Illinois puts its business register under the Secretary of State, in a unit called the Department of Business Services. It keeps the records of corporations and LLCs formed in Illinois or registered to do business there. It also runs the public Corporation/LLC database and sells certificates from it. LLC filings have their own Limited Liability Company Division with a separate phone line.
Illinois handles LLCs and corporations quite differently. An LLC deals in flat fees: $150 to form and $75 a year for the annual report. A corporation also owes franchise tax, so its cost is more than a single filing fee.
Illinois business entity search
Start on the business searches page of the Illinois Secretary of State, which links to the Corporation/LLC entity database. Each record shows whether the company is active or inactive. If you need proof for a bank or another state, you can buy a Certificate of Good Standing from the same place.
| Official business search | ilsos.gov/departments/business-services/business-searches.html (ilsos.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| You can search by | business name, entity or file number (file number) (ilsos.gov, checked ) |
| Name availability check | ilsos.gov/departments/business-services/business-searches.html (ilsos.gov, checked ) |
Keep a note of the company's exact legal name and its file number once you find it. Both make later filings and phone calls quicker. If a company does not appear, try a shorter part of its name before you decide it is not on file.
Fees at the Illinois Secretary of State
An Illinois LLC files Articles of Organization for $150. You can pay $100 more for expedited service. Expedite fees are always added on top of filing fees, franchise taxes, penalties and interest, never in place of them.
Rather not file it yourself? Ask our private filing service about forming or reporting in Illinois. State fees are separate.
For corporations, foreign LLCs and nonprofits, the Department of Business Services publishes its own fee lists. Use those pages before you file, because a corporation's total often includes franchise tax as well. Our page of LLC filing fees by state shows how the Illinois LLC fee compares with other states.
Illinois LLC annual report
Every Illinois LLC files an annual report with the Secretary of State. The fee is $75, and expedited handling adds $50. Annual reports are filed online through the Secretary of State's annual report portal.
The fee, the due date, late penalties and the filing steps are in our Illinois annual report guide.
The exact due date, the late penalty and the corporation version of the report are set out on the Department of Business Services pages. Check them there, and file early rather than late. Our guide on how to file an annual report explains the usual steps that apply in most states.
Reserving a name in Illinois
Before you form, search the entity database to see whether your name is already used. If you want to hold a name while you prepare the paperwork, Illinois sells a name reservation for $25, with $50 extra for expedited service.
| Reservation fee | $25 (ilsos.gov, checked ) |
|---|
Name rules for LLCs and corporations, such as the required ending and restricted words, are in the Illinois statutes and on the Secretary of State's instructions pages. Read them before you file so the name matches what the state expects.
Certificate of Good Standing in Illinois
Illinois uses the plain name Certificate of Good Standing. You order it from the Secretary of State's entity database page. Check that the record shows active before you order, and file any missed annual report first.
What it costs, where to order it and what blocks it are in our Illinois good standing guide.
Our guide to the certificate of good standing covers what lenders and other states usually want to see.
Contact the Illinois Department of Business Services
| Office | Illinois Secretary of State (ilsos.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Division | Department of Business Services (ilsos.gov, checked ) |
| Phone | 217-524-8008 (Limited Liability Company Division) (ilsos.gov, checked ) |
| Contact page | apps.ilsos.gov/ContactFormsWeb/businessservices_contact.jsp (apps.ilsos.gov, checked ) |
For LLC questions, the Limited Liability Company Division answers at 217-524-8008. For anything you would rather put in writing, use the Department of Business Services contact form linked above. Office addresses and hours are on the Secretary of State's site.
Sources
- www.ilsos.gov/departments/business-services.html: office name, division. Checked .
- www.ilsos.gov/publications/business-services/llc.html: phone, name reservation fee, LLC filing fee, report fee. Checked .
- apps.ilsos.gov/ContactFormsWeb/businessservices_contact.jsp: contact page. Checked .
- www.ilsos.gov/departments/business-services/business-searches.html: business search, search fields, name check. Checked .