Step 1 · Form the entity
How to form an LLC in Illinois (2026)
File an Illinois LLC online for $150 (10 business days) or $250 in 24 hours. Keep an IL registered agent; $75 annual report before your anniversary month.
File a domestic Illinois LLC with the Illinois Secretary of State when you live in Illinois and will do the work from Illinois. Articles of Organization cost $150 ($250 with 24-hour service). Five steps: confirm Illinois facts, gather the Articles with an Illinois registered agent, file online, pay $150, then get a free EIN. Compare structures on LLC vs sole proprietorship.
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Illinois?
Standard Articles of Organization are $150, or $250 with 24-hour service, on the Secretary of State online instructions, re-checked 16 October 2026. The $150 fee is set by 805 ILCS 180/50-10. A payment processor fee is added to card payments; pay what the portal shows and keep the receipt. Series LLCs cost more and are not covered here.
How long does it take to form an LLC in Illinois?
The Secretary of State lists 10 business days for the standard $150 filing and 24-hour service for $250. File online at apps.ilsos.gov/llcarticles and choose a standard LLC. Your filing confirmation arrives by email once the Department of Business Services examines and approves the Articles.
Does an Illinois LLC need a registered agent?
Yes. The agent must be an individual who lives in Illinois or a business authorized to do business in Illinois. The registered office must be an Illinois street address that matches the agent’s business office; a P.O. box alone is not accepted. A later change of agent or office is $25 (805 ILCS 180/50-10). Tradeoffs: Registered agent basics.
When is the Illinois LLC annual report due, and what does it cost?
File it within the 60 days before the first day of your anniversary month, the month the LLC was formed (805 ILCS 180/50-1). The fee is $75. If it is still unfiled by the first day of the second month after the anniversary month, a $100 penalty applies (805 ILCS 180/50-15). The annual report cannot change your registered agent.
What must an Illinois LLC name include?
The name must include “Limited Liability Company,” “LLC,” or “L.L.C.” and be unique; check name availability on ilsos.gov first. The name of an administratively dissolved Illinois LLC stays unavailable for three years. Holding a name before you file is $25 (805 ILCS 180/50-10).
Do I get an EIN before or after the Illinois LLC?
After. The IRS tells applicants to form the state entity first, and the EIN application on IRS.gov is free. Apply once the Secretary of State emails your filing confirmation if you need a business bank account right away. Walkthrough: Get an EIN; then open a first business checking account.
Illinois LLC fee table (re-checked 16 October 2026)
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization | $150 | About 10 business days |
| Articles with 24-hour service | $250 | Optional expedite |
| Annual report (LLC-50.1) | $75 | Due within 60 days before the anniversary month |
| Late annual report penalty | $100 | Plus $100 per later year (50-15) |
| Change of registered agent or office | $25 | Not done on the annual report |
| Amendment to Articles | $50 | Only if details change |
| Name reservation | $25 | Optional |
| Reinstatement | $200 | After administrative dissolution |
| Foreign LLC admission | $150 | Out-of-state LLCs only |
| EIN | $0 | Free on IRS.gov |
Fees re-checked on 805 ILCS 180/50-10 and 50-15 and the Secretary of State online instructions on 16 October 2026. A payment processor fee applies to card payments. If the portal shows a different checkout total, pay what the portal shows and keep the receipt.
DIY or a formation shop. The walkthrough on this page is for the Illinois Secretary of State online articles portal. If you would rather pay a shop to handle the filing paperwork, compare these:
| Service | Best for |
|---|---|
| Swyft Filings | Fast online filing with compliance reminders |
| Bizee | Budget-minded formation packages |
| Zenind | Formation bundled with registered agent |
| MyCompanyWorks | Simple, no-frills formation filing |
| MyCorporation | LLC formation plus DBA, EIN and registered agent add-ons |
| CorpNet | Formation packages with a year of registered agent and EIN bundled |
| BizFilings | Established filing service (Wolters Kluwer) |
| doola | Non-US founders forming a US LLC |
| Harbor Compliance | Registered agent and multi-state compliance |
| Business Anywhere | Registered agent + virtual business mailbox |
| ZenBusiness | All-in-one formation packages |
Prices, registered agent renewals, and checkout traps side by side: LLC formation services compared by fit.
Optional branches (not always required to file)
File in Illinois if the work is in Illinois
A domestic Illinois LLC is organized by filing Articles of Organization (Form LLC-5.5 on paper, or the online filing) with the Secretary of State under the Limited Liability Company Act. A company already formed somewhere else that wants to do business in Illinois applies for admission instead ($150 under 805 ILCS 180/50-10).
Filing in Wyoming, Delaware, or Georgia does not move Illinois work out of Illinois. An out-of-state LLC working here still needs an Illinois registered agent and Illinois annual reports, plus the formation state’s own agent and report. Home-state filing is the cheaper default for a one-state operator. Multi-state overview: Foreign LLC and certificate of authority.
Do not try to hide from the Illinois Secretary of State. An LLC is a public filing. The registered agent’s name and Illinois street address go on the record so the state and private parties can reach the company. Privacy products that promise invisibility are selling something the law does not offer.
What to have ready before opening the filing portal
- A unique name with LLC, L.L.C., or Limited Liability Company. Check name availability on ilsos.gov before ordering letterhead.
- A registered agent (an Illinois resident or a business authorized in Illinois) and an Illinois street address for the registered office that matches the agent’s business office.
- The names and business addresses of all managers, and of any member with a manager’s authority.
- A credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express). The state advises against debit cards for this filing.
The portal asks whether you want a standard LLC or one that can set up series. Choose standard; series LLCs ($400 / $500) are out of scope here. No newspaper notice is required for a standard Illinois LLC.
After the Articles of Organization are filed
Formation with the Secretary of State is not an Illinois Department of Revenue account, a sales-tax registration, a city license, or a professional license. Those have their own filings.
Next: the money path. After the Articles of Organization is accepted:
- Get an EIN — free on IRS.gov after the state entity exists
- Open business checking — park operating cash in the LLC’s name
- First brokerage — only if the work needs one
Full first-30-days desk list: After you form an LLC. Setup overview on the setup checklist. Formation shops, if you want one instead of DIY, stay in the callout above.
Illinois does not require an operating agreement to be filed with the Secretary of State. A written agreement still matters between members, and banks often ask for one. See LLC operating agreement basics.
Keep the LLC in good standing
Put the annual report window on a calendar the day the Articles are approved. Example: an LLC formed in September files its report in the 60 days before September 1 each year. To change the registered agent or office, file the annual report with no changes, then file the change online or on Form LLC-1.36/1.37 ($25). How: Change your LLC’s registered agent. A company left in default can be dissolved; reinstatement is $200. Overview: Reinstate an administratively dissolved or revoked LLC. Cross-state renewals: LLC annual report and annual registration.
What this page does not cover
- Series LLCs (Form LLC-5.5(S)), professional LLCs, conversions, or admission of an out-of-state company beyond the fee citation above.
- Sales tax, payroll, unemployment insurance, or local business licenses.
- Whether an S corporation election is worth the payroll. That is a CPA conversation after there is real net income.
- Voluntary dissolution; see Dissolve or cancel an LLC.
Sources
- Illinois Secretary of State — Information for Forming an LLC Online (Articles $150, 10 business days / $250, 24-hour service; series $400 / $500; name must include LLC, L.L.C. or Limited Liability Company; registered office: Illinois street address, P.O. Box alone unacceptable; email confirmation) — as of Re-checked 16 October 2026
- Illinois Secretary of State — LLC Articles of Organization online filing (standard vs series choice) — as of 16 October 2026
- Illinois Secretary of State — LLC Annual Report Online (annual report cannot change registered agent or office; file LLC-1.36/1.37 separately; payment processor fee) — as of Re-checked 16 October 2026
- 805 ILCS 180/50-10 — Fees (articles $150; foreign admission $150; amendment $50; name reservation $25; annual report $75; reinstatement $200; change of registered agent/office $25) — as of Re-checked 16 October 2026
- 805 ILCS 180/50-1 — Annual reports (deliver within 60 days immediately preceding the first day of the anniversary month) — as of Re-checked 16 October 2026
- 805 ILCS 180/50-15 — Penalty ($100 if not filed before the first day of the second month after the anniversary month, plus $100 per later year) — as of Re-checked 16 October 2026
- IRS — Get an employer identification number (EIN is free; form the state entity first) — as of 16 October 2026