Illinois Nursing Home Administrator License Requirements

What it takes to become a licensed nursing home administrator in Illinois: the education and experience routes (Illinois requires no Administrator-in-Training program), the NAB exams, the Illinois Supplemental Examination and what it is drawn from, continuing education, and where to ask about training. Every figure below is cited to its official source.

nhaexamprep.com · updated September 2026

Illinois at a glance

AIT requirement	None. You qualify with a bachelor’s degree, an approved course in nursing home administration, or a nursing diploma or associate degree plus two years of qualifying experience (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1310.30)
National exams	NAB Core of Knowledge + NHA Line of Service (both required)
State exam	Required: the Illinois Nursing Home Administrator Supplemental Examination, 90 minutes, from 77 Ill. Adm. Code Part 300 and the Illinois Food Code Details ↓
Continuing education	36 hours biennial
Official sources	nabweb.org

Verified against the sources above, September 2026. Requirements change; the board's current published rule is always the final word.

Who licenses you in Illinois

In Illinois the licensing body is a state agency. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) licenses nursing home administrators, through its Division of Professional Regulation. The Act defines “Department” as “the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation” (225 ILCS 70/4). The law is the Nursing Home Administrators Licensing and Disciplinary Act, 225 ILCS 70, and IDFPR’s rules are 68 Ill. Adm. Code Part 1310. A nursing home administrator is the person “directly responsible for planning, organizing, directing and supervising the operation of a nursing home” (225 ILCS 70/4).

The Nursing Home Administrators Licensing and Disciplinary Board advises IDFPR but does not license anyone: “The Board shall consist of 7 members who shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Secretary” (225 ILCS 70/5). IDFPR’s Board page says the Secretary appoints two public members and five licensed administrators. The rules give the Board a say in some decisions, for example a temporary license is extended “Upon the recommendation of the Board and approval by the Department” (§ 1310.20(d)), and IDFPR can ask an endorsement applicant to appear for an interview before the Board to clear up questions about the documents (§ 1310.70(c)).

Apply online	CORE, IDFPR’s licensing portal, launched 30 October 2024 (IDFPR nursing home administrator page)
Renew and look up a license	IDFPR online renewal · license lookup
Licenses IDFPR lists	Nursing Home Administrator, Licensed; Nursing Home Administrator, Temporary; Nursing Home Administrator, CE Sponsor
Offices	555 West Monroe Street, 5th Floor, Chicago IL 60661 · 320 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor, Springfield IL 62786 · (888) 473-4858
Board and complaints	Board page · file a complaint

No AIT in Illinois: education and experience instead

Illinois does not require an Administrator-in-Training (AIT) program (225 ILCS 70/8). To sit for the exams you need one of: a bachelor’s degree; an approved course of instruction in nursing home administration; a three-year nursing diploma plus two years of qualifying experience; or an associate degree, or at least 60 semester or 90 quarter hours, plus qualifying experience (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1310.30).

Qualifying experience means two years of full-time work as an assistant nursing home administrator or director of nursing in a facility licensed by the Illinois Department of Public Health, or two years of management experience in a corporation that owns and operates licensed nursing homes (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1310.50).

Compare this against every other jurisdiction on AIT Hours by State.

The routes to an Illinois license

The education and experience you need are set out above. Beyond them, Illinois has more than one way to reach a full license, and they differ in when you may work as an administrator:

• Pass the exams, then get licensed. You apply to IDFPR and to NAB, and you pass the NAB exams and the Illinois Supplemental Examination, which IDFPR approves you to sit. You have “3 years from the date of application to pass both portions” (§ 1310.60(c); 225 ILCS 70/6). If you have not passed both portions within those 3 years the application is denied. You may then file a new application with the fee, meeting the education and experience requirements in force at that time, and you take both portions again (§ 1310.60(d)).
• Temporary license first. If a facility has accepted or appointed you as its full-time administrator, IDFPR can issue a temporary license before you have passed the exams (225 ILCS 70/9: “may in its discretion issue without examination a temporary license”). See below.
• Endorsement. If you already hold a license from another U.S. jurisdiction, see “Licensed elsewhere and military” below.

The temporary license

The rule is 68 Ill. Adm. Code § 1310.20, and IDFPR’s temporary license sheet (effective 06/2025) lists the requirements:

• You are at least 21 (225 ILCS 70/9) and meet one of the same education and experience routes as a full license (§ 1310.20(a)(3)).
• You send “An employer’s statement of the acceptance or appointment of the applicant as a full-time nursing home administrator in a facility licensed to provide nursing care by the Illinois Department of Public Health” (§ 1310.20(a)(5)), a health statement dated within one year, a work history, and the $75 application fee (§ 1310.20(a)(1), (6), (7); § 1310.65(a)(3)).
• Working before the license arrives. Once you have submitted the application and fee, you “may act as a nursing home administrator for a period of up to 60 days prior to the issuance of a license”, and the period can run to the next Board meeting if the Board must act (§ 1310.20(b)). IDFPR’s sheet adds that the date of acceptance cannot pre-date the submission of your application.
• One facility, one year. You may serve only the facility named on the application. The license “becomes void” when your service there ends or is interrupted, or one year after issue, whichever comes first, and you get only one temporary license (§ 1310.20(c)).
• Exams. To become fully licensed you pass the NAB Core, the NHA Line of Service and the Illinois Supplemental Examination (IDFPR’s sheet).

The two sources differ on extensions. IDFPR’s sheet says a temporary license “may only be extended one time for one year if you have attempted at least one of the required exams”, with the request made at least one month before expiry. The rule lists military service, incapacitating illness and an unplanned change of residence as reasons for an extension of up to 12 months, on written request with a $20 processing fee (§ 1310.20(d)), and adds that if you fail to take or pass “the next available” exam the temporary license is void (§ 1310.20(e)). Confirm with IDFPR how it applies these before you rely on a temporary license.

A member of a recognized church or denomination that relies on spiritual healing alone can apply for a limited license that allows service only in an institution of that church or denomination (§ 1310.20(a)(4) and § 1310.70(a)(3)). Everyone else follows the routes above.

The exams you must pass

Licensure in every state runs through two national exams from NAB (the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards): the Core of Knowledge exam, 125 questions in 150 minutes, and the NHA Line of Service exam, 75 questions in 90 minutes. Both are computer-based, multiple choice, and delivered at Pearson VUE testing centers. We break down the structure in NAB Exam Format and the content in The Core Domains Explained. For the Illinois exam on top of those, we publish a prep supplement drawn from Part 300 and the Food Code.

The Illinois Supplemental Examination

Illinois is one of the states that adds an exam of its own. Alongside the two NAB exams you must pass the Illinois Nursing Home Administrator Supplemental Examination, a 90-minute multiple choice test administered by Continental Testing Services on behalf of IDFPR. You apply to both IDFPR and NAB; the NAB exams are scheduled with Pearson VUE through your NAB application, and IDFPR approves applications for the supplemental exam, which CTS administers.

The content outline in the CTS candidate guide, which IDFPR links as the study guide, draws every item from 77 Ill. Adm. Code Part 300, the Skilled Nursing and Intermediate Care Facilities Code, and Part 750, the Illinois Food Code. IDFPR’s rule describes the exam more broadly: it “will cover the Nursing Home Care Act and the rules promulgated by the Illinois Department of Public Health for the administration of this Act (77 Ill. Adm. Code 300, 350 and 390) and the Nursing Home Administrators Licensing and Disciplinary Act and the rules set forth in this Part” (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1310.60(b)). The two official sources differ, so confirm the current scope with IDFPR or CTS before you rely on either. One point the outline does not make obvious: Part 750 has been the Illinois Food Code since 2018 and, since 2024, incorporates the FDA 2022 Food Code, so the sanitation figures come from the FDA text rather than the older Food Service Sanitation rules the candidate guide still names.

What the exam covers, by weight

General Provisions and Administration	17%
Policy and Personnel	15%
Medical Services	35%
Resident Services	33%

Content areas and weights from the CTS candidate guide, verified September 2026. The guide does not state a question count; confirm the current fee and test dates on the CTS Illinois page.

Where the Illinois answer differs from the federal one

The most expensive habit on a state exam is answering with the federal rule you learned for the NAB exams. Illinois departs from 42 CFR 483 in places that look like details and are not. Four real examples, each cited to its section of Part 300:

Topic	Federal or NAB answer	Illinois answer	Section
Direct care staffing	No federal hours per resident day figure; "sufficient" staff 24 hours a day (F725), plus an RN at least 8 consecutive hours a day, 7 days a week (F727)	3.8 hours per resident per day for skilled care, 2.5 for intermediate; at least 25% of that time by licensed nurses and 10% by RNs	300.1230(c), (d)
Chemical restraints	Permitted only to treat medical symptoms (F605)	Prohibited outright	300.680(d)
Involuntary transfer or discharge notice	30 days (F623)	21 days, appeal rights in at least 12-point type; hearing request within 10 days of the notice	300.3300
Plan of correction	10 calendar days after the CMS-2567	10 days after a Type B notice; 10 days to file a modified plan after rejection	300.278

Federal column verified against 42 CFR 483 and the CMS F-tag list; Illinois column against the current text of Part 300, September 2026.

Figures Illinois expects you to know

State exam questions tend to turn on a number and its condition. A sample, with the section each comes from:

• 300.510Report of a change in administrator to the Department: within 5 days
• 300.3300Involuntary transfer or discharge written notice: 21 days minimum
• 300.1220Director of nursing on-duty minimum: 36 hours, four days per week, with at least 50 percent of hours between 7 A.M. and 7 P.M.
• 300.2070Maximum span between substantial evening meal and breakfast: 14 hours
• 300.2930Maximum hot water temperature at resident shower, bathing and handwashing fixtures: 110 degrees F
• 300.670Fire drills: at least quarterly for each shift
• 300.1060Influenza vaccination deadline, residents 65 and over: By November 30 each year (or as soon as practicable if vaccine is unavailable before November 1); admitted after November 30 through February 1, before or upon admission
• 300.278Plan of correction after a Type B notice of violation: 10 days after receipt

Where to ask about training in Illinois

State associations: Health Care Council of Illinois (HCCI) · LeadingAge Illinois. Illinois does not require an AIT, so ask the associations what training or licensure-prep programs they offer.

If you arrange a voluntary AIT anyway, see How to Find an AIT Preceptor and an Approved Program for how to approach facilities and preceptors.

What the license costs

IDFPR’s fees are in 68 Ill. Adm. Code § 1310.65, and “are not refundable”; the Act says the same (225 ILCS 70/14). The exam fees are paid to NAB and to the testing service. The fee section’s source note shows it was added in 1998 (22 Ill. Reg. 3887, effective 5 February 1998), so IDFPR’s portal is the place to confirm the amount due.

Application, exam route	$100 (§ 1310.65(a)(1)), plus the exam fees below
Application, licensed in another jurisdiction	$150 (§ 1310.65(a)(2))
Application, temporary license	$75 (§ 1310.65(a)(3)); a $20 processing fee if you request an extension (§ 1310.20(d))
NAB Core and NHA exams	$480 for the two, from 1 February 2026, paid to NAB ($320 Core alone, $190 NHA alone)
Illinois Supplemental Examination	$107, paid to Continental Testing Services (CTS lists it as “IL Supp Juris Only” at $107.00 for each session listed for October 2026 to April 2027)
NAB score transfer	$70 per jurisdiction: “The charge for a score transfer is $70.00 per jurisdiction.” (NAB)
Renewal, every two years	“calculated at the rate of $50 per year” (§ 1310.65(b)(1)), which by our arithmetic is $100 for a two-year license. Confirm the amount due in the renewal portal
Restoration of an expired license	$20 plus all lapsed renewal fees (§ 1310.65(c)(1); § 1310.80(a)). From inactive status, the current renewal fee (§ 1310.80(b))
Duplicate or replacement license, name or address change	$20 (§ 1310.65(c)(2)); no fee for a name or address change on Department records when no duplicate license is issued
Certification of your record	$20 (§ 1310.65(c)(3))
Out-of-state CE program approval	$20 processing fee, plus $10 per hour late, up to $150 (§ 1310.85(d))

Our estimate for a first-time candidate on the exam route: $100 + $480 + $107 = $687, plus your health statement and any coursework. Our estimate for an endorsement applicant whose NAB scores are on file: $150 + $70 + $107 = $327. IDFPR and the testing services set the amounts you pay, so check the current figures before you apply. The rule also says that failing to appear for a scheduled exam after your application for it is acknowledged “shall result in the forfeiture of the examination fee” (§ 1310.65(a)(1)).

Continuing education and renewal

Every license “shall expire on November 30 of each odd numbered year” (§ 1310.75(a); IDFPR’s requirements sheet says the same). So there is one statewide renewal date, and the next is 30 November 2027. Failing to receive a renewal notice “shall not constitute an excuse for failure to pay the renewal fee or to renew one’s license” (§ 1310.75(b)), and practicing on an expired license is unlicensed activity (§ 1310.75(c)).

36 hours of continuing education (CE), “in the 2 year period preceding the renewal date” (225 ILCS 70/11; § 1310.85(a)(1), which calls it “the 24 months preceding the expiration date of the license”).

• First renewal. “A renewal applicant is not required to comply with CE requirements for the first renewal following the original issuance of the license” (§ 1310.85(a)(2)). The mandated topics below are separate; see the sexual harassment note.
• Where the hours come from. Courses approved by the National Continuing Education Review Service (NCERS), and programs by a sponsor the rule names or IDFPR approves, such as LeadingAge Illinois, the Illinois Council on Long Term Care, the Illinois Health Care Association, the Illinois Nursing Home Administrators Association and the Illinois Chapter of the American College of Health Care Administrators (§ 1310.85(b)(1), (2), (c)(1)).
• Online. “All CE hours may be obtained through online courses” (§ 1310.85(b)(9)); the Act requires the rules to allow it (225 ILCS 70/11).
• College courses. 12 CE hours per semester hour or 8 per quarter hour (§ 1310.85(b)(6)).
• Other credit and limits. Up to 12 hours for papers and book chapters (b)(3), and up to 9 hours for presenting, counting preparation time (b)(4). “No credit will be given for activities including, but not limited to, attendance at meetings or reading of journals” (b)(8).
• Hours from another state. CE used to renew a license in another jurisdiction counts toward Illinois (b)(5). For a course from a sponsor IDFPR has not approved, send the out-of-state CE approval form (f1518nha) with the $20 fee before your license expires (§ 1310.85(d)). Illinois licensees who live and practice in other states must meet the same CE rule (§ 1310.85(a)(3)).
• Audit. You certify compliance on the renewal, IDFPR audits at random, and you keep your own evidence (§ 1310.85(a)(1), (e)).
• Waiver. A request for “extreme hardship” is decided on the Board’s written recommendation, and hardship includes full-time armed forces service or an incapacitating illness documented by a physician (§ 1310.85(g)). File it before the license expires (§ 1310.85(g)(4)).

Required topics

Illinois law adds one-hour courses for administrators on top of the 36 hours. IDFPR’s CE requirements page lists the Nursing Home Administrators Licensing and Disciplinary Act under implicit bias, dementia and cultural competency, and says the sexual harassment course applies to every individual license holder:

Sexual harassment prevention	One hour “during each renewal cycle, beginning with the first renewal” (IDFPR; 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15.5)
Implicit bias awareness	“at least a one-hour course in training on implicit bias awareness per renewal period” for a health care professional “who has continuing education requirements”; the statute lets the hour count toward the CE minimum (20 ILCS 2105/2105-15.7)
Cultural competency	One hour for renewals on or after 1 January 2025; the statute lets the hour count toward the CE minimum (20 ILCS 2105/2105-370). IDFPR says to complete it “prior to the first renewal that requires continuing education” and retake it every six years
Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias	One hour; the statute lets the hour count toward the CE minimum (20 ILCS 2105/2105-365). The statute text reads “per renewal period”; IDFPR says to complete it before the first renewal that requires CE and retake it once every six years. The two official sources differ, so confirm the frequency with IDFPR

IDFPR’s page says the sexual harassment hour starts with the first renewal, and that the dementia and cultural competency hours are due before the first renewal that requires CE. Because § 1310.85(a)(2) exempts your first renewal from the 36 hours, ask IDFPR which of these courses you owe at that first renewal.

Inactive status. You may ask IDFPR in writing to place the license on inactive status, and you are then “excused from payment of renewal fees and the completion of continuing education requirements”, but “shall not practice” as an administrator in Illinois (225 ILCS 70/12). Restoring a license that has been expired or inactive for 5 years or less takes the fee ($20 plus lapsed renewal fees if expired, the current renewal fee if inactive) and proof of 36 CE hours or 3 semester hours of college coursework in the prior 2 years (§ 1310.80(a), (b)). After more than 5 years you also need one of: certification of licensure in another jurisdiction with active practice for 3 of the last 5 years, an affidavit of military service, another 36 CE hours, or a pass on both portions of the exam (§ 1310.80(c)).

Licensed elsewhere and military

Endorsement. Illinois “may, in its discretion, license” an administrator licensed under the laws of another U.S. jurisdiction (225 ILCS 70/13). IDFPR examines the application “to determine whether the requirements in the other jurisdiction at the date of licensure were substantially equivalent to the requirements then in force in this State” (§ 1310.70(b)). The test is your other state’s rules on the day you were licensed, and § 1310.70 lists no minimum period of practice. You send (§ 1310.70(a)):

• high school or GED certification, and verification of education and experience through one of the routes in § 1310.70(a)(2);
• a certification from “the U.S. jurisdiction of original licensure” stating how long you were licensed, whether your file has “any record of any disciplinary actions taken or pending”, and the exams you took and your scores. IDFPR’s sheet asks for a Certification of Licensure showing current status, issue and expiration date, and whether the license has been disciplined, so ask each state board for both;
• a health statement dated within one year before you apply, and a work history;
• the $150 fee.

Exams. IDFPR’s sheet lists the NAB exam and the Illinois Supplemental Examination, with both scores reported to IDFPR; you apply to both IDFPR and NAB, and NAB sends your score report or score transfer directly to IDFPR. If you took NAB exams in another state, § 1310.60(f) lets you submit those scores, and the $70 NAB transfer fee is in the costs table. The Illinois Supplemental Examination is required. Section 13 says that “all applicants seeking licensure under this Section shall be required to take and pass an examination testing the applicant’s knowledge of Illinois law”, and the rule lists “Successful completion of the Illinois Supplemental examination” among the endorsement documents (§ 1310.70(a)(7)). IDFPR “shall either approve an applicant to sit for the Illinois Supplemental examination or notify the applicant in writing of the reasons for the denial” (§ 1310.70(d)). Our Illinois supplement follows the CTS content outline for that exam.

Temporary license while you wait. The temporary license in the routes section is written for first-time applicants, and neither the rule nor IDFPR’s sheet says that an endorsement applicant may use it. Ask IDFPR before you plan around it.

Military service. These provisions apply to an Illinois license:

• Expired while in service. An administrator whose license expired while in “federal service on active duty with the Armed Forces of the United States”, or in the State Militia called into service or training, “may have his or her license renewed or restored without paying any lapsed renewal fees” if, within 2 years after honorable termination of that service or training, they give IDFPR satisfactory evidence (225 ILCS 70/11).
• CE and restoration. Full-time armed forces service during the CE period can support a hardship waiver (§ 1310.85(g)(3)(A)), and an affidavit of military service can satisfy one restoration option after more than 5 years (§ 1310.80(c)(2)).
• Service members and spouses. Under 20 ILCS 5/5-715, IDFPR must expedite an application from a service member or spouse who shows a valid license in good standing from another state, who “meets the requirements and standards for licensure through endorsement, reciprocity, or portability”, and who is assigned to an Illinois duty station, has established legal residence in Illinois, or will live in Illinois within 6 months of applying. IDFPR’s military page says the initial review of a qualifying application is completed “within 30 days”, and its how-to sheet counts from receipt of all required documents, and gives a military liaison at FPR.MilitaryLicense@illinois.gov. The statute still ties you to the endorsement standards, and neither the statute nor IDFPR’s military page says the Illinois law exam that § 13 requires is waived, so ask the liaison how it applies to an administrator license.
• Military portability. IDFPR also offers a military portability license, which renews only while the service member remains on active duty and stationed in Illinois (IDFPR).

IDFPR’s military pages do not say which license types the portability and expedited routes cover. Confirm with the liaison before you rely on them for an administrator license.

The rules behind the Illinois license

These are the legal sources that govern nursing home administrator licensure in Illinois. If your state requires a state exam, its questions are drawn from material like this, and the board's candidate information usually names the exact chapters to study.

• StatuteNursing Home Administrators Licensing and Disciplinary Act, 225 ILCS 70
• Board rules / administrative code68 Ill. Adm. Code Part 1310 (IDFPR rules)

Citations verified against official sources, September 2026. Provided for reference, not legal advice; the current official text governs. Mirrors are labeled where an official public link is not available.

Common questions