Illinois LLC cost
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An Illinois LLC costs $150 to form, online or by mail, and $75 a year after that for the annual report. The report is due before the first day of the month you formed in, every year starting the year after you form, so an LLC formed in October 2026 files before October 1, 2027. If it's still unfiled a month later, Illinois adds a $100 penalty with no waiver. The cost people miss is the 1.5% replacement tax. A default single-member LLC doesn't pay it, but a multi-member LLC or one taxed as an S corporation pays 1.5% of its net Illinois income.
- To form
- $150
- Cheapest way to file
- Year one total
- $150
- Articles of Organization online, plus a small card processing fee
- Every year after
- $75/yr
- Annual report, plus 1.5% replacement tax if not single-member
Our recommendation
Budget $150 for year one and $75 for year two
File online for $150. The fee is the same as mail, and online comes with an emailed confirmation and a published turnaround of about 10 business days. Skip the $100 24-hour expedite unless a deadline depends on it. Pay for a registered agent only if you don't want your home address in the public business search or can't be at an Illinois street address during business hours. Calendar the last day of the month before your anniversary month, every year starting next year.
Every Illinois LLC fee, line by line
What's required, what's optional, and where the total climbs past the filing fee.
| Item | Cost | Required? | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization (Form LLC-5.5) | $150 | Yes | Same fee online or by mail; online adds a payment processor fee |
| Expedited 24-hour processing | +$100 | Optional | $250 total; excludes weekends and holidays |
| Name reservation (Form LLC-1.15) | $25 | Optional | Holds the name for 90 days |
| Registered agent service | $50-$150/yr | Optional | Self-serve for $0 if you have an Illinois address |
| EIN | Free | Recommended | IRS direct |
| Operating agreement | Free if you draft it yourself | Recommended | Internal; not filed |
| Assumed name (DBA) | $30-$150 | Only if you use another name | Prorated to the next year ending in 0 or 5; $150 to renew every 5 years |
| City business license | Varies by city | Depends on city | Chicago requires one for most businesses |
| Annual report | $75/yr | Yes (recurring) | Due before the 1st day of your anniversary month, starting year two |
| Late annual report penalty | +$100 | Only if late | Plus $100 per additional year |
| Reinstatement after dissolution | $200 | Only if dissolved | Plus all missed reports and penalties |
| Series LLC (instead of standard) | $400 | Optional | $50 per series designation; annual report adds $50 per series |
| Total (bare minimum DIY) | $150 to form, then $75/yr | — | Online filing, self-serve registered agent, before any city license |
| Total (typical first year with commercial agent) | $200-$300 | — | Filing + typical registered agent; the $75 annual report starts year two |
What you pay Illinois, and when
The recurring dates are the ones people miss. Put each one on your calendar the day the LLC is approved.
- Articles of Organization
- $150
- When you form. Same fee online or by mail; online adds a payment processor fee.
- Annual report
- $75
- Before the first day of your anniversary month, every year starting the year after you form. Filing opens 60 days early.
- Late penalty
- +$100
- If still unfiled by the first day of the second month after your anniversary month. Another $100 for each additional year.
- Reinstatement
- $200+
- Only if dissolved, plus every missed report and penalty.
- Replacement tax
- 1.5%
- Of net Illinois income, on the LLC's return, if it's taxed as a partnership or S corporation. Not owed by a default single-member LLC.
Illinois registered agent cost
Illinois requires a registered agent at an Illinois street address, and that address shows up in the Secretary of State's public business search. If you have an Illinois office where someone is there during business hours, you can be your own agent and skip this. If you work from home, travel, or live outside Illinois, a professional registered agent, usually $50 to $150 a year, keeps your home address off the record and forwards legal papers so a lawsuit or state notice doesn't sit unopened.
Illinois LLC cost vs nearby states
Cheaper elsewhere doesn't mean cheaper for you. If you live and work in Illinois, an out-of-state LLC still has to register here and pay Illinois's fees too.
FAQ
How much does an LLC cost in Illinois?
$150 to file the Articles of Organization, online or by mail. Online adds a small payment processor fee. That's the state cost in year one if you serve as your own registered agent. Starting the year after you form, the annual report is $75 a year. Some cities, including Chicago, charge separately for a business license.
What is the Illinois LLC annual fee?
$75 a year for the annual report, due before the first day of your anniversary month, starting the year after you form. You can file up to 60 days early. If it's still unfiled by the first day of the second month after your anniversary month, there's a $100 penalty, plus $100 for each additional year. An LLC that never files can be dissolved, and reinstatement costs $200 plus every missed report and penalty.
Does an Illinois LLC pay franchise tax or replacement tax?
No franchise tax. The replacement tax depends on how the LLC is taxed. A default single-member LLC doesn't pay it. A multi-member LLC taxed as a partnership, or an LLC taxed as an S corporation, pays 1.5% of its net Illinois income. At $80,000 of net income, that's about $1,200 a year.
Is the Illinois expedite fee worth it?
Usually not. Online filings take about 10 business days. The $100 expedite gets a response within 24 hours, excluding weekends and holidays, for $250 total. Pay it only if a bank, lease, or contract is waiting on the LLC.
How much is a registered agent in Illinois?
Free if you live in Illinois and serve yourself, but that address goes in the Secretary of State's public business search. A commercial registered agent usually costs $50 to $150 a year.