225 ILCS 705/3.04
An applicant for any certificate provided for in this Act, before being examined, shall register his or her name with the Mining Board and file with the Board the credentials required by this Act, to-wit: an affidavit as to all matters of fact establishing his or her right to receive the examination, and a certificate of good character and temperate habits signed by at least 10 residents of the community in which he or she resides. Each applicant shall also submit a reasonable fee as prescribed by rule, with such fee being deposited into the Coal Mining Regulatory Fund. The monies deposited into the Coal Mining Regulatory Fund under this Section shall not be subject to administrative charges or chargebacks unless otherwise authorized by this Act.
225 ILCS 705/3.04