PE Stamping in West Dundee, IL

PE Stamping in Illinois: what governs your project

Engineering in Illinois is regulated by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Illinois uniquely licenses Structural Engineers separately from Professional Engineers, and SE licensure is required for the structural design of certain structures defined by statute. Firms providing professional design services must be properly registered, with licensed professionals in responsible charge.

Permitting & plan check

Chicago's Department of Buildings runs its own permitting process, including a self-certification program that allows licensed architects and structural engineers to certify code compliance on qualifying projects. Outside Chicago, permits and inspections are handled by municipal and county building departments. Illinois has no single statewide commercial plan review; authority sits with local jurisdictions.

Good to know

• Illinois is one of the few states with a separate Structural Engineer (SE) license, required for the structural design of certain higher-risk structures.
• Southern Illinois sits near the New Madrid Seismic Zone, so seismic design categories there are notably higher than in the Chicago area.
• Chicago's downtown high-rises famously bear on caissons drilled to bedrock through deep layers of soft clay.

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