Auctioneer License Requirements in Illinois
State license required. Illinois requires a state auctioneer license from IDFPR under the Auction License Act, which runs through at least 2030 and expands to estate sale services in 2026.
What Online Auctioneers Need to Know
Online auctioneers are licensed in Illinois. The only online carve-out is for "Internet auction listing services" — eBay-style platforms where sellers list their own goods — which register with the state instead. If you conduct the auctions yourself, the license applies regardless of medium.
The Rules in Illinois
Illinois licenses auctioneers through the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation under the Auction License Act, 225 ILCS 407. The Act's sunset was extended to January 1, 2030, and effective January 1, 2026 it expands to cover estate sale services as well. Platform-style internet auction listing services register under a separate section rather than holding auctioneer licenses, but that carve-out does not cover businesses that actually run auctions.
The written-contract statute is specific: 225 ILCS 407/15-10 requires a written contract with mandated contents including your license number, all fees, a cap on advertising charges at 120% of actual cost, disclosure of who receives the buyer's premium, and lien disclosures. Proceeds go into a special trust-type account, and you must remit and account to the consignor within 30 days of a written request. Illinois has no bond requirement.
Requirements at a Glance
- State auctioneer license from IDFPR (Auction License Act, 225 ILCS 407)
- Coverage expands to estate sale services effective January 1, 2026
- Written contract with mandated contents: license number, fees, 120% ad-cost cap, buyer's-premium recipient, lien disclosures (225 ILCS 407/15-10)
- Special trust-type account for proceeds; remit and account within 30 days of written request (225 ILCS 407/20-15)
- No bond requirement
Authority: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). Statute: 225 ILCS 407 (Auction License Act).
Not legal advice. Auction law changes — several states have amended their online-auction rules since 2019. Verify current requirements with the licensing authority above (or your city/county clerk) before your first sale, and have a local attorney review your consignment contract.
Licensed (or Exempt)? Here's the Rest of the Path
The license is usually the easy part. The business itself — platform affiliation, sourcing consignments, cataloging, settlement — is laid out in how to start an online auction business, and the earning math is in how much auctioneers make.