How to Start an LLC in Illinois

What it costs to start an LLC in Illinois

The one cost nobody can avoid is the state's filing fee: $150. It goes to Illinois whether you file the Articles of Organization yourself or pay someone to do it. After that, the cost that matters most is the recurring one, because it comes back every year for as long as the LLC exists.

State fees verified October 2026 and charged by the state, not by us. Our fee is separate and optional. If the state's fee changes before we file, we refund or invoice the difference.

So the minimum to form a Illinois LLC is $150, paid to the state. With our service it is $249. For how Illinois compares with other states, see LLC cost by state.

How to start an LLC in Illinois, step by step

Six steps take you from an idea to an LLC that is formed and in good standing. The first three happen before Illinois approves anything; the last three start once you have the approved Articles of Organization.

1. Choose a name and check it's available

Your LLC's name must end with a designator such as "LLC", "L.L.C." or "Limited Liability Company", and it must be distinguishable from every other business already on Illinois's records. Words that suggest a regulated business, such as "bank" or "insurance", usually need extra approval.

Search the name in Illinois's business records on ilsos.gov before you file. A name that is taken or too close to an existing one is the most common reason a filing comes back. Our guide to LLC name rules covers the details.

2. Name a registered agent

Every Illinois LLC needs a registered agent: a person or company with a street address in Illinois who accepts lawsuits and state notices on the company's behalf during business hours. The agent's name and address go on the Articles of Organization and become public.

• Can you be your own agent? Yes, if you have a Illinois street address and are there during business hours.
• On the filing: Signature on form; Secretary of State advises naming an agent only after the agent agrees. LLC cannot be its own agent; office must be identical to agent's business office.

More on the trade-offs in Do you need a registered agent?

3. File the Articles of Organization

The Articles of Organization is the document that creates your LLC. Illinois takes it online at ilsos.gov, and the filing fee is $150. It asks for the company name, the registered agent, a mailing address, and the people forming the company. Whoever signs it as organizer does not have to be an owner, which is how filing services sign on your behalf.

What becomes public: Names and business addresses of all managers and any member with manager authority (i.e., all members if member-managed); organizer name(s) and address(es); registered agent.

Once Illinois approves the filing, your LLC exists. Keep the approved Articles of Organization; banks ask for it.

4. Adopt an operating agreement

The operating agreement sets out who owns the LLC, how decisions get made, how profits are split, and what happens if an owner leaves. It is not filed with the state. Even a single-owner LLC benefits from one, because it shows the company is run as a separate business, and banks often ask for it.

You can write your own, use an attorney for complex ownership, or add our $79 self-help template from your order page after checkout. See Do you need an operating agreement?

5. Get an EIN from the IRS

An Employer Identification Number is your LLC's federal tax ID. Banks ask for it to open a business account, and you need it to hire employees. Apply directly with the IRS at irs.gov once Illinois has approved your LLC, so the name on the application matches the state record exactly. The IRS does not charge for it.

6. Meet Illinois's after-formation requirements

These are the filings and registrations Illinois expects after formation. Put each one on a calendar the day your LLC is approved.

• LLC annual report (LLC-50.1). When: Before the first day of the anniversary month each year, starting the year after formation. Cost: $75 (+$50 optional expedite); penalties if late.

Beyond the state, most new LLCs also open a business bank account and check for state tax registrations and local licenses that fit their line of business. Our checklist, what to do after forming your LLC, walks through them.

How long it takes to form an LLC in Illinois

Two clocks run here: the time it takes to get the Articles of Organization submitted, and the time Illinois takes to review it.

• Illinois's review: About 10 business days standard.
• State expedite: +$100 for 24-hour processing ($250 total)
• Our submission: standard orders go to the state within 3 business days. Same-day orders (+$50) placed by 2 PM Eastern on a business day are submitted that day.

Our same-day option speeds up our submission, not the state's review. State expedite fees, where Illinois offers them, are separate charges paid to the state. More in how long it takes to form an LLC.

Illinois LLC requirements at a glance

• A name ending in "LLC" or an equivalent designator, distinguishable from names already on file.
• A registered agent with a Illinois street address.
• A Articles of Organization filed with Illinois, with the $150 state fee.
• An operating agreement kept in your records (not filed, but recommended).
• Illinois's recurring requirement: $75/year, due first day of anniversary month.

File it yourself or have us file it

Both routes give you the same Illinois LLC, and the state fee is the same either way. The difference is who does the work and who you call when something comes back.

Filing it yourself

1. Search your name in Illinois's records on ilsos.gov.
2. Line up a registered agent.
3. Complete the Articles of Organization online at ilsos.gov and pay $150 to the state.
4. Watch for approval and save the filed document.
5. Calendar Illinois's after-formation deadlines.

Cost: $150. If your details are straightforward and you are comfortable with state forms, this is a perfectly good way to do it.

Having us file it

People choose a service when they want the filing right the first time without learning Illinois's form, or when their time is worth more than the fee. For $99 on top of the state fee we:

• check the name against Illinois's records before anything is filed;
• prepare the Articles of Organization from a short online application;
• submit it within 3 business days, or the same business day for +$50;
• email you the approved documents and Illinois's next deadlines;
• answer questions by email and phone.

Cost: $249, with the state fee passed through at cost on its own line.

Start your Illinois LLC or read more about our Illinois LLC filing service.