Business & Work

If you are applying for a health care worker license and were convicted of a forcible felony A serious crime that is punishable by more than one year in prison , special rules apply. 

If you have a forcible felony conviction When someone is declared guilty of a crime by a court on your record, and you applied between 2011 and 2016, you were denied because of an old law. If you were licensed before 2011, your license might have been revoked. If you went to school in this field, you may have been told that you could not get licensed.

The law has now changed. You may be eligible to ask to restore or issue your healthcare worker license. This rule applies to you if you have a conviction in Illinois, another state, or a federal conviction.

What is a licensed health care worker?

Examples of common licensed health care workers are:

• Physicians,
• Nurses (RN and LPN),
• Occupational therapists,
• Pharmacists,
• Clinical social workers,
• Dental hygienists, and
• Respiratory care therapists. 

You can find a complete list on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) website.

What is a forcible felony? 

A forcible felony is one that involves the use of, or threat of, physical force to another person. Even if no violence occurred, your conviction may still be a forcible felony. This includes convictions for attempting to commit a forcible felony are also included.

If you were convicted of any of the offenses listed below, or attempt of any the offenses, you may be eligible to ask IDFPR to review your application for licensure:

• First degree murder,
• Second degree murder,
• Intentional homicide The killing of one human being by another; includes willful murder and negligent homicide. of an unborn child,
• Voluntary manslaughter of an unborn child,
• Drug-induced homicide,
• Kidnapping Secretly taking and confining a person against their will & aggravated kidnapping,
• Unlawful restraint & aggravated unlawful restraint,
• Compelling organizational membership of persons,
• Involuntary servitude To coerce a person to participate in forced labor (not commercial sex acts) through coercion or if the victim is under 18 years of age. ,
• Trafficking in persons,
• Aggravated battery,
• Home invasion,
• Forcible detention,
• Causing a catastrophe,
• Compelling confession or information by force or threat,
• Robbery To take or attempt to take anything from another person by force or intimidation , armed robbery, & aggravated robbery,
• Vehicular hijacking & aggravated vehicular hijacking,
• Terrorism,
• Possession of a deadly substance,
• Making a terrorist threat & falsely making a terrorist threat,
• Material support for terrorism, 
• Hindering prosecution of terrorism,
• Boarding or attempting to board an aircraft with a weapon, or 
• Armed violence. 

Some forcible felonies do not qualify for review. If you were convicted of one of the forcible felonies below, your application for a health care worker license will be permanently denied: 

• Involuntary sexual servitude of a minor A person under 18 years old that is a forcible felon,
• A forcible felony for which you have to register as a sex offender, or
• Criminal battery against any patient in the course of patient care or treatment.

How long do you have to wait to apply after a conviction?

Your conviction must be more than 5 years old. You must have been released from confinement more than 3 years ago. 

How many convictions can you have?

There is no limit. But IDFPR will consider the number of convictions you have. If you have multiple convictions, you may want to include more documents in your application.

If you have a forcible felony, you must disclose all of your convictions. This includes misdemeanor A lesser crime punishable by a fine or confinement in county jail for up to one year. and non-forcible felony convictions which have not been sealed. 

You do not need to disclose:

• Sealed cases that are not forcible felonies,
• Juvenile For misdemeanor offenses, a defendant is considered a juvenile if the offense occurred when they were 17 or younger.For felony offenses, a defendant is considered a juvenile if the offense occurred when they were 16 or younger. adjudications, or
• Arrests that did not result in a conviction. 

What if you were convicted of a felony that is not a forcible felony?

You must disclose any non-sealed convictions in your application. Learn more about getting a license with prior convictions.

How do you get your license?

The process is different depending on if you had your license revoked or denied, or if you are applying for your license for the first time. 

Previously denied or revoked license

If your healthcare worker license was previously permanently denied or revoked, you could file a Petition for Review with IDFPR.  It is free to file, but if granted you may have to pay fees. 

For more information, contact IDFPR’s Licensure Maintenance Money the court orders one spouse to pay the other spouse after their divorce (formerly called alimony) Unit at (800) 560-6420 or [email protected] with the email subject “Permanent Revocation/Denial When a court rejects or refuses to allow a request; for example, when a judge decides not to grant an attorney's objection. Review.”

Learn more on the IDFPR website.

First-time applicant

If you are applying for the first time, you must meet all the requirements of your chosen occupation. You should first submit your license application and all required licensure fees. Be sure to follow all the instructions for your license application.  A list of occupations with application instructions, forms, and additional information is available on the IDFPR website. You can also contact the IDFPR Licensure Maintenance Unit at (800) 560-6420 or [email protected].

After you apply, you will receive a “Notice of Intent to Permanently Deny To refuse or say no Licensure” letter from IDFPR. You will also receive information related to submitting your Petition to Review.

You only have 20 days from the date on the letter to submit your Petition for Review. You may want to start working on gathering the necessary documents before you get the letter. If you fail to file the petition within 20 days of the Notice of Intent, your license will be permanently denied.   

Learn more on the IDFPR website.

Completing and submitting your Petition for Review

You must answer A written statement used to respond to the complaint or petition in a lawsuit all questions on the Petition and sign it. Also, attach copies of Certified Dispositions for your convictions and documentation of your release. 

You should include documentation of things you have done since the time of your conviction. You should especially include anything that demonstrates your positive accomplishments. 

You can include:

• Certificates,
• Letters of support,
• Educational documents,
• Evidence Anything used to show that something is true of volunteerism, or
• Anything that shows IDFPR that your convictions do not represent who you are today, and that you are not a threat to working in the health care industry.

IDFPR will review your statement and any supporting documents. IDFPR considers many factors when making its decision, including:

• The seriousness of your offense,
• Whether there were multiple offenses,
• Your prior disciplinary history or lack of disciplinary history, including discipline by state agencies, hospitals, health care facilities, and others,
• The impact of your offense on the injured party A person or business involved in a court case in a role like plaintiff, petitioner, defendant, respondent, or intervenor. ,
• The vulnerability of the injured party, 
• Your motive,
• Your remorse or lack of remorse for the offense,
• If you failed to cooperate with the Department or investigative authorities,
• Restitution to the injured parties,
• Whether your misconduct was self-reported,
• Any voluntary corrective actions taken by you or other evidence of rehabilitation,
• The dates of your convictions, and
• If you previously had a health care worker license in Illinois, whether that license was in good standing The right to file a lawsuit or make a particular legal claim based on how the person is affected. at the time it was permanently revoked. 

You should include information about your life before your conviction. You should also include any changes you may have made since that time. Be factual and straightforward.

If you deny committing the offense, you should talk to a lawyer Someone who represents clients in courts or who gives legal advice . They can help you navigate how to present this to IDFPR.

You can deliver your Petition for Review in person or send it through the mail to:

Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation
Clerk of the Court
James R. Thompson Center
100 West Randolph Street, Suite 9-300
Chicago, Illinois 60601