 hours presented, capped at 10 hours per renewal period.
• No product sales are permitted during a CE program; selling may resume only after the program ends and certificates are handed out (1175.1200(c)).

CE Record-Keeping & Audit Procedures

• Licensees certify CE compliance on the renewal application rather than filing certificates with the Division.
• The 5-year retention duty belongs to the sponsor. 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.1200(d) requires every approved sponsor to verify attendance and keep a record of attendance for not less than 5 years, including each participant's name, address, license number, CE category, hours awarded, course title, and course date.
• The licensee's own duty is to retain or otherwise produce evidence of compliance when the Division asks. IDFPR runs random audits, and a licensee selected for audit must produce certificates of attendance or completion within the time the Department specifies. Keeping your own copies for at least the current and prior renewal cycle is the practical standard.

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3. Professional License Statuses & Restoration Protocols

A license in Illinois exists in one of three primary administrative states: Active, Inactive, or Expired (Lapsed).

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                       LICENSE STATUS AND RESTORATION PATHWAYS                           |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                                                                         |
|  [ACTIVE STATUS]                                                                        |
|  - Current renewal fee paid ($25/year, $50/cycle) + 10 CE hours complete                                       |
|  - Fully authorized to perform nail technology services for compensation                |
|                                                                                         |
|  [INACTIVE STATUS (Voluntary Election)]                                                 |
|  - Written request submitted to IDFPR + payment of inactive fee                         |
|  - CE requirements suspended during inactive duration                                   |
|  - PROHIBITED from practicing nail technology in Illinois                               |
|                                                                                         |
|  [EXPIRED STATUS (Non-Renewal / Lapsed)]                                                |
|  - Failed to renew by October 31 even-numbered year                                     |
|  - Practice is strictly illegal                                                         |
|                                                                                         |
|                                RESTORATION PROTOCOLS                                    |
|                                          |                                              |
|                 +------------------------+------------------------+                     |
|                 v                                                 v                     |
|  +-------------------------------------+   +-----------------------------------------+  |
|  | Expired LESS THAN 5 Years           |   | Expired 5 YEARS OR MORE                 |  |
|  | - $50 restoration fee plus lapsed   |   | - $50 restoration fee plus lapsed       |  |
|  |   renewal fees (capped at $200)     |   |   renewal fees (capped at $200)         |  |
|  | - Proof of 10 CE hours per          |   | - 10 CE hours earned in the 2 years     |  |
|  |   1175.1200(c)                      |   |   immediately preceding restoration     |  |
|  | - Includes 1 hr Sexual Harassment   |   | - Employment verification from 3        |  |
|  |                                     |   |   references: >= 24 months lawful       |  |
|  |                                     |   |   practice elsewhere in the last 5 yrs  |  |
|  |                                     |   | - ALTERNATIVE (1175.1030(e)): pass the  |  |
|  |                                     |   |   Illinois exam, OR complete the        |  |
|  |                                     |   |   60-hour refresher course              |  |
|  +-------------------------------------+   +-----------------------------------------+  |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Restoration Requirements Under 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.1030

1. Restoration: Expired Less Than 5 Years (1175.1030(a))
   • Submit the restoration application to IDFPR.
   • Pay the fee set by 1175.100: $50 restoration plus all lapsed renewal fees, capped at $200.
   • Submit documentation of 10 CE hours in accordance with 1175.1200(c) (including the 1-hour Sexual Harassment Prevention course).
2. Restoration: Expired 5 Years or More (1175.1030(b))
   • Employment verification from at least 3 references attesting to lawful practice as a nail technician in another jurisdiction for at least 24 months within the 5 years preceding the application.
   • Certification of licensure from the original jurisdiction, a completed Department questionnaire, and the required fee.
   • Evidence of 10 CE hours earned within the 2 years immediately preceding restoration.
3. The Alternative Route (1175.1030(e)). An applicant who cannot supply that employment verification may instead:
   • Pass the Illinois examination (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.1010) within 2 years before or within 2 years after the application; or
   • Complete a 60-hour nail technology refresher course, which also substitutes for the continuing education requirement. There is no "60 to 85 hour" refresher in Illinois - the refresher course fixed by 1175.1136 is 60 hours.
4. Military Service (1175.1030(c)): a licensee restoring after active service in the U.S. Armed Forces submits a copy of the DD-214 and the current renewal fee; lapsed renewal fees are not charged for the period of service.
5. Inactive status (225 ILCS 410/3C-10): a licensee may elect inactive status in writing and is excused from renewal fees, but may not practice in Illinois. Returning to active status requires the current renewal fee and the CE hours required for renewal.