Illinois LLC Cost: $150 to File Articles (2026)

Make your Illinois business official. Have your LLC paperwork prepared and filed so you can focus on getting your business off the ground.

• Your business name checked before filing.
• Your formation paperwork prepared and submitted.
• Your formation documents together in an online account.

$0 service fee + $150 state filing fee

Start my Illinois LLC

Filing service by ZenBusiness. Choose Starter for the $0 service fee. State follow-up charges and optional services and renewals are separate.

We may earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no additional cost to you.

Get the paperwork handled and your company underway

With ZenBusiness, you provide the details and its team handles the Illinois formation filing. You get electronic documents and customer support by phone, chat and email.

Use your approved LLC records to open a company bank account, organize your ownership agreement and do business under the company name. The state-specific costs and next steps below help you plan what comes after approval.

What it costs to start a Illinois LLC

An Illinois LLC costs $150 to file Articles of Organization (Form LLC-5.5) with the Illinois Secretary of State. The SOS annual report is $75 each year in the 60-day window before the anniversary month. Illinois LLCs do not owe a corporate franchise tax—do not label the annual report or formation fee as franchise tax. Separately, IDOR may assess Personal Property Replacement Tax (PPRT) when an LLC is taxed as a partnership and has Illinois net income; that is not an SOS franchise fee.

Start with 805 ILCS 180/50-10 and the ILSOS LLC forms/fees publications. These are government charges, separate from anything a formation company bills you.

Budget example: $150 to form plus $75 for the first on-time annual report equals $225 in those core SOS charges—before licenses, insurance, taxes, or professional help. Card payment processor convenience amounts are variable and are not statutory filing fees.

Franchise tax vs. PPRT (read carefully): Illinois corporate franchise tax historically applied to corporations and is not an LLC SOS fee. Do not list “franchise tax” on an Illinois LLC cost table. If your LLC is classified as a partnership for tax purposes, IDOR partnership / replacement-tax guidance explains Personal Property Replacement Tax (generally 1.5% of Illinois net income on Form IL-1065 when applicable). Single-member disregarded LLCs generally do not file a separate IL-1065—tax treatment follows federal classification. PPRT depends on income and classification; there is no flat “franchise” dollar to invent here.

Choose the services you want with your filing

Starter’s base formation service does not renew. Registered-agent service, an EIN service, an operating agreement and faster preparation are optional purchases.

The preselected website-builder trial renews at $15/month after 30 days; you can remove it at checkout. Optional Worry-Free Compliance is free for the first year and renews at $199/year. Registered-agent service is listed separately at $199/year; first-year promotions may differ.

Review the services and renewal terms in your order. Provider details checked October 14, 2026 against ZenBusiness’s formation plans.

How to start your Illinois LLC

Use your company details to get the formation paperwork prepared and submitted. Here is how the filing service works:

1. Enter your business details. Choose Illinois, your company name and the information requested for the filing.
2. Review your services and order. Select Starter for the $0 base service fee. ZenBusiness prepares and submits the formation document from your answers.
3. Save your approved company records. Once the filing office accepts the paperwork, use the documents to finish your banking and business setup.

Your Illinois filing checklist and required next steps

1. Check the name. Search the ILSOS Business Entity Search and confirm the name is distinguishable and includes Limited Liability Company, L.L.C., or LLC. Optional name reservation is $25. Filing acceptance is not a trademark clearance.
2. Gather addresses and agent details. Have the Illinois registered-office street address, agent name, principal place of business, purpose, and management structure ready. Do not enter someone else’s signature without permission.
3. Decide who manages the company. Choose member-managed or manager-managed as required on Form LLC-5.5. Ask your bank what ownership records it needs.
4. File Articles of Organization. Prefer ILSOS online services: $150 for standard processing (~10 business days) or $250 for 24-hour service per online instructions. Confirm current processor fees at checkout.
5. Confirm acceptance, then calendar the annual report. Save the filed Articles. Put the $75 annual-report window on your calendar for the 60 days before the first anniversary month.

How long does approval take?

ILSOS online instructions list approximately 10 business days for the $150 path and 24-hour service for the $250 total. Mail is slower. A service’s preparation time is separate from Illinois’s review. ZenBusiness lists standard preparation at 7–10 business days before state processing; state review follows the service’s preparation.

If a lease, financing, or opening date depends on the LLC, leave room for name issues and processing backlog. Completing an online questionnaire is not the moment the company is approved.

Can I file directly with Illinois?

Yes. You can prepare and submit the filing yourself through the Illinois official LLC filing service. A formation service handles preparation and submission from the information you provide. The government charges and required follow-up steps above still apply.

Choose your Illinois registered agent

Every Illinois LLC must appoint and maintain a registered agent in Illinois with authority to accept service of process; SOS correspondence goes to the registered office. The registered office must be an Illinois street address suitable for service. An individual Illinois resident or a qualified entity may serve; a member may serve if they meet agent rules. See ILSOS online LLC formation instructions.

Consider whether you can reliably receive legal documents at that Illinois address during business hours. If your work keeps you on job sites or you prefer not to publish a home street address as the agent office, a commercial agent may be more practical. Compare delivery procedures and renewal costs before choosing.

Plan your address use before filing. SOS records are public. Registered-office, principal-place, and mailing addresses are separate fields. Ask which address fields the agent service covers. Supply accurate information in every field.

Illinois LLC annual report: what happens after formation?

The annual report updates or confirms the state’s business record; it is not an income-tax return and it is not a franchise tax. Under 805 ILCS 180/50-1, deliver the report and $75 fee within the 60 days immediately preceding the first day of the anniversary month.

If the report is not filed and paid before the first day of the anniversary month, the entity becomes delinquent/not in good standing. Penalty under 805 ILCS 180/50-15: $100 if still unpaid before the first day of the second month after the anniversary month, plus $100 for each year or fraction thereof beginning with the second year of delinquency until returned to good standing. See ILSOS LLC annual report instructions.

Example: if the anniversary month is September, the filing window is roughly the 60 days before September 1. Set reminders early, verify the contact email on file, and save the confirmation. If you buy compliance assistance, check that the report was actually submitted.

Starting near year-end? The anniversary month still drives the first annual-report window. Choose the formation date around real operations, then calendar SOS and—separately—any IDOR accounts you need (including possible PPRT if partnership-classified).

Get your Illinois LLC filing underway

Put the formation paperwork in ZenBusiness’s hands. Starter has a $0 service fee plus the applicable Illinois charges detailed above.

Start my Illinois LLC

Continue to ZenBusiness to enter your details and review your order. Optional services and renewal details.

We may earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no additional cost to you.

Put your approved LLC to work

• Document how the LLC works. An operating agreement can set ownership, contributions, decision-making, distributions, and exit arrangements. Illinois’s filing office generally does not require you to file the agreement with the formation paperwork—keep it with your company records. For multiple owners, resolve disagreements before money or contracts are committed.Use the basic LLC operating agreement tool as a starting point.
• Get an EIN when needed. Form the entity first, then use the free IRS application if eligible. A paid EIN service handles the application for you. Save the confirmation for banking and tax records.
• Open your business bank account. Ask the bank for its document checklist and establish a bookkeeping process. Use the correct legal business name on applications and contracts; keep any trade-name registrations consistent.
• Complete taxes and operating approvals. LLC formation does not itself select S-corporation taxation or issue a professional license. The IRS explains LLC tax classifications. Identify the state and local requirements for your actual work before opening.
• Check the current BOI rule. As of this review, FinCEN exempts entities created in the United States from beneficial-ownership reporting. A newly created domestic LLC generally falls within that exemption. Consult FinCEN directly for the current rule.

Insurance guidance for your Illinois business

Match coverage to your services, employees, equipment and client contracts. Start with the relevant guide:

• Illinois cleaning business insurance
• Illinois food truck insurance
• Illinois HVAC insurance
• Illinois landscaping insurance
• Illinois daycare insurance

Continue with the Illinois business guide for the broader startup process.

Illinois LLC questions before you start

This guide is for creating a new Illinois LLC. If you already have an LLC formed in another state, check Illinois’s foreign LLC registration requirements before creating a second company.

Page updated October 14, 2026. State-source review: September 14, 2026. ZenBusiness package terms checked October 14, 2026.