How to Register an LLC in Illinois (2026): Fee and Steps

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The articles of organization prepared and filed for you, the state fee shown on its own line before you pay, and the approved copy emailed.

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at america-llc-filing.com, or start on Standard Filings

What registering an LLC in Illinois means

Illinois keeps the register of companies formed under its law. Your LLC is on it the moment the Illinois Secretary of State files Articles of Organization. From that day the company can open a bank account, sign contracts and be sued in its own name rather than yours. The registration does not include a federal tax number, an Illinois tax account or a local business license; those come after and are separate registrations with other offices.

People use "register", "form" and "file" for the same act. In Illinois the act is one document, Articles of Organization, and one fee, $150. The step-by-step for everything around it, from the operating agreement to the bank account, is in how to start an LLC in Illinois; this page is about the registration itself.

Registration document

Illinois: Articles of Organization

Filed with

Illinois: The Illinois Secretary of State (ilsos.gov)

State fee

Illinois: $150

Registered agent

Illinois: Required; Illinois street address

Published processing time

Illinois: About 10 business days standard.

State expedite

Illinois: +$100 for 24-hour processing ($250 total)

Recurring state report

Illinois: $75/year, due first day of anniversary month

Illinois LLC registration at a glance
Item	Illinois
Registration document	Articles of Organization
Filed with	The Illinois Secretary of State (ilsos.gov)
State fee	$150
Registered agent	Required; Illinois street address
Published processing time	About 10 business days standard.
State expedite	+$100 for 24-hour processing ($250 total)
Recurring state report	$75/year, due first day of anniversary month

What it costs to register an LLC in Illinois

The filing fee is set by Illinois and is the same whether you file it yourself or a service files it for you. Illinois charges $150 for the Articles of Organization.

Articles of Organization filing fee

Amount: $150
Notes: Paid once, to the state

Expedited review

Amount: +$100 for 24-hour processing ($250 total)
Notes: Optional, set by the state

Recurring annual report

Amount: $75/year
Notes: Due first day of anniversary month

Late penalty on the report

Amount: $100, added by the state to a late report.

Illinois LLC registration fees, 2026
Fee	Amount	Notes
Articles of Organization filing fee	$150	Paid once, to the state
Expedited review	+$100 for 24-hour processing ($250 total)	Optional, set by the state
Recurring annual report	$75/year	Due first day of anniversary month
Late penalty on the report	$100, added by the state to a late report.

State fees verified October 2026 and set by the state, not by us. Online filing prices. Yearly costs, the five-year total and how Illinois compares are in Illinois LLC cost.

Step 1: Confirm Illinois is the state to register in

Register where the company will actually operate. An LLC that does business in Illinois but registers elsewhere has to register in Illinois anyway, as a foreign LLC, and pay two states.

Wyoming, Delaware and Nevada come up because of privacy, case law or taxes. They make sense for a holding company or a business with no fixed location. A company that operates in Illinois and registers somewhere else ends up registered in both. The comparison is in cheapest states to form an LLC.

Step 2: Clear the name with Illinois

Illinois requires a name distinguishable from every company on its records, with an LLC designator. Search the state's business records at ilsos.gov before you file.

Rules on designators, restricted words and the distinguishability test are in LLC name rules. A rejection for a name conflict costs days and, in some states, a second fee.

Step 3: Name an Illinois registered agent

Illinois requires a registered agent with an Illinois street address, available in business hours. On the filing: No 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.

Who may serve, whether the agent signs, and what becomes public: Illinois registered agent requirements.

Step 4: Prepare Articles of Organization

The Illinois form asks for the company name with its LLC designator, the registered agent and its Illinois street address, the principal or mailing address, and the organizer who signs. Each organizer signs under penalty of perjury; organizer may be an entity (exact entity name required). A filing service can act as organizer if its address is provided. Everything on it becomes a public record; what Illinois shows is listed below.

The document itself, and what every state's version asks for, is explained in articles of organization.

Step 5: File Articles of Organization and pay the $150 fee

Filed with the Illinois Secretary of State (ilsos.gov). The state fee is $150, paid once. Illinois publishes this guidance on processing: About 10 business days standard.

Faster review: +$100 for 24-hour processing ($250 total)

Illinois takes the filing from the public at ilsos.gov. Ready to file? The Articles of Organization prepared and filed for you, with the state fee on its own line: form your Illinois LLC at america-llc-filing.com.

Step 6: Complete the Illinois registrations that follow

One registration follows in Illinois: (1) LLC annual report (LLC-50.1). Then the federal tax number and the operating agreement.

The order and the deadlines are in what to do after forming an LLC. The recurring state report is the one owners forget.

What becomes public when you register in Illinois

Everything on Articles of Organization is a public record once Illinois files it; anyone can pull it from the state's business search. On the Illinois filing: 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.

Each organizer signs under penalty of perjury; organizer may be an entity (exact entity name required). A filing service can act as organizer if its address is provided. The operating agreement, the ownership split and the tax election are not filed with Illinois and stay private. Do you need an operating agreement?

How long Illinois takes to register an LLC

Illinois publishes this guidance on processing: About 10 business days standard. Paid faster review is offered: +$100 for 24-hour processing ($250 total) The figures are the state's own and move with its workload; a rejection for a name conflict or a missing agent consent restarts the clock. Every state's published time is in how long it takes to form an LLC.

Ready to register your Illinois LLC?

Name checked, Articles of Organization prepared and filed with Illinois, the $150 state fee on its own line, approved copy emailed.

File your Illinois LLC →

After registration in Illinois

The state registration is the first of several. These are the ones Illinois owners run into, in the order they usually come up.

LLC annual report (LLC-50.1) Due before the first day of the anniversary month each year, starting the year after formation. Cost: $75; $100 late penalty, plus $100 for each further year.
Federal tax number (EIN). Issued by the IRS after the state registration, at no charge; the bank asks for it. How to get one: Illinois EIN number.
Operating agreement. Not filed with Illinois, but the document that says who owns the company and who can sign for it.

The recurring report is where most companies lose good standing. When it is due, file the Illinois report at america-llc-filing.com, or the Illinois LLC annual report page has the due date, fee, late penalty and portal.

Before you file in Illinois

From Illinois's published forms and filing instructions:

Article 9 requires the business address of every manager or member with manager authority.
Agent must be an Illinois resident or authorized entity at an Illinois street address identical to the agent's business office.

Sources

The Illinois facts on this page come from the state's own forms, fee schedules and statutes, read for the October 2026 fee audit. Fees change; the state's page is the final word.

Standard Filings is a filing service, not a law firm. This page is general information from Illinois's published filing rules and fee schedules, not legal or tax advice.

Illinois LLC registration FAQ

How much does it cost to register an LLC in Illinois?+

Illinois charges $150 to file the Articles of Organization, paid once to the state and the same whether you file yourself or use a service. After that, the recurring requirement is $75/year, due first day of anniversary month. State fees verified October 2026; the full picture is in Illinois LLC cost.

Where do I register an LLC in Illinois?+

With the Illinois Secretary of State (ilsos.gov). That is the only office that creates the company. Tax accounts, the registrations listed above and local licenses are registered separately afterwards.

How long does Illinois take to register an LLC?+

Illinois publishes this guidance on processing: About 10 business days standard. Paid faster review is offered: +$100 for 24-hour processing ($250 total)

Do I need an Illinois registered agent?+

Yes. Illinois requires a registered agent with an Illinois street address, available in business hours. On the filing: No 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. Who may serve and what becomes public is in Illinois registered agent requirements.

Can I register an Illinois LLC from out of state?+

Yes. Illinois takes filings from anyone, but the registered agent must have an Illinois street address, so an out-of-state owner names an Illinois resident or a registered agent company. If the company does business where you live, it registers there too, as a foreign LLC.

What do I file in Illinois every year?+

Illinois's recurring requirement: $75/year, due first day of anniversary month. Late: $100, added by the state to a late report.