How much does it cost to start an LLC in Illinois?

The Illinois Secretary of State filing fee is $150 for Form LLC-5.5, your Articles of Organization. Your total first-year costs will be $225 when including the $75 annual report fee due during your anniversary month. For example, if you form in June, your first annual report and $75 fee are due the following June. Additional costs may include registered agent services and legal document preparation if you choose professional help. Illinois also requires registration with the Illinois Department of Revenue for sales tax or withholding tax purposes depending on your business activities, which may add a registration step but no upfront filing fee. There's no publication requirement in Illinois, saving you the newspaper charges that apply in states like New York. Exception: professional LLCs must also obtain a license from the relevant state licensing board before operating. File online at ilsos. The Illinois Secretary of State publishes no standard processing time for this filing.

How long does it take to form an LLC in Illinois?

Illinois publishes no standard processing time for Articles of Organization, so nobody can honestly quote you one. What the Illinois Secretary of State does publish is a price for speed: $50 for Expedited all other filings and copies, and $100 for Expedited articles of organization. Those are firm commitments, and they're the only way to get a guaranteed date. File online where the state offers it. Every state that discusses the difference says online is faster than mail, and treat any specific day count you see quoted for Illinois as unsourced.

Do I need to publish my LLC formation in Illinois?

No, Illinois doesn't require LLC publication in newspapers. Once your Articles of Organization are approved by the Illinois Secretary of State, your LLC is fully and legally formed. There are no publication notices, affidavits, or newspaper filings required at any point during the formation process. This saves Illinois entrepreneurs the newspaper charges that apply in states like New York (six weeks in two newspapers). Arizona requires a newspaper notice of a new LLC's formation, run three consecutive times within 60 days, unless the LLC's statutory agent has a street address in a county of more than 800,000 people (currently Maricopa and Pima Counties), where the Arizona Corporation Commission posts the notice online for free. Illinois eliminated its publication requirement years ago, making it a simpler and more affordable state for LLC formation. Your formation is complete upon state approval, so you can immediately begin conducting business, opening bank accounts, and signing contracts in your LLC's name. Exception: certain professional entities or regulated businesses may have separate disclosure obligations under Illinois law. File Form LLC-5.5 online at ilsos.gov to complete your formation quickly and with no publication burden.

What is the annual report requirement for Illinois LLCs?

Illinois LLCs must file an annual report during their anniversary month each year with a $75 fee, submitted to the Illinois Secretary of State. The report updates your LLC's registered agent, principal office address, and manager or member information to maintain good standing. For example, if your LLC was approved in April, your annual report and $75 payment are due each April going forward. You'll receive a reminder notice from the Illinois Secretary of State, but it's your responsibility to file regardless of whether the notice arrives. Missing the deadline results in a $100 late penalty, and continued non-filing can lead to administrative dissolution, requiring a reinstatement filing and fee to restore active status. Exception: newly formed LLCs don't file an annual report until the following anniversary month, so there's no overlap with your initial $150 formation fee. File your annual report online at ilsos.gov to avoid late fees and keep your Illinois LLC active and in good standing.

Can I be my own registered agent in Illinois?

Yes, you can serve as your own registered agent if you've an Illinois street address and are consistently available during business hours Monday through Friday to accept legal documents, including lawsuit notices and state compliance correspondence. Many business owners prefer professional registered agent services for privacy and reliability, since your registered agent's address becomes part of the public record filed with the Illinois Secretary of State. Meaning your home address would appear in Illinois's searchable business database if you use your personal address. For example, competitors, marketers, or creditors can look up your registered agent address freely. Exception: if you work from home and don't want your home address publicly listed in state records, a professional service keeps your personal address private while maintaining a compliant Illinois street address for your LLC. File Form LLC-5.5 online at ilsos.gov to designate your chosen registered agent when forming your Illinois LLC.

Should an Illinois LLC have an operating agreement?

This page has not confirmed whether Illinois law requires an LLC to have an operating agreement, so it does not answer yes or no. A written agreement signed by every member is worth having either way. This internal document establishes your business structure, ownership percentages, profit and loss allocations, voting rights, and procedures for adding or removing members. Without one, Illinois default LLC rules under the Illinois Limited Liability Company Act govern your business, which may not align with your intentions, especially for multi-member LLCs where disputes can arise over management authority, profit distributions, or what happens if a member wants to leave. For example, Illinois default rules may require unanimous member consent for decisions you'd prefer to make by majority vote. Exception: if your LLC has only one member, an operating agreement still reinforces the separation between personal and business assets, which can be critical if your liability protection is ever challenged in court. Draft your operating agreement before or immediately after filing your Articles of Organization with the Illinois Secretary of State online at ilsos.gov.

How to Start an LLC in Illinois: Complete 2026 Guide

Form your Illinois LLC quickly and affordably with our step-by-step guide covering everything from name selection to business banking.

By Edmond Hui · Last updated: October 2026

Filing an LLC in Illinois costs $150 upfront and has an annual report due before 1st of anniversary month ($75). Illinois publishes no standard processing time. See breakdown below.

Illinois publishes no standard LLC turnaround: its fee schedule prices expedited service but attaches no figure to the ordinary $150 filing

The Illinois Secretary of State sells speed instead of promising it: $50 for Expedited all other filings and copies, and $100 for Expedited articles of organization. Treat any specific day count you see quoted for Illinois with suspicion. It didn't come from the state. Plan around the filing itself, and buy an expedite tier if your timing is genuinely fixed.

Source: MyStateLLC 50-state primary-source processing verification, July 2026

Read this guide for another state:

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Form your LLC with Northwest ($39 + state fee)Includes a year of registered agent service. After year one, registered agent service is $125/yr. That enrolls you by default in annual report filing at $100 plus state fees, charged automatically to your saved payment method and cancellable any time.

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Quick Facts

State filing fee	$150
Processing time	Not published by the state
Annual report due	Before 1st of anniversary month
Annual report fee	$75
State income tax	Yes. Members pay state income tax on pass-through profits. Check the current rate with the state tax agency.

Source: Illinois Secretary of State (verified July 2026)

Step diagram for forming an LLC in Illinois, showing the 7 required steps, $150 state filing fee, $75 annual report. — The 7 steps to form an LLC in Illinois, with the state's own filing fee and annual report cost. Source: Illinois Secretary of State, verified July 2026.

How to Form an LLC: Step-by-Step

1
Choose Your Illinois LLC Name
Select a unique name that includes 'LLC' or 'Limited Liability Company' and isn't already taken in Illinois. Search the Illinois Secretary of State business database to verify availability before proceeding with your filing.
How to search Illinois's business entity records →
Pro tip: Reserve your chosen name for 90 days by filing Form LLC-1.20 with a $25 fee if you're not ready to file immediately.
2
Appoint a Registered Agent
Designate a registered agent with an Illinois street address who can accept legal documents during business hours. This can be yourself, another person, or a professional registered agent service.
Illinois registered agent rules, costs and options →
Pro tip: A professional registered agent service puts its address, not yours, on the registered agent line of the public filing, and accepts legal papers during business hours.
3
File Articles of Organization
Submit Form LLC-5.5 to the Illinois Secretary of State with the $150 filing fee. File online at ilsos.gov for fastest processing.
What You File in Illinois
In Illinois, the formation document is the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-5.5), filed with the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division. The state filing fee is $150. Illinois lets you fill in and file the Articles of Organization online. The form itself requires the LLC's name, the registered agent's name, the registered office address, the principal office address, the organizer's name and an effective date. Every line of the Articles of Organization, field by field →
Processing Times
- Online: Not published, Illinois Secretary of State states no standard turnaround for online filings
- Mail: Not published, Illinois Secretary of State states no standard turnaround for mailed filings, and every state that comments says mail is slower than online
- Expedited: $50 for Expedited all other filings and copies, and $100 for Expedited articles of organization
Pro tip: Filing online typically processes faster than mail submissions and provides immediate confirmation of receipt.
4
Create an Operating Agreement
Draft an operating agreement outlining ownership percentages, member responsibilities, and business procedures. This page has not confirmed whether Illinois law requires an LLC to have an operating agreement. A written agreement signed by every member is worth having either way: it records who owns what share, who makes decisions and how profits are divided.
Illinois LLC operating agreement: what to include →
Pro tip: Even single-member LLCs benefit from an operating agreement to establish clear business practices and maintain corporate formalities.
5
Obtain an EIN from the IRS
Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) directly through the IRS website at no cost. Most banks ask for this federal tax ID to open a business bank account, and the IRS requires one if the LLC hires employees, owes certain employment or excise taxes, or is taxed as a partnership or corporation.
How to get your LLC's EIN from the IRS, free →
Pro tip: Apply for your EIN immediately after your LLC is approved - you'll need it to open a business bank account.
6
Open a Business Bank Account
Open a dedicated business bank account using your EIN and LLC formation documents. Keep business and personal finances separate to maintain your limited liability protection and simplify tax filing.
Business bank accounts for Illinois LLCs →
Pro tip: Shop around for business banking options - many banks offer incentives for new LLCs, including waived fees for the first year.
7
Obtain Required Business Licenses
Research and obtain any necessary business licenses or permits for your industry and location. Check with Illinois Department of Revenue, local municipalities, and relevant professional licensing boards for requirements specific to your business type.
Does your Illinois LLC need a business license? →

Watch: How to Start an LLC in Illinois (2026): Step-by-Step Guide

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each Secretary of State publishes for forming an LLC, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you what your own filing needs: fees and forms change between our reviews, several occupations cannot use an ordinary LLC at all and must use a professional entity, and your city or county may require a registration of its own. Confirm the current fee and form with the filing office named on this page before you send anything.

Frequently Asked Questions

: The Illinois Secretary of State filing fee is $150 for Form LLC-5.5, your Articles of Organization. Your total first-year costs will be $225 when including the $75 annual report fee due during your anniversary month. For example, if you form in June, your first annual report and $75 fee are due the following June. Additional costs may include registered agent services and legal document preparation if you choose professional help. Illinois also requires registration with the Illinois Department of Revenue for sales tax or withholding tax purposes depending on your business activities, which may add a registration step but no upfront filing fee. There's no publication requirement in Illinois, saving you the newspaper charges that apply in states like New York. Exception: professional LLCs must also obtain a license from the relevant state licensing board before operating. File online at ilsos. The Illinois Secretary of State publishes no standard processing time for this filing.
: Illinois publishes no standard processing time for Articles of Organization, so nobody can honestly quote you one. What the Illinois Secretary of State does publish is a price for speed: $50 for Expedited all other filings and copies, and $100 for Expedited articles of organization. Those are firm commitments, and they're the only way to get a guaranteed date. File online where the state offers it. Every state that discusses the difference says online is faster than mail, and treat any specific day count you see quoted for Illinois as unsourced.
: No, Illinois doesn't require LLC publication in newspapers. Once your Articles of Organization are approved by the Illinois Secretary of State, your LLC is fully and legally formed. There are no publication notices, affidavits, or newspaper filings required at any point during the formation process. This saves Illinois entrepreneurs the newspaper charges that apply in states like New York (six weeks in two newspapers). Arizona requires a newspaper notice of a new LLC's formation, run three consecutive times within 60 days, unless the LLC's statutory agent has a street address in a county of more than 800,000 people (currently Maricopa and Pima Counties), where the Arizona Corporation Commission posts the notice online for free. Illinois eliminated its publication requirement years ago, making it a simpler and more affordable state for LLC formation. Your formation is complete upon state approval, so you can immediately begin conducting business, opening bank accounts, and signing contracts in your LLC's name. Exception: certain professional entities or regulated businesses may have separate disclosure obligations under Illinois law. File Form LLC-5.5 online at ilsos.gov to complete your formation quickly and with no publication burden.
: Illinois LLCs must file an annual report during their anniversary month each year with a $75 fee, submitted to the Illinois Secretary of State. The report updates your LLC's registered agent, principal office address, and manager or member information to maintain good standing. For example, if your LLC was approved in April, your annual report and $75 payment are due each April going forward. You'll receive a reminder notice from the Illinois Secretary of State, but it's your responsibility to file regardless of whether the notice arrives. Missing the deadline results in a $100 late penalty, and continued non-filing can lead to administrative dissolution, requiring a reinstatement filing and fee to restore active status. Exception: newly formed LLCs don't file an annual report until the following anniversary month, so there's no overlap with your initial $150 formation fee. File your annual report online at ilsos.gov to avoid late fees and keep your Illinois LLC active and in good standing.
: Yes, you can serve as your own registered agent if you've an Illinois street address and are consistently available during business hours Monday through Friday to accept legal documents, including lawsuit notices and state compliance correspondence. Many business owners prefer professional registered agent services for privacy and reliability, since your registered agent's address becomes part of the public record filed with the Illinois Secretary of State. Meaning your home address would appear in Illinois's searchable business database if you use your personal address. For example, competitors, marketers, or creditors can look up your registered agent address freely. Exception: if you work from home and don't want your home address publicly listed in state records, a professional service keeps your personal address private while maintaining a compliant Illinois street address for your LLC. File Form LLC-5.5 online at ilsos.gov to designate your chosen registered agent when forming your Illinois LLC.
: This page has not confirmed whether Illinois law requires an LLC to have an operating agreement, so it does not answer yes or no. A written agreement signed by every member is worth having either way. This internal document establishes your business structure, ownership percentages, profit and loss allocations, voting rights, and procedures for adding or removing members. Without one, Illinois default LLC rules under the Illinois Limited Liability Company Act govern your business, which may not align with your intentions, especially for multi-member LLCs where disputes can arise over management authority, profit distributions, or what happens if a member wants to leave. For example, Illinois default rules may require unanimous member consent for decisions you'd prefer to make by majority vote. Exception: if your LLC has only one member, an operating agreement still reinforces the separation between personal and business assets, which can be critical if your liability protection is ever challenged in court. Draft your operating agreement before or immediately after filing your Articles of Organization with the Illinois Secretary of State online at ilsos.gov.

Sources

4 documents

Each entry below is a document recorded in our verified Illinois sources, and each entry says what the document is. Some statutory text is read from an accurate mirror rather than from the state's own host, and those say so.

ilsos.gov/departments/business-services/limited-liability-companies.htmlIllinois Secretary of State: business entity filings
ilga.gov/legislation/ILCS/details?ActName=Limited+Liability+Company+Act.&ActID=2290&ChapterID=65&ChapAct=805+ILCS+180%2F&SeqStart=14450000&SeqEnd=15800000Illinois LLC filing fees
ilga.gov/documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/080501800K50-1.htmIllinois statute: Annual Report
ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/080501800K50-15.htmIllinois statute: Annual Report

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$39 with Northwest, plus your $150 state fee. Northwest's $39 includes a year of registered agent service.

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Prefer to file directly? File yourself at the Secretary of State → ($150 state fee, no service fee)

Not sure which service is right? Compare formation services →

Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC

Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.

How we check facts

Quick Facts

How to Form an LLC: Step-by-Step

Choose Your Illinois LLC Name

Appoint a Registered Agent

File Articles of Organization

What You File in Illinois

Processing Times

Create an Operating Agreement

Obtain an EIN from the IRS

Open a Business Bank Account

Obtain Required Business Licenses