Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation Announces Prior Convictions Not a Barrier to Receiving Professional Licenses

For Immediate Release – April 30, 2021

CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation today released an annual report on professional licensure applicants which shows prior convictions are rarely a barrier to obtaining a professional license in the state. This third annual report contains valuable and insightful information about the applicants for the Department’s licensed professions, with a focus on those who have past criminal convictions and the outcomes of those applications. The complete report may be found here.

Of the more than 99,000 total applications for licensure in 2020, about 1,100 were from applicants with past criminal convictions. Of that total, only 42 were denied based, in whole or in part, on a criminal conviction. The report underscores the Department’s commitment to applying fair, unbiased, and even-handed mitigating factors in the licensing process so that having a past criminal conviction is rarely, in and of itself, a bar to obtaining a professional license.

“Public Act 100-286 has at its core fundamental principles of restorative justice and the report provides an equitable lens through which to evaluate applicants for licensure who have prior criminal convictions,” said Mario Treto, Jr., Acting Secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. “The Department recognizes that becoming a licensed professional can be a gateway to economic opportunity, and we encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including those with past criminal records.”

“Employment is one of the foundations of re-entry, providing financial stability and reducing recidivism,” said Juliana Stratton, Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. “It is great to see that justice involvement is not a barrier to receiving professional licenses that will positively impact a person’s future.”

“People who have been involved in the criminal legal system deserve quality jobs making livable wages. We applaud IDFPR’s continued commitment to a process that encourages equitable access to economic opportunity for people with arrest and conviction records,” said Sodiqa R. Williams, Esq., Vice President of External Affairs and General Counsel for the SAFER Foundation. “We must continue to push for the increased participation of people with records in high demand, growing industries and educate about the many opportunities that are available.”

More about applying for licensure in each profession regulated by IDFPR may be found on our website, www.idfpr.com. The two previous reports may be found here and here.