Illinois Chiropractic Licensing: Endorsement Under the Medical Practice Act

Illinois does not have a separate chiropractic practice act. Chiropractic physicians are licensed under the Medical Practice Act of 1987, alongside physicians who practice medicine in all its branches, by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) with the Medical Board. A chiropractor licensed in another state applies for licensure by endorsement under 225 ILCS 60/19, and the Department has discretion to issue the license if your original licensing requirements were substantially equivalent to Illinois's, you graduated from an approved chiropractic college, and the rest of the file checks out.

What does Section 19 require of a chiropractic applicant?

For someone seeking to "treat human ailments without the use of drugs and without operative surgery," which is how the Act describes chiropractic, Section 19 requires:

• graduation from a chiropractic school or college approved by the Department at the time you graduated;
• licensing requirements in your state that the Department deems substantially equivalent to Illinois's at the date of your license;
• good moral character, where the Department may consider conduct that would be grounds for discipline and may ask for endorsements from two or three Illinois licensees;
• physical, mental and professional capacity to practice with reasonable judgment, skill and safety; and
• a criminal background check under Section 9.7.

Section 19 says the Department evaluates each applicant individually. It also says no license by endorsement will be issued to anyone who previously took and failed the Department's written exam for that license, and that the Department may require an exam recommended by the Medical Board.

What does the IDFPR rule add?

68 Ill. Adm. Code 1285.80(c) lists what a chiropractic endorsement applicant files:

• certification from the state of original licensure and of current licensure, showing issue date, status, basis of licensure, every exam passed and when, and any discipline;
• proof of good moral character on the application, with any yes answers forwarded to the enforcement division for review;
• proof of passing the chiropractic licensure exam required by 1285.60(b), which is NBCE Parts I, II, III and IV;
• proof of professional capacity under 1285.95 if you have not practiced, or been in a chiropractic program, in the two years before applying;
• a fingerprint-based background check through a licensed Illinois live scan vendor, with fingerprints taken no more than 60 days before the application; out-of-state residents can be fingerprinted elsewhere and submit a card through a vendor with card scan capability; and
• the fee under Section 21 of the Act.

The Division also verifies licensure and discipline through the FCLB's Chiropractic Information Network-Board Action Database (CIN-BAD) under 1285.80(d). Our CIN-BAD guide explains what that report shows.

What about the NBCE attempt limit?

The exam rule, 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1285.60(b), requires a passing score on all four NBCE parts and adds a condition many chiropractors miss: no applicant may have exceeded the maximum number of attempts the NBCE allows for any part, where that maximum is five or fewer. If you needed several attempts at a part, check your NBCE transcript before you file.

How long do I have to finish?

Section 19 gives endorsement applicants three years from the application date to complete the process. If it is not complete by then, the application is denied, the fee is forfeited, and you must reapply under the requirements in effect at that time. Three years sounds like plenty, but files with old verifications from closed boards or unresolved history questions can drift.

How does renewal work in Illinois?

Under 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1285.120, licenses issued under the Act expire on July 31 every third year, on a cycle that began in 1990, so the current cycle runs to July 31, 2029. Renewal requires 150 hours of continuing medical education per three-year prerenewal period (1285.110), the same total that applies to physicians, with a minimum of 60 hours in formal programs. The first renewal of an Illinois license is exempt. Chiropractors licensed in Illinois but practicing elsewhere still have to meet the requirement, though hours approved by another jurisdiction can count if documented. Approved sponsors for chiropractic CME include the state chiropractic associations, CCE-accredited programs and the national associations listed in the rule.

How does White Glove handle an Illinois file?

We order certifications from your original and current states with the exam detail Illinois wants, line up the NBCE transcript and check attempts, schedule fingerprints inside the 60-day window, and track the file through IDFPR. License by Endorsement is $499; IDFPR and fingerprint vendor fees are separate, and the Department decides. Add Annual Renewal & CE Compliance ($299 per license, per year) if you want the 150-hour count tracked alongside your other states. See our Illinois page.