Illinois has no statewide journeyman electrician license and no statewide reciprocity table. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation licenses more than 100 professions. Electrician is not on that list. Cities and villages license electrical contractors, and some (Chicago, Peoria, Elgin) add their own exams. If you hold an IBEW Inside Wireman ticket, you work as a W-2 employee under the contractor's municipal license, not on a state journeyman card.
As of October 18, 2026, GoHereBro tracks 146 open positions across 18 Illinois IBEW locals. Local 649 Alton leads with 34, Local 34 Peoria has 24, Local 364 Rockford has 18 at $67.09/hr (Book 1 29 / Book 2 185), and Local 176 Joliet has 11 including Dresden Nuclear. GoHereBro tracks 300 IBEW locals nationwide. The live cards below show current wages, books, and call counts.
Check the Illinois IBEW pay scale table, the national 2026 IBEW pay scale hub, the job call map, and Hot Spots before you drive.
There is no Illinois electrical license reciprocity for journeymen
Google results for "illinois electrical license reciprocity" are mostly 50-state blogs. They imply a state board will waive an exam. Illinois does not run that board for wiremen.
| Credential | Who issues it | What a traveling JW needs | Reciprocity |
|---|---|---|---|
| IBEW Inside Journeyman Wireman (W-2) | Your home local plus the Illinois hall that refers you | Paid-up dues, travel letter, OSHA 10, two IDs, site drug/background | None at the state. The contractor's city license covers the work. |
| City of Chicago electrical contractor (general or low voltage) | Chicago Department of Buildings | Only if you are the qualifying business, not a referred JW | Chicago's page does not list out-of-state journeyman endorsement |
| City of Chicago supervising electrician | Chicago Department of Buildings | Age 21, 2 years under a supervising electrician, Continental Testing exam | No out-of-state JW waiver on the city page |
| City of Peoria electrical contractor | City of Peoria | Permits and inspections, $150/year | Normal, IL and Pekin, IL licenses only; otherwise ICC contractor exam, 2017 NEC or newer |
| Other Illinois cities | Each building department | Whatever that city prints | Elgin accepts listed Illinois municipal electrical licenses that used an NEC exam |
Compare Iowa's 13-state journeyman map in the Iowa electrical license guide and Wisconsin DSPS in the Wisconsin journeyman electrician license guide. Illinois is the other model: city contractor cards, not a statewide JW ticket. The 50-state roundup is in electrician license reciprocity by state.
Chicago: contractor license, supervising electrician, Class 1 sites
Chicago's electrical contractor page is the one official Illinois result on today's US SERP. A City of Chicago electrical contractor license is required to install, alter, or maintain wiring regulated by the Chicago Electrical Code. The license is issued to a business that employs at least one licensed supervising electrician. Employees of that business may work under that supervising electrician. Independent contractors may not ride someone else's license.
Calendar year 2026 fees on that page:
| Chicago credential | 2026 exam | 2026 initial | 2026 renewal | Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical contractor, general or low voltage | n/a (tied to the supervising electrician's exam type) | $150 | $150 | 1 year |
| Supervising electrician | $150 per exam | $150 | $150 | 1 year |
Reinstatement is $100 per expired year. Continental Testing Services handles new applications and exams. Renewals go through the Department of Buildings portal. A supervising electrician may not be the primary supervising electrician for more than one licensed electrical contractor.
Class 1 work is the traveler catch
On buildings over 55 feet or Group A assembly with 300 or more occupants, before a certificate of occupancy, Chicago calls the work Class 1. Every person doing electrical work on that site must be:
- A licensed supervising electrician, or
- A graduate of a U.S. Department of Labor electrician apprenticeship of at least 8,000 hours, or
- Currently enrolled in that kind of DOL apprenticeship
The contractor has to keep those records on site for two years. An IBEW inside apprenticeship that meets the 8,000-hour DOL standard is the practical Class 1 ticket for a referred JW. Bring the written completion certificate or current enrollment proof, not a phone photo.
Other Chicago electrical work is Class 2 and runs under the contractor's supervising electrician. Chicago Municipal Code Chapter 4-290 (contractors) and Chapter 4-292 (supervising electricians) control. The city's pages do not describe reciprocity for an out-of-state journeyman license.
Local 134 is at 2722 S Martin Luther King Drive, Chicago, IL 60616. Scale is $63.15/hr with $18.30/hr H&W and $11.50/hr pension. The hall lists 6 open positions and 107 on Book 1. Jobline (312) 474-4141, Ext. 1.
Peoria and Elgin: city contractor cards, not JW reciprocity
Peoria licenses individuals, not businesses, for electrical contractor permits. Fee $150, non-refundable, calendar year, expires December 31. Reciprocal registration is only from Normal, IL and Pekin, IL. Everyone else needs an ICC contractor exam certificate on the 2017 or newer code cycle. That is still a contractor credential. It is not a traveling journeyman card.
Elgin's 2026 contractor list accepts electrical licenses from Belvidere, Buffalo Grove, Chicago, Elgin, Freeport, Geneseo, Libertyville, Orland Park, Ottawa, Peoria, Schaumburg, Springfield, Waukegan, and Woodstock when the home city gave a written NEC exam. That list is Illinois-to-Illinois municipal contractor recognition. It is not a 50-state JW table.
Local 34 in the Peoria area is at 4322 Ricketts Avenue, Bartonville, IL 61607, (309) 673-3691. Scale $46.70/hr, H&W $10.00/hr, defined pension $8.30/hr plus contribution $6.75/hr. Book 1 91 / Book 2 17. 24 open positions.
Illinois IBEW halls with work right now
| Local | City | JW scale | H&W | Pension (as posted) | Book 1 / Book 2 | Open positions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 364 | Rockford | $67.09 | $20.12/hr | Contribution $22.10/hr (pyramiding noted) | 29 / 185 | 18 |
| 134 | Chicago | $63.15 | $18.30/hr | $11.50/hr | 107 / n/a | 6 |
| 176 | Joliet | $61.00 | $18.98/hr | Defined $7.60 + annuity $13.90 | 41 / 36 | 11 |
| 649 | Alton | $51.80 | $11.60/hr | Defined $14.70 plus contribution | n/a | 34 |
| 34 | Peoria | $46.70 | $10.00/hr | Defined $8.30 + contribution $6.75 | 91 / 17 | 24 |
Local 364 is at 6820 Mill Road, Rockford, IL 61108, (815) 398-6282. The October 18 outlook names DeKalb data-center JW calls at Mead Electric (5-10s plus an 8, on-site drug test, THC compliant), Tri City Electric (4-10s plus an 8), and Preferred Electric at Project Midwest.
Local 176 is at 1100 NE Frontage Road, Joliet, IL 60431. Allied Power wants 9 JW plus 2 JW welders at Dresden Nuclear (Wilmington STC, 36400 Essex Road). Scale plus $15/hr over on overtime during the outage. Hot-nuke paperwork: 5-year work history, background, drug/alcohol/marijuana screens, OSHA 10, long sleeves, safety shoes. Book 1 41 JW (32 available) / Book 2 36 JW.
If this is your first hitch, read how to travel IBEW Book 2.
What to bring on an Illinois IBEW call
- Current IBEW travel letter and paid-up dues receipt.
- OSHA 10 (OSHA 30 on many industrial and nuclear gates).
- Two unexpired government IDs, including a Social Security card or passport for I-9.
- For Chicago Class 1 sites: DOL apprenticeship completion or current enrollment proof covering 8,000 hours.
- For Dresden or other nuclear: 5-year work history and the screens the call names.
- Direct-deposit info and a blank check where the hall asks for one (Local 364 DeKalb calls).
- Confirm the city on the call, not a statewide card. Call that building department if the contractor says you need a local exam.
Frequently asked questions
Does Illinois have electrician license reciprocity?
No statewide journeyman reciprocity exists. IDFPR does not license electricians. Reciprocity, where it exists, is city-to-city contractor registration (Peoria with Normal and Pekin; Elgin with listed Illinois municipalities).
Do I need an Illinois journeyman electrician license to take a Book 2 call?
There is no statewide journeyman license to get. You need IBEW referral status and whatever OSHA, ID, drug, and apprenticeship proof the call and the city print. The contractor holds the municipal electrical contractor license.
Can I work in Chicago on my home-state journeyman card?
Chicago does not issue a journeyman license and does not list out-of-state JW endorsement. You work as an employee of a Chicago-licensed electrical contractor under a supervising electrician. Class 1 high-rise and large assembly work also requires a DOL 8,000-hour apprenticeship (completed or in progress) or a supervising electrician license.
How much is a Chicago supervising electrician license in 2026?
$150 exam, $150 initial license, $150 annual renewal. Age 21 and two years under a supervising electrician, verified by supervisor letters, through Continental Testing Services.
Does Peoria accept an out-of-state electrician license?
Peoria's posted reciprocal list is Normal, IL and Pekin, IL. Other applicants submit an ICC contractor exam on the 2017 or newer code. That is a contractor license, $150 per calendar year.
Which Illinois IBEW local has the most work right now?
Local 649 Alton leads with 34 open positions, then Local 34 Peoria with 24 and Local 364 Rockford with 18 at $67.09/hr, the top Illinois scale. Statewide Illinois halls total 146 open positions.
Does Local 176 Joliet require a state license for Dresden Nuclear?
The October 18 Allied Power call lists scale plus $15/hr over on outage overtime, hot-nuke screening, OSHA 10, and IDs. It does not name an Illinois journeyman license. Follow the call and the plant badge office.
Where do I check live Illinois IBEW calls and pay?
The Illinois pay scale spoke, each hall page (364, 134, 176, 34), the map, and Hot Spots.
