Illinois Equal Pay Registration Certificate (EPRC): What Employers Need to Know for 2026
02.03.26
Illinois employers with 100 or more employees are subject to the Equal Pay Registration Certificate (EPRC) requirement under the Illinois Equal Pay Act. The EPRC is part of the state’s broader effort to promote pay equity and wage transparency across the workforce. Because the requirement operates on a rolling, individualized schedule, it can be easy for employers to overlook their obligations.
What Is the EPRC?
The EPRC is a certification issued by the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) confirming an employer’s compliance with federal and state equal pay and anti-discrimination laws. Covered employers must apply for the certificate and renew it every two years. There is no single statewide deadline; instead, each employer receives an individualized notice from IDOL assigning a specific submission date.
2026 Reporting Cycle: Don’t Assume You’re Exempt
For employers whose reporting cycle falls in 2026, the EPRC application is due on the date identified in IDOL’s notice, with many deadlines occurring early in the year. Employers should not assume they are exempt simply because they have not yet filed in prior years. Confirming whether a deadline has been assigned is an important first step in ensuring compliance. Only one EPRC application is required for all business locations, even if the employer operates at multiple sites statewide.
What Information Must Be Submitted?
IDOL has published a comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) resource that employers can reference when preparing their EPRC application. These FAQs provide detailed guidance on required disclosures, reporting issues and recent process changes.
The EPRC application requires employers to submit:
- Workforce demographic and wage data
- A certification of compliance
- An explanation of compensation practices.
IDOL outlines the required application content in FAQ #19 and explains the information included in the EPRC in FAQ #17. If employers do not have race, gender or ethnicity information for certain employees, IDOL provides guidance on how to proceed in FAQs #21 and #22. Employers should not delay submission solely due to incomplete demographic data.
As of June 2025, the EPRC process changed. Employers are no longer required to upload a signed certification statement. Instead, compliance is now certified through an electronic form completed directly within the portal. Employers should exercise caution before relying on prior templates or submissions prepared under the old process. (FAQ #26)
Compliance Risks and Enforcement Considerations
Failure to obtain or renew an EPRC may result in fines, penalties and restrictions on doing business in Illinois. As a result, the EPRC should not be treated as a purely administrative exercise. The information submitted may be reviewed for potential pay disparities, and unexplained discrepancies can lead to additional scrutiny, audits or enforcement activity.
Takeaway for Illinois Employers
As pay equity remains an area of active enforcement and public attention, confirming EPRC obligations and deadlines is an important compliance step for covered Illinois employers. The process also presents an opportunity to review compensation practices, assess risk and address potential issues proactively, before they lead to any complaints or even litigation.
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