How to Get a Paraprofessional License in Illinois: Exam and ELIS

To get a paraprofessional license in Illinois, you need to meet the age and education requirements, apply for an Educator License with Stipulations (ELS) endorsed for Paraprofessional Educator through the state’s Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS), pay the $100 application fee, and register the license with a Regional Office of Education before you start working. The whole process runs online and usually takes several weeks once your documents are in.

Who Qualifies

Illinois sets two age thresholds. You must be at least 18 to work with students in prekindergarten through grade 8, and at least 19 to work across all grade levels.¹

You then qualify through one of four educational pathways:

At least 60 semester hours of college credit from a regionally accredited institution. Remedial or developmental coursework does not count toward the 60-hour total.¹
An associate degree from a regionally accredited institution.¹
A high school diploma or GED plus a score of at least 460 on the ETS ParaPro Assessment.²
A high school diploma or GED plus a score of at least 4 on both the Applied Mathematics and Workplace Documents portions of the ACT WorkKeys assessment.²

One shortcut: if you already hold an Illinois Substitute License and a bachelor’s degree, you can serve as a paraprofessional without obtaining a separate ELS-Paraprofessional credential.²

The Exam Route

If you’re qualifying through testing rather than college credit, know that the two exams are scored differently. The ETS ParaPro Assessment has 90 multiple-choice questions covering reading, mathematics, and writing, and you need a single composite score of 460 or higher. Testing centers sit throughout Illinois, often at community colleges.²

ACT WorkKeys requires a level 4 on both the Applied Mathematics and Workplace Documents (previously called Reading for Information) sections individually. Missing the cutoff on either section means you haven’t met the requirement, even if the other score is well above the threshold.²

If you have a documented disability and need testing accommodations, request them from ETS as early as you can; the review takes roughly four to six weeks after they receive complete paperwork, and longer if they ask for additional documentation. A prior accommodation letter from the ACT, SAT, or LSAT can substitute for new disability documentation.³

Fingerprint Background Check

Every applicant for employment with an Illinois school district, licensed or not, must authorize a fingerprint-based criminal history records check as a condition of employment. This is separate from licensure but you will hit it before you can start working. It screens for the disqualifying criminal and drug offenses named in the statute, along with any other felony conviction within seven years of your employment application.⁴

The check also runs your name through the Statewide Sex Offender Database and the Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database. Out-of-state convictions count if the offense would have been a felony under Illinois law. Fingerprinting fees are typically paid by the applicant, generally $50 to $75 depending on the vendor.⁴

Applying Through ELIS

Start by creating an account in the Educator Licensure Information System. The profile needs your Social Security number, contact information, and current residential address. Setting this up first lets the state link incoming transcripts and test scores to your file automatically.⁵

If you’re qualifying through college credits or a degree, your institution must send official transcripts directly to ISBE. They can be emailed to transcripts@isbe.net or mailed to Illinois State Board of Education, Educator Effectiveness – E240, 100 N. 1st Street, Springfield, IL 62777. If you send transcripts yourself, they must arrive in the original sealed envelope from the institution; transcripts submitted outside a sealed envelope are treated as unofficial and will not be accepted.⁵

Once your documents are in the system, log in and click “Apply for a Credential” on your home dashboard. The system walks you through confirmation and background questions before reaching payment. The application fee is $100, payable by credit card, debit card, or prepaid card, with a small processing convenience fee added.⁵

After payment, your application moves to “Pending Review.” ISBE generally takes several weeks to evaluate materials, longer during high-volume periods like late summer. Watch the Action Center inside ELIS for real-time updates on any missing documents. Most delays trace back to a transcript that hasn’t arrived or a test score that hasn’t been linked to the account.

Registering the License With a Regional Office of Education

An issued license is not valid for employment until you register it. This is the step people most often skip, and it will keep you out of a classroom even after the license shows as issued. Register through ELIS by selecting the county or region where you intend to work. If you’re not employed yet, you can register in any county.⁶

Registration for an ELS-Paraprofessional costs $5 per year, paid up front for the full validity period, so a five-year license costs $25 to register. If you work in more than one region, you pay the fee only once but must register in every region where you teach.⁶

Renewal

The ELS-Paraprofessional runs on a five-year cycle. No professional development hours or continuing education is required. You pay the renewal fee through ELIS before the license expires, and you renew your registration on the same five-year schedule between April 1 and June 30 of the final year of the cycle.⁶

Keep your contact information current in ELIS so you get the automated reminders. Letting registration lapse blocks you from working even if the underlying license is still valid.

Short-Term Paraprofessional Approval

If a district needs to place you quickly, Illinois offers a short-term paraprofessional approval as a separate credential. You apply through ELIS by selecting “Approval” and then “Short-term Approval for Paraprofessionals.” If you already have an associate degree or higher on file, the approval auto-issues; otherwise a state evaluator reviews it first.⁷

The short-term approval is a bridge, not a permanent credential. For long-term work, go through the full ELS-Paraprofessional process above.

1
Cornell Law School. Illinois Admin Code tit 23, 25.510 – Endorsement for Paraprofessional Educators
2
Illinois State Board of Education. Paraprofessional Educator
3
ETS. How to Request Accommodations for ETS Tests
4
Illinois General Assembly. 105 ILCS 5/10-21.9 – Criminal History Records Checks
5
Illinois State Board of Education. Licensure Application Process
6
Illinois State Board of Education. Licensure Registration
7
Illinois State Board of Education. How to Apply for a Short-term Paraprofessional Approval