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How to start an LLC in Illinois: checklist (2026)
To start an LLC in Illinois, file the Articles of Organization (LLC-5.5) with the Illinois Secretary of State for $150, name a registered agent, get a free EIN and check your local licenses. Mainstay Filing, our best overall pick, does the filing, the agent, the EIN application and the report for $199 a year.
- Official sources, checked October 20, 2026
Illinois checklist
- File the formation document. Articles of Organization (LLC-5.5), Illinois Secretary of State, $150.
- Name a registered agent. Required. An Illinois resident, or a business authorized to do business in Illinois. The LLC cannot act as its own agent.
- Get an EIN. Free from the IRS online.
- Check licenses. We could not confirm a general-license statement from Illinois’s own pages, so check with your city or county. The state’s starting-a-business page is a good place to begin.
- Keep it current. Limited Liability Company Annual Report, yearly: $75, due before the first day of the entity's anniversary month each year.
Mainstay Filing
$199 / year, same at renewal
- LLC formation, prepared and filed
- Registered agent, all year
- EIN application (with an SSN or ITIN)
- Annual report filed every year it is due where the state requires one
- Compliance reminders and stored documents
Price from the Mainstay Filing pricing and FAQ pages, checked October 21, 2026. State fees are passed through at cost and shown before you pay.
Questions
How much does it cost to start an LLC in Illinois?
The state filing fee is $150 for the Articles of Organization (LLC-5.5). The first Limited Liability Company Annual Report later costs $75.
Do I need a registered agent in Illinois?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Do I need a business license in Illinois?
We could not confirm a general-license statement from Illinois’s own pages, so check with your city or county. The state’s starting-a-business page is a good place to begin.
Sources
- 805 ILCS 180/5-5 (articles of organization); 805 ILCS 180/5-1 (filing with Secretary of State) (multira state research spine): www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=080501800K5-5, checked August 12, 2026
- Illinois formation fee: Filing fee, official source read 2026-10-01: www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=080501800K50-10, checked October 1, 2026
- Illinois formation fee: Filing fee, official source read 2026-10-01: www.ilsos.gov/publications/business-services/llc.html, checked October 1, 2026
- Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division (multira state research spine): www.ilsos.gov/departments/business-services/annual-reports/llc-instructions.html, checked August 12, 2026
- Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division (multira state research spine): www.ilsos.gov/departments/business-services/annual-reports.html, checked August 12, 2026
- Illinois registered agent statute (805 ILCS 180/1-35): www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=080501800K1-35, checked October 20, 2026
- Illinois Secretary of State: www.ilsos.gov/, checked October 20, 2026
- IRS: Get an employer identification number: www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/get-an-employer-identification-number, checked October 21, 2026
- Illinois.gov (starting a business): www.illinois.gov/business/registration-licenses-permits.html, checked October 21, 2026