How to Get Your Illinois Medical Cannabis Card
Illinois now allows medical cannabis evaluations by telehealth. See an Illinois-licensed provider from home, then finish a short online application with the state.
Who qualifies
- You are an Illinois resident, 18 or older.
- You have one of Illinois' 58 qualifying conditions (list below).
- You are not an active-duty law enforcement officer, correctional or correctional probation officer, firefighter, school bus permit holder, or commercial driver's license (CDL) holder. Illinois law excludes these roles from the program.
The process
- Book your evaluation. Choose New Patient Certification, enter your legal name and date of birth exactly as they appear on your ID, and pick your qualifying condition.
- Upload your medical records. Illinois requires your provider to review records about your condition, ideally from the last 12 months. Visit notes, specialist letters, imaging reports, or a medication and diagnosis list from another provider all help.
- Meet your provider. An independent Illinois-licensed provider reviews your history, evaluates you by telehealth, and decides whether certification is appropriate. If they can't certify you for medical reasons, you get a full refund.
- Your provider submits your certification to IDPH. We'll email you as soon as it's done, with step-by-step state application instructions.
- Apply with the state. Create an ILogin account, open the IDPH Medical Cannabis Patient Registry Program, and select your certification (it starts with PC). Upload your ID, choose your card length, and pay the state fee.
- Download your provisional letter. From your IDPH dashboard, click Generate on the Provisional Letter tile. You can use it at Illinois medical dispensaries while the state processes your card.
What to have ready for the state application
- A passport-style digital photo taken within the last 30 days
- Illinois driver's license or state ID, or a passport or out-of-state ID plus proof of Illinois residence (a utility bill, bank statement, or similar)
- A credit or debit card for the state fee
- For a reduced fee: your benefit verification letter, or DD214 for veterans
Costs
| Item | Cost | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Provider evaluation | $95 | Green Bridge Society |
| 1-year state card | $50 | IDPH |
| 2-year state card | $100 | IDPH |
| 3-year state card | $125 | IDPH |
Illinois qualifying conditions
- Autism
- Agitation of Alzheimer's disease
- HIV/AIDS
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Anorexia nervosa
- Arnold-Chiari malformation
- Cancer
- Cachexia/wasting syndrome
- Causalgia
- Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
- Chronic pain
- Crohn's disease
- CRPS (Type II)
- Dystonia
- Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
- Endometriosis
- Female orgasmic disorder
- Fibrous dysplasia
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis C
- Hydrocephalus
- Hydromyelia
- Interstitial cystitis
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Lupus
- Migraines
- Multiple sclerosis
- Muscular dystrophy
- Myasthenia gravis
- Myoclonus
- Nail-patella syndrome
- Neuro-Behçet's autoimmune disease
- Neurofibromatosis
- Neuropathy
- Osteoarthritis
- Ovarian cysts
- Parkinson's disease
- Polycystic kidney disease (PKD)
- PMOS with chronic pain
- Post-concussion syndrome
- PTSD
- Reflex sympathetic dystrophy
- Residual limb pain
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Seizures (including epilepsy)
- Severe fibromyalgia
- Sickle cell disease
- Sjögren's syndrome
- Spinal cord disease (including arachnoiditis)
- Spinal cord injury
- Spinocerebellar ataxia
- Superior canal dehiscence syndrome
- Syringomyelia
- Tarlov cysts
- Tourette syndrome
- Traumatic brain injury
- Ulcerative colitis
- Uterine fibroids
Questions
Can I really do the whole thing online?
Yes. Illinois' 2026 cannabis law (SB 3222) allows providers to certify patients by telehealth, and the state application is online.
I don't have medical records. Can I still book?
Your provider is required to review records about your condition, so please upload what you can. A visit summary, medication list, or letter from your regular doctor usually works. If you're not sure what you have, call us before booking.
Where can I buy once I'm approved?
At Illinois dispensaries registered to serve medical patients. Since SB 3222, adult-use dispensaries can opt in to serve medical patients, and you're no longer limited to one designated dispensary.
My certification isn't showing in the IDPH drop-down.
Make sure the name and date of birth on your state application match what you gave us. If it still isn't there after 24 hours, call 814-360-5353 and we'll check with your provider.
Do you see minors in Illinois?
No. Our Illinois service is adults only. Illinois minors need two provider certifications and a parent or guardian caregiver.