(225 ILCS 454/5-25)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2030)

Sec. 5-25. Good moral character.

(a) When an applicant has had a license revoked on a prior occasion or when an applicant is found to have committed any of the practices enumerated in Section 20-20 of this Act or when an applicant has been convicted of or enters a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to forgery, embezzlement, obtaining money under false pretenses, larceny, extortion, conspiracy to defraud, or any other similar offense or offenses or has been convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude in any court of competent jurisdiction in this or any other state, district, or territory of the United States or of a foreign country, the Board may consider the prior revocation, conduct, or conviction in its determination of the applicant's moral character and whether to grant the applicant a license.

(b) In its consideration of the prior revocation, conduct, or conviction, the Board shall take into account the nature of the conduct, any aggravating or extenuating circumstances, the time elapsed since the revocation, conduct, or conviction, the rehabilitation or restitution performed by the applicant, mitigating factors, and any other factors that the Board deems relevant, including, but not limited to:

(1) the lack of direct relation of the offense for which the applicant was previously convicted to the duties, functions, and responsibilities of the position for which a license is sought;

(2) unless otherwise specified, whether 5 years since a felony conviction or 3 years since release from confinement for the conviction, whichever is later, have passed without a subsequent conviction;

(3) if the applicant was previously licensed or employed in this State or other states or jurisdictions, the lack of prior misconduct arising from or related to the licensed position or position of employment;

(4) the age of the person at the time of the criminal offense;

(5) if, due to the applicant's criminal conviction history, the applicant would be explicitly prohibited by federal rules or regulations from working in the position for which a license is sought;

(6) successful completion of sentence and, for applicants serving a term of parole or probation, a progress report provided by the applicant's probation or parole officer that documents the applicant's compliance with conditions of supervision;

(7) evidence of the applicant's present fitness and professional character;

(8) evidence of rehabilitation or rehabilitative effort during or after incarceration, or during or after a term of supervision, including, but not limited to, a certificate of good conduct under Section 5-5.5-25 of the Unified Code of Corrections or a certificate of relief from disabilities under Section 5-5.5-10 of the Unified Code of Corrections; and

(9) any other mitigating factors that contribute to the person's potential and current ability to perform the job duties.

(c) The Department shall not require applicants to report the following information and shall not consider the following criminal history records in connection with an application for licensure or registration:

(1) juvenile adjudications of delinquent minors as defined in Section 5-105 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 subject to the restrictions set forth in Section 5-130 of that Act;

(2) law enforcement records, court records, and conviction records of an individual who was 17 years old at the time of the offense and before January 1, 2014, unless the nature of the offense required the individual to be tried as an adult;

(3) records of arrests not followed by a charge or conviction;

(4) records of arrests where the charges were dismissed unless related to the practice of the profession; however, applicants shall not be asked to report any arrests, and an arrest not followed by a conviction shall not be the basis of a denial and may be used only to assess an applicant's rehabilitation;

(5) convictions overturned by a higher court; or

(6) convictions or arrests that have been sealed or expunged.

(d) If an applicant makes a false statement of material fact on the application, the false statement may in itself be sufficient grounds to revoke or refuse to issue a license.

(e) A licensee shall report to the Department, in a manner prescribed by the Department and within 30 days after the occurrence of: (1) any conviction of or plea of guilty, or nolo contendere to forgery, embezzlement, obtaining money under false pretenses, larceny, extortion, conspiracy to defraud, or any similar offense or offenses or any conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude; (2) the entry of an administrative sanction by a government agency in this State or any other jurisdiction that has as an essential element dishonesty or fraud or involves larceny, embezzlement, or obtaining money, property, or credit by false pretenses; or (3) any crime that subjects the licensee to compliance with the requirements of the Sex Offender Registration Act.

(Source: P.A. 101-357, eff. 8-9-19; 102-970, eff. 5-27-22.)