How to Start an LLC in Illinois: Fees, Filings and Annual Requirements
Forming an LLC in Illinois: the state filing fee, how to file, name rules, registered agent, annual report, state taxes, DBA and sales tax permit — from the official state sources.
Quick answers for Illinois
- LLC filing fee
- Filing Articles of Organization with the Illinois Secretary of State costs $150 (10 business days) or $250 for 24-hour service. For an LLC able to establish a series, it is $400 (10 business days) or $500 (24-hour service). Illinois Secretary of State, Information for Forming an LLC Online; 805 ILCS 180/50-10(b)(1)
- Annual report
- Illinois LLCs (and foreign LLCs admitted in Illinois) file an annual report with the Secretary of State within the 60 days before the first day of the LLC's anniversary month. 805 ILCS 180/50-1(b), 50-10(b)(11), 50-15
- How to file
- LLCs must file formation documents, the Articles of Organization, with the Illinois Secretary of State (Business Services). Sole proprietorships and general partnerships do not register with the Secretary of State. Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), Starting Your Business in Illinois Guide (2026), Section 5.3
Last verified: 2026-10-27
Forming the LLC
| LLC filing fee | Filing Articles of Organization with the Illinois Secretary of State costs $150 (10 business days) or $250 for 24-hour service. For an LLC able to establish a series, it is $400 (10 business days) or $500 (24-hour service). A payment processor fee is added to online transactions. |
|---|---|
| How to file | LLCs must file formation documents, the Articles of Organization, with the Illinois Secretary of State (Business Services). Sole proprietorships and general partnerships do not register with the Secretary of State. |
| Name rules and reservation | The name must be unique and must include "Limited Liability Company," "LLC" or "L.L.C." The name of an administratively dissolved Illinois LLC cannot be used by another LLC or corporation until three years after the notice of dissolution was issued. Reserving a name costs $25. |
| Registered agent | Every Illinois LLC must appoint and keep a registered agent in Illinois: either an individual who lives in Illinois or an entity authorized to transact business in Illinois. The registered office must be in Illinois, have a street address (a P.O. box alone is not accepted), and be the same as the agent's business address. Filing a change of registered agent or registered office costs $25. |
| Operating agreement | The Illinois LLC Act defines the operating agreement as the agreement of all the members (including a sole member) about the relations among the members, managers and the LLC, "whether oral, in a record, implied, or in any combination thereof," so it does not have to be written. Source: 805 ILCS 180/1-5 |
Keeping the LLC in good standing
| Annual report | Illinois LLCs (and foreign LLCs admitted in Illinois) file an annual report with the Secretary of State within the 60 days before the first day of the LLC's anniversary month. The fee is $75 (plus $50 for each series with a certificate of designation). An LLC that has not filed before the first day of its anniversary month is declared delinquent and not in good standing; if it still has not filed by the first day of the second month after the anniversary month, the penalty is $100, plus $100 for each year or part of a year beginning with the second year of delinquency. |
|---|---|
| Sales tax permit | Businesses that conduct business in Illinois or with Illinois customers must register with the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR), online through MyTax Illinois ("Register a New Business (Form REG-1)"), by mailing Form REG-1, or in person. IDOR says online registrations take about one to two business days and paper applications four to six weeks. If applicable, IDOR issues a Certificate of Registration or License and a tax number; it no longer prints and mails certificates for certain tax types, including the Retailers' Occupation Tax. Whether registration has a fee was not stated on the page reviewed. |
| DBA / assumed name | An Illinois LLC registers an assumed name with the Secretary of State. The fee depends on the year of filing: $150 in a year ending in 0 or 5, $120 (ending in 1 or 6), $90 (2 or 7), $60 (3 or 8) and $30 (4 or 9). Renewal is $150 per assumed name, a change is $25 and a cancellation is $5. Source: 805 ILCS 180/50-10(b)(9)-(10) |
Out-of-state LLCs and closing
| Registering an out-of-state LLC | An LLC formed in another state registers in Illinois by filing an application for admission with the Secretary of State. The fee is $150 ($400 for an LLC with a series or the ability to establish a series). Source: 805 ILCS 180/50-10(b)(1) |
|---|---|
| Closing an LLC | When an Illinois LLC has been wound up, it files a statement of termination giving its name, a post office address for mailing any process, and a statement that it has been terminated. The filing fee for a statement of termination is $5. Source: 805 ILCS 180/35-15, 50-10(b)(3) |
Where to get help in Illinois
Starting an LLC & Small Business FAQ
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Illinois?
Filing Articles of Organization with the Illinois Secretary of State costs $150 (10 business days) or $250 for 24-hour service. For an LLC able to establish a series, it is $400 (10 business days) or $500 (24-hour service). A payment processor fee is added to online transactions.
How do you form an LLC in Illinois?
LLCs must file formation documents, the Articles of Organization, with the Illinois Secretary of State (Business Services). Sole proprietorships and general partnerships do not register with the Secretary of State.
What are the LLC name requirements in Illinois?
The name must be unique and must include "Limited Liability Company," "LLC" or "L.L.C." The name of an administratively dissolved Illinois LLC cannot be used by another LLC or corporation until three years after the notice of dissolution was issued. Reserving a name costs $25.
Do you need a registered agent for an LLC in Illinois?
Every Illinois LLC must appoint and keep a registered agent in Illinois: either an individual who lives in Illinois or an entity authorized to transact business in Illinois. The registered office must be in Illinois, have a street address (a P.O. box alone is not accepted), and be the same as the agent's business address. Filing a change of registered agent or registered office costs $25.
Does an LLC have to file an annual report in Illinois?
Illinois LLCs (and foreign LLCs admitted in Illinois) file an annual report with the Secretary of State within the 60 days before the first day of the LLC's anniversary month. The fee is $75 (plus $50 for each series with a certificate of designation). An LLC that has not filed before the first day of its anniversary month is declared delinquent and not in good standing; if it still has not filed by the first day of the second month after the anniversary month, the penalty is $100, plus $100 for each year or part of a year beginning with the second year of delinquency.
Is an operating agreement required in Illinois?
The Illinois LLC Act defines the operating agreement as the agreement of all the members (including a sole member) about the relations among the members, managers and the LLC, "whether oral, in a record, implied, or in any combination thereof," so it does not have to be written.
How do you register a DBA in Illinois?
An Illinois LLC registers an assumed name with the Secretary of State. The fee depends on the year of filing: $150 in a year ending in 0 or 5, $120 (ending in 1 or 6), $90 (2 or 7), $60 (3 or 8) and $30 (4 or 9). Renewal is $150 per assumed name, a change is $25 and a cancellation is $5.
How do you get a sales tax permit in Illinois?
Businesses that conduct business in Illinois or with Illinois customers must register with the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR), online through MyTax Illinois ("Register a New Business (Form REG-1)"), by mailing Form REG-1, or in person. IDOR says online registrations take about one to two business days and paper applications four to six weeks. If applicable, IDOR issues a Certificate of Registration or License and a tax number; it no longer prints and mails certificates for certain tax types, including the Retailers' Occupation Tax.
How do you register a foreign LLC in Illinois?
An LLC formed in another state registers in Illinois by filing an application for admission with the Secretary of State. The fee is $150 ($400 for an LLC with a series or the ability to establish a series).
How do you dissolve an LLC in Illinois?
When an Illinois LLC has been wound up, it files a statement of termination giving its name, a post office address for mailing any process, and a statement that it has been terminated. The filing fee for a statement of termination is $5.
Starting an LLC & Small Business in other states
More Illinois law
- Illinois tenant rights & landlord-tenant law
- Illinois small claims court
- Illinois wills, probate & estates
- Illinois protective & restraining orders
- Illinois employment law
- Illinois debt & collections
- Illinois unemployment benefits
- Illinois divorce & family law
- Illinois expungement & criminal records
- Illinois traffic tickets & dui
- Illinois personal injury & wrongful death
- Illinois workers' compensation
- Illinois foreclosure & homeowner law
- Illinois consumer protection
- Illinois bankruptcy
- Illinois car insurance & vehicle laws
- Illinois property tax & homestead exemptions
- Illinois criminal law
- Illinois gun laws
- Find a lawyer or free legal help in Illinois
- All Illinois law guides
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.