17 · jurisdiction profile

Illinois business filings, made easier to navigate.

This is the practical starting point for researching entities administered by Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services. Find the public search tool, understand the state’s filing rhythm, and plan the evidence and maintenance steps that follow.

Open official entity search ↗

Domestic LLC

Illinois domestic LLC Articles of Organization cost $150.00 for regular 10-business-day service. The official LLC instructions list a 24-hour expedited total of $250.00, meaning the expedited option adds $100.00 to the regular filing charge. The form must identify the LLC name, Illinois registered agent and office, purpose, management structure, and organizer; series LLCs use a separate higher fee.

Domestic corporation

Illinois domestic business-corporation Articles of Incorporation have a $150.00 regular filing fee for the standard form, with a $250.00 24-hour expedited total. Authorized shares and paid-in capital must be stated, and the Illinois franchise-tax/license-fee calculation can be due with the formation document; the filing fee itself is not simply a per-share charge. Professional, close, nonprofit, and special corporations use separate forms and fees.

Standard turnaround

Illinois describes regular formation service as approximately 10 business days for domestic LLCs and corporations. Online or in-person expedited service can reduce the review period, but a complete filing and payment are still required and a rejected document does not become effective merely because it was submitted. Paper requests and documents needing franchise-tax calculation or correction may take longer.

Executive overview

What this state profile helps you decide

A state registry profile has two jobs. First, it tells you where the official record lives and how to search it. Second, it gives you enough compliance context to understand what the record means after you find it.

For Illinois, the filing office is Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services. The current public-facing portal is powered or identified as Illinois Secretary of State online Business Database / Corporation-LLC applications. The agency page and search engine should be treated as the final source for live forms, accepted payment methods, processing queues, and entity-specific notices.

Use this page when you need a high-level answer. Use the linked modules when you are preparing an actual filing, trying to cure a delinquency, ordering documentary evidence, or changing the statutory agent.

State filing snapshot

The numbers and obligations to surface first

Decision point	What the current profile says
Domestic formation	LLC: Illinois domestic LLC Articles of Organization cost $150.00 for regular 10-business-day service. The official LLC instructions list a 24-hour expedited total of $250.00, meaning the expedited option adds $100.00 to the regular filing charge. The form must identify the LLC name, Illinois registered agent and office, purpose, management structure, and organizer; series LLCs use a separate higher fee. Corporation: Illinois domestic business-corporation Articles of Incorporation have a $150.00 regular filing fee for the standard form, with a $250.00 24-hour expedited total. Authorized shares and paid-in capital must be stated, and the Illinois franchise-tax/license-fee calculation can be due with the formation document; the filing fee itself is not simply a per-share charge. Professional, close, nonprofit, and special corporations use separate forms and fees.
Foreign qualification	LLC: An out-of-state LLC files an Application for Admission to Transact Business in Illinois. The Secretary's LLC fee table lists $150.00 for the foreign admission filing in the regular/online column and $100.00 in the paper column as displayed in the current publication, so the live form should be checked for the applicable submission route before payment. The LLC must provide its home-jurisdiction existence information, Illinois registered agent and office, and the required certified home-state document. Corporation: A foreign corporation files an Application for Authority to Transact Business in Illinois; the current corporation publication lists the standard foreign-authority filing and separate expedited add-on by form. The corporation must provide a recent certified home-jurisdiction existence document, Illinois registered agent and office, authorized/issued share information, and a corporate name distinguishable in Illinois. Because the accessible fee table presents regular and paper columns, verify the live BCA form for the exact route-specific total.
Recurring maintenance	LLC: Illinois LLC annual reports cost $75.00 and are due before the anniversary date printed on the report, generally during the entity's anniversary month. The report updates the registered agent, office, managers or members and other required information; penalties must be paid with a delinquent report. The online annual-report process may add a $50.00 expedited processing charge, while paper filing follows the published route and fee. A missed report can lead to administrative dissolution. Corporation: Illinois domestic and foreign profit corporations file BCA 14.05 annual reports for $75.00, with a listed $50.00 expedited add-on; the report is due before the anniversary date printed on the form. Corporate annual reports also require payment of any franchise tax, license fee, penalties, and interest calculated from authorized shares, issued shares, paid-in capital, or the statutory minimum as applicable. The electronic workflow imposes additional information limits and treats the transmitted report as an original filing.
Registered agent	An Illinois registered agent must be an individual who is an Illinois resident, an Illinois corporation, or another entity authorized to transact business in Illinois, with an Illinois registered office that is a physical street address rather than only a P.O. box. The agent and office are public filing information and must be available for service during ordinary business hours. The entity's own officer or member can serve if the statutory qualifications and address requirements are met.

Choose your next guide

01↗

Business lookup

A focused Illinois operating guide for business lookup.

02↗

Annual reports

A focused Illinois operating guide for annual reports.

03↗

Good standing

A focused Illinois operating guide for good standing.

04↗

Registered agent

A focused Illinois operating guide for registered agent.

Formation is the beginning, not the compliance plan

The cheapest formation route is not always the simplest operating route. Before filing, confirm the name standard, statutory agent requirements, authorized-share or member information, local licensing, tax registrations, and any professional-entity restrictions that apply to the planned activity.

After formation, calendar the first report or statement immediately. A newly created entity may have a first-year exception, an anniversary-month due date, a quarterly filing window, or a separate tax obligation. Treat the agency record, revenue department account, and local license file as related—but separate—workstreams.

How to use the official record responsibly

Save the entity ID, legal name, status, registered agent and office, formation or qualification date, and the most recent filed document. When a third party asks for “proof,” ask whether it needs a current certificate, certified charter, tax clearance, apostille, or a plain search result. Those are different documents with different evidentiary value.