We may receive compensation from the companies for the products or services featured on our site. The compensation may affect the order, prominence, or location of specific listings. Advertising Disclosure

How to Start an LLC in Illinois

Illinois runs down the middle: $150 to form, $75 a year on your anniversary month, franchise tax reserved for corporations. Its two distinctive numbers sit at the edges, a $400 price tag if you want the series LLC variant, and a $100 penalty that lands fast when the anniversary-month report slips 60 days.

Filing fee
$150
Articles of Organization (LLC-5.5); a series LLC filing costs $400
File at
Illinois SOS online filing
the official state portal
Name reservation
$25 for 90 days
optional in every state

The steps, Illinois edition

  1. Clear the name

    Search the state's registry via Illinois SOS online filing. The name needs a designator: LLC, L.L.C., or Limited Liability Company. Reservation, if you want it: $25 for 90 days.

  2. Line up the registered agent

    An in-state street address that can receive legal papers during business hours; you can serve yourself or pay a service. The rules and tradeoffs are in our registered agent guide.

  3. File the formation document

    $150 (Articles of Organization (LLC-5.5); a series LLC filing costs $400). Processing: Standard online review runs over a week; a 24-hour expedited review is available for an additional fee.

    Faster options:

    • 24-hour expedited review for an additional fee (confirm the current amount at filing)

  4. Get the EIN, free

    Minutes at irs.gov, no charge, no service needed.

  5. Adopt an operating agreement and open the bank account

    Not filed with the state, but banks ask for the agreement, and the separate account is what keeps the liability protection real. The general playbook is in our six-step guide.

  6. Calendar the recurring obligations

    Annual report of $75, due before the first day of the anniversary month, with a $100 penalty once 60 days late.

Illinois taxes and recurring costs, straight

Franchise tax: LLCs exempt

Illinois's franchise tax lives in the corporation statute; the LLC Act imposes none. An LLC pays it only by electing corporate treatment.

For the raw fee lines next to every other state, see the 50-state cost table or run your numbers in the LLC cost calculator.

IL specifics most guides skip

Thinking about using a formation service?

Every service pays Illinois's same state fees. We compare what they charge on top, and what the $0 tiers actually include.

See the comparison

Illinois LLC questions, answered

How much is an Illinois LLC?

$150 for standard articles (LLC-5.5), then $75 each year due before the first day of your anniversary month. The series LLC variant costs $400 to form, the biggest series premium in the country.

When is the Illinois annual report due?

Before the first day of the month in which your LLC was formed, every year. Sixty days late adds a $100 penalty, which on a $75 report is the sharpest proportional late fee around.

Does Illinois have a franchise tax on LLCs?

No. The franchise tax belongs to the Business Corporation Act; the LLC Act has none. Only an LLC electing corporate taxation encounters it.

Is the Illinois series LLC worth the $400?

It buys the statutory series framework in one filing, versus $150 per separate LLC. For two cells it roughly breaks even with separate LLCs; the math improves with more series, though banks and title companies sometimes handle separate LLCs more smoothly. That tradeoff, not the fee, should decide it.

Other states: Arizona · California · Florida · Georgia · New York · North Carolina · Ohio · Pennsylvania · Texas

Sources

General educational information, not legal or tax advice. Fees, processing times, and rules change; the figures here were verified against official Illinois sources in July 2026, and processing times especially move. Confirm with the state before filing, and consult a professional about your situation.