Requirements, license levels, and the issuing authority, sourced from Illinois's official board.
Illinois does license fire sprinkler work statewide, but only in two forms: the Office of the State Fire Marshal issues a Fire Sprinkler Contractor License and a Fire Sprinkler Inspector License, and its Fire Sprinkler Contractor pages and the Part 109 rules list no journeyman or apprentice sprinkler fitter licence.
| Requirements | The Office of the State Fire Marshal states that the purpose of the Fire Sprinkler Contractor License is to safeguard lives and property by regulating persons engaged in the business of planning, selling, installing, maintaining, or servicing fire protection sprinkler systems, and that all individuals and businesses who desire to engage in fire sprinkler contracting in the State must be licensed, except as otherwise exempted in Section 15(c) of the Fire Sprinkler Contractor Licensing Act (225 ILCS 317). Under the rules at 41 Illinois Administrative Code Part 109, a contractor applicant must name a designated certified person or a responsible managing employee. The certified person must hold either a current Illinois Professional Engineer licence or NICET Level III or higher certification in water-based fire protection systems layout; a responsible managing employee must have documented qualifications and three years of work experience. The applicant must file a certificate of insurance covering personal injuries of at least $500,000 per person or $1,000,000 per occurrence and property damage of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence, plus proof of compliance with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Act. The Fire Sprinkler Inspector License, effective January 1, 2024, applies to individuals performing routine inspection and testing; applicants must be at least 21 and hold one of the following: a current certification related to inspection and testing of fire sprinkler systems from a nationally recognised certification organisation at an appropriate level, for example NICET Level III Inspection and Testing or an NFPA water-based certification; a current ASSE 15010 certification in inspection, testing and maintenance for water-based fire protection systems; or completion of a certified sprinkler fitter apprenticeship program approved by the United States Department of Labor. Fees under Part 109 are $3,000 initial and renewal for a contractor and $500 initial and renewal for an inspector. |
| Reciprocity | The Fire Sprinkler Contractor Licensing Act, 225 ILCS 317, contains no reciprocity, endorsement or out-of-state credential recognition for either the Contractor licence (225 ILCS 317/16, whose only out-of-state language concerns where work is performed, not credential recognition) or the individual Fire Sprinkler Inspector licence added effective January 1, 2024 (225 ILCS 317/17). What Illinois publishes instead is a national-certification pathway: 225 ILCS 317/17 requires an individual inspector to demonstrate one of three qualifications, NICET certification at specified levels, ASSE 15010 certification, or completion of an approved apprenticeship programme. Illinois does not appear to separately license individual fitters; installers work under a licensed Contractor. |
| Renewal | Part 109 provides that the two-year licensing period for each licence begins on the date of original issue or renewal and ends on the expiration date. Renewal requires at least 16 hours of continuing education, with at least 8 hours completed during each year; the continuing education requirement is waived for holders of a current professional engineer licence or a current NICET Level III or IV certification in water-based fire protection systems layout. Late renewal is $3,500 for a contractor and $600 for an inspector, and reinstatement is $500 and $100 respectively. |
| Notes | Illinois does license fire sprinkler work statewide, but only in two forms: the Office of the State Fire Marshal issues a Fire Sprinkler Contractor License and a Fire Sprinkler Inspector License, and its Fire Sprinkler Contractor pages and the Part 109 rules list no journeyman or apprentice sprinkler fitter licence. |
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Sources: sfm.illinois.gov, www.ilga.gov, sfm.illinois.gov, sfm.illinois.gov. Always confirm current requirements with the issuing authority.
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