A City of Chicago general contractor license is required to perform most types of building construction, alteration, repair, and demolition work within the City of Chicago.
Illinois does not have a state-level license requirement for general contractors. However, most municipalities within Illinois do have their own licensing or registration requirements for general contractors.
Ultimately, time to approval depends on the type of permit you applied for. When using Chicago's self-certification process, you could receive your permit within 10 business days. In contrast, the standard approval process could take up to 3 months or more.
Ing to general guidelines, easy permits can be obtained the same day through the City. However, it's best to budget around four weeks for the reception of a building permit if you're applying through the easy permit system.