Registered professional nurses (RN) and licensed practical nurses (LPN) must be licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) to practice nursing in Illinois.

Licensure is the process by which boards of nursing grant permission to an individual to engage in nursing practice after determining that the applicant has attained the competency necessary to perform a unique scope of practice.

Licensure is necessary when the regulated activities are complex and require specialized knowledge and skill and independent decision-making.

The licensure process determines if the applicant has the necessary skills to safely perform a specified scope of practice by predetermining the criteria needed and evaluating licensure applicants to determine if they meet the criteria.