Illinois LLC Cost
| Item | Details | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization (standard) | $150.00 | 805 ILCS 180/5-5; SOS fee schedule |
| 24-hour expedited processing | +$100.00 | SOS fee schedule |
| Annual report (due each anniversary month) | $75.00 | 805 ILCS 180/50-1; SOS fee schedule |
| Name reservation (optional, 90 days) | $25.00 | SOS fee schedule |
| Assumed name/DBA (2026 rate) | $120.00 | SOS assumed-name schedule |
| Registered agent change | $25.00 | SOS fee schedule |
| Late penalty (if annual report >60 days overdue) | $100.00 | 805 ILCS 180/50-5 |
| Reinstatement after administrative dissolution | $200.00 | SOS fee schedule |
How Illinois Compares
Illinois's $150 formation fee is moderate among Midwest states. Your first-year total—$225 (formation + first annual report)—is reasonable. The critical cost driver is the annual $75 report, which you must file before the first day of your LLC's anniversary month each year under 805 ILCS 180/50-1. Missing that deadline triggers a $100 penalty after 60 days and potential administrative dissolution after 120 days of delinquency.
Additional Costs to Budget
Registered agent and office. You must maintain a registered agent who resides in Illinois or is authorized to do business there, and a physical registered office address (not a P.O. Box). If you use a third-party agent service, expect $100–$300 annually—not a state fee, but a common business expense.
Tax registration. Illinois imposes no registration fee for business tax purposes, but you must register with the Illinois Department of Revenue before making taxable sales or hiring employees. Registration is free through MyTax Illinois or Form REG-1.
Professional LLC certificate (if applicable). If your LLC renders services licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation—law, accounting, medicine, engineering, etc.—you must obtain a Professional LLC certificate of registration through IDFPR. Check the IDFPR website at https://idfpr.illinois.gov/profs/pllc.html for profession-specific fees and requirements.
Series LLC surcharge. If you want series-LLC authority to create separate series within one LLC, file Form LLC-5.5(S) instead of the standard form. The series LLC formation fee is $400 instead of $150 under 805 ILCS 180/37-40.
FAQ: Illinois LLC Cost Questions
What does it cost to form an LLC in Illinois?
You'll pay $150 to file your Articles of Organization with the Illinois Secretary of State under 805 ILCS 180/5-5 and 805 ILCS 180/5-40. If you need your LLC formed within 24 hours, add $100 for expedited processing. Standard online filing takes about 10 business days. This $150 base fee is lower than the national average of $200–$300 for LLC formation.
What's the breakdown of Illinois LLC formation costs?
| Cost Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization filing | $150 | Standard processing, ~10 business days |
| Expedited 24-hour service | +$100 | Optional add-on |
| Name reservation (optional) | $25 | Holds your name for 90 days |
| Registered agent service (optional) | Varies | You can serve as your own agent if you reside in Illinois |
| DBA/assumed name (if needed) | $120 | Filed with Illinois Secretary of State |
Are there any hidden costs I should know about?
No hidden costs exist at the state filing level, but you'll face ongoing expenses. Your annual report costs $75 and is due before the first day of your LLC's anniversary month each year under 805 ILCS 180/50-1 and 805 ILCS 180/50-5. If you miss the deadline, you'll owe a $100 late penalty if filed within 60 days of the due date. Failure to file within 120 days from delinquency triggers administrative dissolution.
What if I need a Series LLC in Illinois?
Series LLCs cost $400 to form under 805 ILCS 180/37-40, compared to $150 for a standard LLC. Once formed, you can create individual series by filing a Certificate of Designation at no additional state fee. Series LLCs are useful if you want to operate multiple business lines with separate liability protection under one entity.
What about professional LLC costs?
A Professional LLC (PLLC) costs the same $150 filing fee as a standard LLC. However, you must also obtain a certificate of registration from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) if your profession requires licensure. IDFPR fees vary by profession—check the IDFPR Professional Limited Liability Company page at https://idfpr.illinois.gov/profs/pllc.html for your specific profession's registration cost.
Do I need to pay sales tax registration fees?
No. Illinois charges no registration fee for business tax registration with the Illinois Department of Revenue. You should register before making taxable sales or hiring employees through MyTax Illinois or Form REG-1. However, you'll owe 6.25% state sales tax on taxable sales before local add-ons apply.
What are the annual costs to keep my LLC in good standing?
Your only mandatory annual state cost is the $75 annual report fee, due before the first day of your anniversary month each year. If you file late, you'll owe a $100 penalty after 60 days. If you fail to file within 120 days of the due date, your LLC faces administrative dissolution. You'll also owe Illinois income tax: single-member LLCs are taxed as sole proprietorships at 4.95% individual income tax, while multi-member LLCs taxed as partnerships owe 1.5% replacement tax on Illinois-taxable income.
What does it cost to reinstate a dissolved LLC?
Reinstatement costs $200 plus all delinquent annual report fees ($75 each year), the $100 late penalty, and any additional delinquency amounts required to return your LLC to good standing. You must file a reinstatement application with the Illinois Secretary of State.
Can I change my registered agent without forming a new LLC?
Yes. Filing a Statement of Change of Registered Agent and/or Registered Office costs $25 under 805 ILCS 180/1-35 and 805 ILCS 180/1-50. Your registered agent must be an individual who resides in Illinois or a business entity authorized to transact business in Illinois. You can serve as your own agent if you meet these requirements.
What does it cost to qualify a foreign LLC in Illinois?
A foreign LLC pays $150 to file an Application for Admission to Transact Business. Add $100 for 24-hour expedited processing. You must also provide a Certificate of Good Standing or Existence from your home state, duly authenticated within the last 60 days. If you operate in Illinois without admission within 60 days, you face a $2,000 penalty plus $100 for each month you continue doing business without admission under 805 ILCS 180/45-45.
What if I need to adopt a DBA or assumed name?
An assumed name (DBA) for your Illinois LLC costs $120 in 2026 when filed with the Illinois Secretary of State. The fee varies by year: $150 in years ending in 0 or 5, $90 in years ending in 2 or 7, $60 in years ending in 3 or 8, and $30 in years ending in 4 or 9. Your assumed name remains effective until the first day of your anniversary month in the next calendar year evenly divisible by five, then renews for five-year periods.
What does it cost to terminate my Illinois LLC?
Filing a Statement of Termination costs only $5. Your LLC must be in good standing to terminate online. You cannot terminate online if your LLC has already been administratively dissolved, revoked, merged, converted, domesticated, or expired.
How do Illinois LLC costs compare to other states?
Illinois's $150 formation fee is below the national average. However, the annual report requirement at $75 per year is standard. The key cost difference is Illinois's aggressive penalty structure: a $100 late penalty after 60 days and administrative dissolution after 120 days of non-filing create real financial risk if you miss deadlines. The 4.95% individual income tax rate is moderate compared to high-tax states but higher than no-income-tax states like Texas or Florida.
Formation Filing Fees: Articles of Organization
To form an Illinois LLC, you file Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State and pay a $150 filing fee under 805 ILCS 180/5-5 and 805 ILCS 180/5-40. Standard processing takes approximately 10 business days for online filings. You can expedite to 24-hour service by adding a $100 expedited fee, bringing your total to $250 for rush processing.
Standard Filing Fee
The base Articles of Organization filing fee is $150.00. This covers the Secretary of State's review and approval of your formation documents, including your LLC name, registered agent information, principal place of business, and organizer details.
You must file your Articles online through the Illinois Secretary of State's LLC filing portal at https://apps.ilsos.gov/llcarticles/index.jsp. Online filing is the only method available for domestic LLC formation in Illinois.
Expedited Processing Option
If you need faster approval, Illinois offers 24-hour expedited service for an additional $100.00 fee, making your total formation cost $250.00. This expedited option applies to standard Articles of Organization filings only.
Expedited processing does not apply to Series LLC formation, which has separate pricing (see below).
Series LLC Formation
If you plan to establish a Series LLC under 805 ILCS 180/37-40, the Articles of Organization filing fee is $400.00. Series LLCs allow you to create multiple protected series within a single LLC entity, each with separate liability protection and assets.
You can add the $100 expedited fee to Series LLC formation as well, bringing the total to $500.00 for 24-hour processing.
Fee Comparison Table
| Filing Type | Standard Fee | Expedited Fee | Total with Rush |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard LLC Articles of Organization | $150.00 | +$100.00 | $250.00 |
| Series LLC Articles of Organization | $400.00 | +$100.00 | $500.00 |
Processing Timeline
Standard online formation requests are reviewed in approximately 10 business days. If you select expedited service, your Articles will be reviewed within 24 hours.
The effective date of your LLC can be the filing date or any date up to 60 days after filing, giving you flexibility in when your LLC officially begins operations.
What's Included in the Filing Fee
Your $150 filing fee covers the Secretary of State's processing of your Articles of Organization, which must include:
- Your LLC name with an approved designator (Limited Liability Company, LLC, or L.L.C.)
- Principal place of business address
- Registered agent name and Illinois registered office address
- LLC purpose statement
- Names and business addresses of initial managers or members with manager authority
- Organizer names, addresses, and signatures
You do not need to submit an operating agreement with your Articles, though you should adopt one internally to govern member and manager rights and responsibilities.
Additional Formation-Related Costs
Beyond the Articles filing fee, budget for these related expenses:
Name Reservation (optional): If you want to reserve your LLC name before filing Articles, the fee is $25.00 for a 90-day reservation period. You can search available names at https://apps.ilsos.gov/businessentitysearch/.
Assumed Name / DBA (if needed): If you plan to operate under a name other than your legal LLC name, you must file an assumed name with the Secretary of State for $120.00 (2026 rate for years ending in 1 or 6).
Registered Agent Service (if outsourced): If you use a third-party registered agent instead of serving as your own agent, expect to pay annual fees ranging from $75–$300 depending on the service provider.
National Context
Illinois's $150 base filing fee is moderate compared to national averages. Most states charge between $100 and $200 for standard LLC formation. Illinois's expedited option at $100 additional is also competitive with other states offering rush processing.
Statute and Authority
Your filing fee is established under 805 ILCS 180/5-5 and 805 ILCS 180/5-40 of the Illinois Limited Liability Company Act. The current fee schedule is maintained by the Illinois Secretary of State at https://www.ilsos.gov/departments/business-services/limited-liability-companies.html.
Name Reservation and Assumed Name Costs
You can reserve an Illinois LLC name for 90 days by paying $25 to the Secretary of State. If you plan to operate under a different name than your LLC's legal name, you'll file an assumed name (DBA) with the SOS for $120 in 2026. Both filings help you secure your business identity before full formation and protect your brand from competitors.
Name Reservation
Illinois allows you to reserve an LLC name before filing your Articles of Organization. The name reservation fee is $25, and the reservation remains effective for 90 days from the filing date under 805 ILCS 180/1-10.
You can search available names free of charge through the Illinois Secretary of State business entity search. Your name must be distinguishable from all domestic and foreign LLCs, corporations, assumed names, and reserved or registered names already on file with the Secretary of State.
Assumed Name (DBA) Filing
If you want to conduct business under a name different from your LLC's legal name, you must file an assumed name with the Illinois Secretary of State. The 2026 assumed-name filing fee is $120 for Illinois LLCs.
Your assumed name remains effective until the first day of your LLC's anniversary month in the next calendar year evenly divisible by five, then renews automatically for five-year periods. The fee schedule varies by filing year: $150 for years ending in 0 or 5, $120 for years ending in 1 or 6, $90 for years ending in 2 or 7, $60 for years ending in 3 or 8, and $30 for years ending in 4 or 9.
File your assumed name through the Illinois Secretary of State assumed-name page. Standard review takes about 10 business days; expedited review is available for an additional fee.
Cost Comparison: Name Reservation vs. Assumed Name
| Service | Fee | Duration | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name Reservation | $25 | 90 days | Hold a name before filing Articles of Organization |
| Assumed Name (DBA) | $120 | Until next 5-year renewal date | Operate under a different business name |
| Combined (both services) | $145 | Varies | Reserve name + file DBA simultaneously |
When You Need Each Filing
You need a name reservation if you want to secure your LLC name before completing your Articles of Organization or if you're unsure whether your preferred name is available. This is optional but useful if you're still finalizing your business plan.
You need an assumed name only if you plan to operate under a name other than your LLC's legal name. For example, if your LLC is "Smith Consulting LLC" but you want to advertise as "The Smith Group," you must file the assumed name with the Secretary of State.
Key Naming Requirements
Your LLC name must include one of these designators: Limited Liability Company, LLC, or L.L.C. under 805 ILCS 180/1-10. You cannot use restricted words such as Corporation, Corp., Incorporated, Inc., Ltd., Co., Limited Partnership, LP, Bank, Banker, Banking, Trust, Trustee, or Fiduciary without separate approval from the appropriate state agency.
Registered Agent Costs: Self-Service vs. Commercial
You can serve as your own registered agent in Illinois at no additional cost beyond your LLC formation fee