In Illinois, genetic counselors must be licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. To become licensed, applicants must verify one of the following:

• successful completion of a master's degree in genetic counseling from an American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) or an American Board of Medical Genetics (ABMG) accredited training program or an equivalent program approved by the ABGC or the ABMG; or
• applicant is a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches; or
• successful completion of a doctoral degree and an ABMG accredited medical genetics training program or an equivalent program approved by the ABMG.

Applicants must also pass an ABGC or ABMG exam; have current certification from the ABGC or the ABMG; and, pay a licensing application fee.

Licensure must be renewed every two years.

Additional information can be obtained from:

For certification through the American Board of Genetic Counseling, applicants must first apply for Active Candidate Status. Once this is achieved, candidates must then sit for two certification exams, which are held every three years.

In order to qualify for Active Candidate Status, an applicant must:

• have a graduate degree in genetic counseling from an accredited training program; and
• have a log-book showing participation in at least fifty supervised cases.

For more information about certification, go to: