Two medical marijuana card renewal options are available to medical marijuana cardholders in Illinois. These are the extension renewal and the full certification renewal:
Extension Renewal: This is a yearly renewal option for medical marijuana patients with medical marijuana cards other than the three-year registry card. Email notifications about the imminent expiration of Medical Marijuana Identification Cards (MMIC) will be sent to cardholders by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) 45 days before the cards become invalid. If a medical marijuana card expires before the cardholder initiates renewal, the cardholder will have to submit a new application and obtain a new medical certification. The cardholder can only begin the renewal process after receiving this email from the IDPH and must use the online application system provided by the IDPH._ _
On the online application system, cardholders will select a one-year validity and proceed accordingly. Patients who have caregivers will also indicate whether they would like to renew the status of their designated caregivers. Caregivers are also required to renew their IDs. Patients renewing their medical marijuana IDs must upload proof of identity. After uploading all the required documents, cardholders will be directed to the payment platform to pay the renewal fees. Patients will be able to download and print temporary medical marijuana IDs within 24 hours of submitting their applications. The IDPH mails physical registry IDs to patients within six weeks of submitting their applications
Full Certification Renewal: This renewal option is for medical marijuana patients who have three-year validity registry IDs. The IDPH sends out notification emails to cardholders five months before their cards expire. Cardholders should only initiate the renewal process after the IDPH notifies them. Full certification renewals require cardholders to submit new applications in addition to other relevant documents. Patients must obtain new medical certifications from their physicians before commencing the renewal process.
Yes, medical marijuana cardholders in Illinois can only renew their Illinois medical marijuana cards online via the Illinois Cannabis Tracking System. The IDPH no longer accepts paper submissions for medical marijuana IDs. They must sign in with their usernames and passwords to fill out the form and submit their applications.
The renewal timeframe of medical marijuana cards in Illinois depends on whether a qualifying patient or a caregiver has a one-year, two-year, or three-year validity registry ID. Illinois medical marijuana cards are renewable upon expiration. Generally, patients diagnosed with lifelong medical conditions are automatically granted three-year validity medical registry IDs.
A qualifying patient must obtain a certification from an approved healthcare professional in order to renew their medical marijuana identification card in Illinois. Under the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program Act, the following healthcare professionals are allowed to certify patients for medical marijuana in Illinois:
Patients certified by healthcare professionals based on lifelong medical conditions are not required to get new certifications when renewing their medical registry ID.
Qualifying patients who want to renew their Illinois medical marijuana IDs are required to pay certain fees according to the validity duration of their cards. Illinois medical marijuana card renewal fees are as follows:
The IDPH also offers discounts on registry ID renewal rates for military veterans and other individuals participating in Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs. Such patients pay the following fees:
Illinois medical marijuana cards can only be renewed online via the Illinois Cannabis Tracking System. The state does not accept mail or in-person medical marijuana card renewal applications.
Illinois does not accept out-of-state medical marijuana cards. Only residents of the state with qualifying medical conditions who are enrolled in the Illinois Medical Marijuana Program can purchase medical marijuana from licensed dispensaries.