Electrical Permit in Chicago, IL
Permit Summary
Who Can Do the Electrical Work?
Homeowner Eligibility Rules
Chicago does not provide a homeowner or owner-builder exception that allows an unlicensed owner to perform electrical work that requires a permit. Permit-required electrical work regulated by Title 14E must be performed by a City-licensed electrical contractor or by a person employed by one. A homeowner may perform activities that are expressly permit-exempt, but that is not a homeowner electrical-permit pathway.
Contractor Rules
Each electrical contractor performing work under the permit must be identified on the permit application. A person installing, altering, or maintaining equipment regulated by Title 14E must hold the appropriate City electrical contractor license or be employed by a holder of that license. The licensing rule contains narrow exceptions for qualifying public-utility work and for properly Illinois-licensed private alarm contractors acting within the scope of that state license.
Permit & Plan Review
Electrical Work Covered
Chicago requires a permit before installation, alteration, or repair of electrical systems or electrical equipment unless an express exemption applies. Electrical work may be permitted as a separate stand-alone application or included within a general building permit that clearly identifies the electrical scope. Common regulated scopes include service and feeder work, new circuits, alterations to existing circuits, low-voltage wiring where not exempt, generators, emergency lighting, outdoor illumination, temporary service, and other electrical installations regulated by Title 14E.
Plan Review Rules
Complete and detailed electrical plans are required before permit issuance for new or altered electrical systems in: Group R buildings over two stories; nonresidential buildings over one story or over 10,000 square feet; hazardous classified locations; health care facilities; new or replacement services or feeders rated 400 A or more; new or replacement services or feeders exceeding 240 V nominal to ground; service switchboards or motor control centers over 1,200 A or 600 V; permanent generators; new emergency-lighting systems and repairs or alterations to required System I or System II emergency lighting; and EV supply equipment serving more than three parking spaces. Required plans include applicable one-line diagrams, equipment and conductor schedules, load/fault-current calculations, grounding information, and equipment-layout/working-clearance information.
Quick / No-Plan Permit Rules
Chicago's Express Permit Program is a current fully web-enabled permit path in the City's Inspection, Permitting & Licensing portal and is used for stand-alone electrical permit applications. Applicants can submit, track status, pay fees, and view inspection status online. Electrical work may instead be included in a general building permit. Use of the Express Permit Program does not waive the detailed electrical-plan requirements in Section 14E-2-215.5 when those requirements are triggered.
Service, Panel & Utility Requirements
Service / Panel Rules
Service and panel work is permit-regulated unless an exemption applies. New or replacement services or feeders rated 400 A or more, or exceeding 240 V nominal to ground, require detailed electrical plans. Chicago also requires the installer of any added load, generating device, or energy-storage system to ensure the existing service is adequate after the addition. Stand-alone permit fees for service disconnecting means only are tiered by ampacity: $75 below 400 A, $300 from 400 to less than 1,000 A, and $750 at 1,000 A or more. New or upgraded utility service also requires coordination with ComEd.
Service Reconnect Rules
A utility connection to a building or system for which a permit is required generally may not be made until the building or system has been inspected and the connection is authorized by the building official. Electrical service-entrance equipment, metering, and wiring up to the customer's disconnect may be energized before that authorization only under the code's limited exception when the building official is notified and the customer disconnect is sealed off and tagged. For new or upgraded ComEd service, the customer must obtain required municipal permits and complete required final inspection before ComEd connects the service.
Low-Voltage Rules
Installation or alteration of low-voltage fixtures such as telephones, computers, speakers, doorbells, and thermostats is permit-exempt, but installation of low-voltage wiring generally requires a permit. A separate exemption applies to installation or alteration of low-voltage and communication wiring in Group R buildings with no more than four stories above grade and same-lot accessory structures such as private garages and carports. When a stand-alone low-voltage permit is required, the current fee is $75 per system per floor, or $75 per system within or serving a single dwelling unit; telephone, security, cable, and media are treated as separate systems for fee purposes.
Utility Coordination Rules
Coordinate with ComEd when the project requires new, upgraded, relocated, or otherwise modified utility service. ComEd directs customers and contractors to its Service Installation & Upgrades Portal for new or modified service requests and requires City of Chicago customers to provide the City permit number. ComEd's service guidance requires applicable municipal permits and final municipal inspection before the utility schedules connection work. Utility-owned service drops, service laterals, associated metering, and certain utility installations remain under utility/Illinois Commerce Commission jurisdiction rather than ordinary customer-side Title 14E requirements.
Inspections & Permit Life
Electrical Inspection Stages
For permitted electrical work, the permit holder must request a rough inspection after required framing and fireblocking/firestopping are in place and electrical raceway is roughed in, before wall or ceiling membranes are installed, and a final inspection after electrical fixtures are installed and properly connected and the work area is ready for occupancy. For repair work and other minor scopes, the building official may designate a permit as 'eligible for inspection'; such a permit can be marked complete if no inspection is requested within 365 days.
Permit Expiration / Inspection Interval
A permit is suspended if authorized work does not start within 180 days after issuance. After work starts, a permit is suspended if work ceases for 365 consecutive days or there is a 365-day period without a required inspection request. The building official may grant up to two 180-day extensions or reinstatements before work starts and up to four after work starts, with a cumulative maximum of 720 days. A permit expires and cannot be reinstated if work has not started within 540 days after issuance or if work ceases for 730 consecutive days.
What You Need Before Applying
Requirements
Obtain a permit before non-exempt installation, alteration, or repair of electrical systems or equipment. Identify the electrical contractor on the application; permit-required electrical work must be performed by a properly licensed electrical contractor or its employees, subject to narrow statutory exceptions. Work must comply with Chicago Electrical Code Title 14E, which adopts the 2017 National Electrical Code with Chicago amendments. Submit detailed electrical plans when a trigger in Section 14E-2-215.5 applies and obtain required inspections before concealment, occupancy, or utility connection as applicable.
Exemptions
No electrical permit is required for minor electrical repair work such as replacing lamps or connecting portable equipment to permanently installed receptacles; FCC-regulated radio/television transmission equipment, although power-supply wiring and towers/antennas/supports still require permits; temporary systems used to test or service electrical equipment; installation or alteration of low-voltage fixtures such as telephones, computers, speakers, doorbells, and thermostats, although low-voltage wiring generally requires a permit; or low-voltage and communication wiring in Group R buildings with no more than four stories above grade and same-lot accessory structures. Permit-exempt work must still comply with applicable codes.
Required Documents
The permit application must identify the property and scope of electrical work and each electrical contractor performing the work. When Section 14E-2-215.5 requires plans, submit complete and detailed electrical plans including, as applicable, a single-line service/distribution diagram; schedules of conduits, conductors, switches, circuit breakers, overcurrent devices, transformers, motors, and luminaires; load calculations including available fault current and equipment withstand ratings; grounding-electrode information; and equipment-room or closet layouts showing required working clearances. Project-specific supporting documents may also be required by the permit path or related reviews.