How to Get an Illinois SUD Treatment License (Part 2060)
How to license a substance use disorder treatment program in Illinois under Part 2060: the agency, levels of care, application, staff rules and renewal.
As of October 2026. Illinois has changed its SUD rules several times since 2025, so re-read Part 2060 and the IDHS application page before you file.
In Illinois, a substance use disorder treatment program is licensed by the IDHS Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery under 77 Ill. Adm. Code Part 2060, a new Part effective April 2, 2025, and each license names the levels of care and populations it covers. The source note on the rule records that the former Part was "repealed at 49 Ill. Reg. 5287," with a new Part adopted at 49 Ill. Reg. 5290 (77 Ill. Adm. Code 2060, Illinois General Assembly). If your policies, forms or training were built on the older text, treat them as drafts until you check them against the current rule.
This guide is for the executive director, COO or compliance lead opening a new Illinois SUD program or adding a site, often as part of a multi-level or multi-state group. It walks through the agency, the levels of care, the application packet, the medical director and staffing gates, review, and renewal. For the wider Illinois picture (Medicaid, managed care and workforce), start at our Illinois state hub.
How do I get a substance use disorder treatment facility license in Illinois?
The short version, in order:
- Read Part 2060 and the IDHS implementation resources, since the application includes an attestation that you have read the applicable rules.
- Confirm your organization is in good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State and that you have written zoning approval for each facility.
- Get a life safety inspection report attested by a local code official, the Office of the State Fire Marshal or an Illinois-licensed architect.
- Complete the New License Application and the schedules that apply to you: A (for-profit ownership), C (statement of compliance and life safety), E (medical director) and L (professional staff).
- Submit to the IDHS licensing unit by mail or email, answer any correction notice within 60 calendar days, and prepare for a possible pre-licensure inspection.
- Open only the levels of care printed on your license, and calendar the renewal at least 30 days before it expires.
The IDHS application page lists the forms and says your organization "must be in good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State" (IDHS SUD license and Medicaid certification page). The rest of this guide covers each step.
Who licenses SUD programs in Illinois, and what changed on April 2, 2025
Section 2060.100(b) names the Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (DHS/SUPR) as the "federally-recognized Single State Authority" that plans, licenses and regulates SUD treatment organizations (77 Ill. Adm. Code 2060.100). The same office appears on current IDHS pages as the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR), so you will see both names in rule text and on forms.
Two points trip up new operators. First, SUPR is a division inside IDHS, not a separate agency. Second, the Illinois Department of Public Health licenses hospitals, and a hospital-based SUD program uses a separate IDHS Medicaid certification form, but IDPH does not license freestanding outpatient or residential SUD programs.
On the April 2, 2025 change, the Illinois IDHS implementation page states that licensed organizations "are required to adhere to the new rule standards" (IDHS Part 2060 implementation page). IDHS supported the switch with a monthly Part 2060 webinar series that ran from June 17, 2025 to March 17, 2026 and technical assistance calls listed through December 5, 2025. Those sessions are over, but the recordings, the 2060 and ASAM FAQs (June 2025 through March 2026) and the license-to-ASAM crosswalk are still posted on that page, and they are the best place to see how DBHR reads its own rule.
Treatment license levels of care and how they appear on the license
Under Section 2060.205(a), a treatment license authorizes SUD levels of care, and "the levels of care and populations (adult/adolescent) shall be specified on the license" (77 Ill. Adm. Code 2060.205). The treatment levels in Section 2060.410 are:
| Part 2060 level | Service |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Outpatient |
| Level 2 | Intensive outpatient |
| Level 2.5 | Partial hospitalization |
| Level 3.1 | Clinically managed low intensity residential |
| Level 3.2 | Clinically managed residential withdrawal management |
| Level 3.5 | Clinically managed medium to high intensity residential |
| Level 3.7 | Medically monitored inpatient withdrawal management |
Opioid treatment program authority sits in Section 2060.420. Because the license lists both levels and populations, a group serving adults in residential care and adolescents in outpatient care needs both shown on the license for the right site. The same logic applies to step-downs: if you plan to move patients from partial hospitalization (Level 2.5) to intensive outpatient (Level 2) inside your own program, list both levels on the application, and see our guide to PHP to IOP step-down handoffs for the chart side of that move.
Illinois moved to ASAM Criteria, 4th Edition, but did not reissue licenses. In its November and December 2025 FAQ, IDHS said it "has determined there is no need to reprint new licenses" for ASAM 4th Edition (IDHS 2060 and ASAM FAQ, Nov. and Dec. 2025). Instead, DBHR posts a crosswalk image on the implementation page that maps each Part 2060 license level to the ASAM 4th Edition levels it covers; for example, a Level 1 license covers ASAM 1.0 and 1.5 services. Keep a copy of that crosswalk with your license so surveyors, payers and staff read your levels the same way. For a refresher on the national framework, see our explainer on ASAM levels of care.
The application packet: schedules, good standing, zoning and life safety
Section 2060.215 lists what goes into a new application, an application to relocate, or an application to add a level of care or population. For a first treatment license, plan on these pieces:
- New License Application and checklist. IDHS posts the current instructions and checklist on the application page.
- Schedule A, ownership disclosure. The IDHS page says to complete it only if your organization has for-profit status. Under Section 2060.235(a), for-profit applicants disclose owners and controlling parties unless an owner holds less than 5% stock; not-for-profits disclose their board chair and members instead.
- Schedule C, statement of compliance and life safety inspection report.
- Schedule E, medical director.
- Schedule L, professional staff.
- Organization chart, W-9, Secretary of State documentation, narrative description and linkage agreements as they apply.
Two facility items deserve early attention because they depend on local officials, not on you. Under Section 2060.310(a)(1), each location shows "compliance with any local zoning requirement documented in writing" from the local authority (77 Ill. Adm. Code 2060.310). Under Section 2060.310(a)(2), fire safety compliance is confirmed by an attestation from a local code official, the Office of the State Fire Marshal, or an architect licensed in Illinois on the Life Safety Inspection Report. A multi-site group needs a zoning letter and a life safety attestation for every facility, so start those requests in parallel.
There is usually no fee. Section 2060.220 says "No application fee is required," except in the dissolution and relocation situations in Sections 2060.260 and 2060.265 (77 Ill. Adm. Code 2060.220).
Completed packets go to the IDHS Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery at 401 South Clinton Street, Second Floor, Chicago, or to the licensing unit's email address listed on the application page.
Medical director and professional staff you show at application
Part 2060 expects your clinical leadership to be in place before you are licensed. Under Section 2060.200(b), Illinois applicants show that the medical director and other professional staff "are available and ready to begin delivering services on the date of licensure" (77 Ill. Adm. Code 2060.200).
Medical director (Schedule E). Section 2060.415 has every treatment licensee designate a medical director, with qualifications tied to the levels you run:
- Any Level 3 service (3.1 through 3.7): a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, or a licensed advanced practice registered nurse.
- Levels 1, 2 and 2.5: a physician, an APRN, or a licensed physician assistant.
- An opioid treatment program: a physician.
The medical director can be full-time, part-time or consulting. Under Section 2060.415(c), DHS/SUPR has to be notified within 10 calendar days of a change in medical director, with a new Schedule E.
Professional staff (Schedule L). Under Section 2060.320(a), anyone delivering clinical treatment in an Illinois licensed setting holds, on hire, an ICB Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor credential or is an LPC or LCPC, a physician, a licensed clinical psychologist, an LSW or LCSW, an LMFT, a board-certified PMHNP, or a physician assistant with a CAQ in psychiatry. Staff hired without one of those credentials have two years to obtain it under Section 2060.320(f), cannot work as clinical supervisors until they do, and deliver only supervised clinical services in the meantime.
Level 3.7 coverage. Section 2060.320(c) calls for at least one staff member on duty 24 hours a day who is either a licensed nurse able to administer medication and conduct nursing evaluations or a certified EMT with at least 40 clock hours of SUD training. Build that into your staffing model before you list 3.7 on the application.
For staffing plans that span several levels, our guide to treatment planning best practices is a useful companion.
Review, inspection and the 60-day correction window
Once IDHS receives your packet, Section 2060.240(a) sets the clock: DHS/SUPR notifies you of any error or omission, and corrections are due "within 60 calendar days after such notification" (77 Ill. Adm. Code 2060.240). If you miss that window, the application is returned and the process ends.
DHS/SUPR can also look past the paperwork. Section 2060.240(c) lets it request a life safety inspection by a licensed architect or the cooperation of the State Fire Marshal and local health authorities, and Section 2060.240(d) lists what it may weigh about management and staff, including interviews, the accuracy of what you submitted and how quickly you respond to its requests. Section 2060.392(b) adds that compliance inspections "may also include a pre-licensure facility inspection" (77 Ill. Adm. Code 2060.392). If IDHS denies the license, Section 2060.240(f) gives you a written notice and the right to request a hearing.
Practical takeaways for a compliance lead:
- Name one person to own correspondence with the licensing unit, matching the authorized organization representative you designate under Section 2060.230.
- Track the 60-day correction deadline like a payer appeal deadline.
- Have the facility walk-through ready (private counseling areas, posted hours, disaster plan) before you submit, not after.
License term, renewal and what happens at expiration
Under Section 2060.225(a), each license is "effective for a maximum of three years" (77 Ill. Adm. Code 2060.225). IDHS sends a renewal application before expiration, and Section 2060.250(b) puts the deadline at "at least 30 calendar days prior to the expiration date" of the current license (77 Ill. Adm. Code 2060.250).
The consequence of missing it is steep. Under the same Illinois section, if a license expires, all services linked to it cease within 15 calendar days. For a residential or withdrawal management program, that means discharge and transfer planning for every resident, so put the renewal date on the leadership calendar for each site, not only in the compliance binder.
At renewal, DHS/SUPR may again interview staff, check the accuracy of your submission and look at unresolved violations. It may also renew for less than three years, with written notice and a right to a hearing. If you need another service at an existing site during the license term, Section 2060.225(b) lets you request it at any time using the license application; we cover that process separately.
Where Ease fits
Ease keeps one chart for each patient across the levels of care your Illinois program offers. Each organization configures which levels it offers, such as outpatient, IOP, PHP, residential and withdrawal management, and each patient's placement carries admission, transfer and discharge statuses. Multi-site groups run every location on one instance, each with its own NPI and billing provider, and admins configure which sites offer each level of care so clinicians see the relevant options; more in our piece on EHR for multi-state behavioral health groups. Residential teams can also review our guide to bed management and census for residential behavioral health. Licensure decisions stay with DHS/SUPR's reviewers.
Questions to put to DBHR before you apply
Rules are only part of the picture. Before you file, it is worth asking the licensing unit, in writing:
- Which version of the New License Application and schedules is current, since IDHS updates the forms.
- Whether it plans a pre-licensure facility inspection for your site and what it wants to see.
- How the crosswalk applies to the specific ASAM 4th Edition levels you plan to deliver under each license level.
- Whether any of your sites needs a separate application because of off-site service volume or a planned relocation.
Keep the answers with your application file. When the rule or the forms change again, you will know which assumptions to recheck.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Illinois agency licenses substance use disorder treatment programs?
The Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (DHS/SUPR), which 77 Ill. Adm. Code 2060.100(b) names as the Single State Authority. IDHS web pages now call the same office the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR), and applications go to its licensing unit in Chicago or by email. IDPH licenses hospitals, not freestanding SUD programs.
Is there an application fee for an Illinois SUD treatment license?
No, in most cases. Section 2060.220 says no application fee is required except as specified in Sections 2060.260 and 2060.265, which cover dissolution of the corporation and relocation or cessation of services.
How long is an Illinois SUD treatment license valid?
Up to three years under Section 2060.225(a). Under Section 2060.250(b), the renewal application goes in at least 30 calendar days before expiration, and if a license lapses, every service linked to it has to stop within 15 calendar days.
Will IDHS reissue my license with ASAM 4th Edition levels of care?
No. In its November and December 2025 FAQ, IDHS said there is no need to reprint licenses for ASAM 4th Edition. Licenses keep the Part 2060 levels, and the Part 2060 implementation page posts a crosswalk from each license level to the ASAM 4th Edition levels it covers.
What happens if IDHS finds errors in my Illinois license application?
Under Section 2060.240(a), DHS/SUPR notifies you of errors or omissions and you have 60 calendar days from that notice to send the corrections. If you do not respond in that window, the application is returned and the process ends, so you start over.
