How to transfer your Illinois real estate license to a new brokerage
In Illinois you file the transfer yourself in the IDFPR Online Services Portal and pay $25. Your new managing broker then approves it.
Your old broker's part: nothing to sign. Process checked against the Illinois IDFPR's own forms and portal on September 19, 2026. Boards change forms, so confirm there before you file.
How the Illinois transfer works
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Tell your current sponsoring broker you are leaving. Then go online.
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Sign in at the IDFPR Online Services Portal. Register first if you have never used it.
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Choose Transfer Active License to New Brokerage Firm. It is under Online Services, then Licensure Options, then Start.
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Search for the new firm by its license number. Searching by number is more reliable than by name.
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Pay $25 and tell your new broker. They approve the transfer on their side.
Where Illinois transfers get stuck
Search by number
Firm names often have near-duplicates. The license number finds the right one.
What to sort out before you switch
The state filing is the easy part. These are the things that cost agents money when they skip them.
Read your contract with your broker
Your independent contractor agreement sets your notice period, any fees you owe on the way out, and how deals that close after you leave get paid.
Listings stay with the brokerage
A listing agreement is a contract between the seller and the brokerage, not you. You can only take a listing with your old broker's written release and your seller's agreement.
Pending deals
Deals under contract usually close with your old brokerage, and your agreement decides how you are paid on them. Get it in writing before your last day.
MLS and association
Move your MLS and REALTOR® association membership to your new office so your access does not lapse.
Update every ad the same day
Signs, your website, social media and business cards must show your new brokerage once you move. State ad rules require the brokerage name.
CE and E&O
Several states will not complete a transfer while your continuing education is overdue or your errors and omissions cover has lapsed. Check both first.
What changes if you move to AXEN
No commission split. You keep 100% and pay a flat fee per closing instead.
AXEN charges a flat fee per closing ($500 on the Pro plan; less on smaller deals) that caps at $6,000 a year, or $12,000 on the Elite plan, plus a $295 per-file admin fee and a $50 a month platform fee. There is no commission split.
Revenue share and equity depend on plan and participation. Earnings examples are illustrations, not guarantees; your income depends on your own sales.
Compare the math on AXEN vs eXp vs Real fees, or look inside the AXEN portal for free. Our Illinois broker handles the new-broker side of this for agents joining AXEN. See the Illinois guide.
Illinois license transfer questions
How long does it take to transfer an Illinois real estate license?
You can start working with your new brokerage once your new managing broker approves. How fast that comes depends mostly on how quickly both brokers act.
How much does it cost to transfer an Illinois real estate license?
The fee is $25.
Does my old broker have to do anything in Illinois?
No signature is needed from your old broker, but give them notice before you file.
What happens to my listings when I change brokerages?
Listings belong to the brokerage, not the agent. You can only take one with your old broker's written release and the seller's agreement.
How much does it cost to transfer an Illinois real estate license?
$25, paid online in the IDFPR portal.
Can I transfer my license to AXEN?
Yes. AXEN is licensed in Illinois, and our Illinois broker handles the new-broker side of the transfer. Start at axenrealty.com/join.