Forming an LLC in Illinois (2026): 7 Procedures and the 3 Best LLC Services
Result for 2026: forming an LLC in Illinois is best served by Mainstay Filing ($199), Illinois Registered Agent.co ($199) and IL Registered Agent.org ($199), ranked in that order. Recorded figures: 7 procedures, $150 to file, $75 for the Limited Liability Company Annual Report.
$75 a yearDeadline as stated: before the first day of the entity's anniversary month
Three-year state cost
$300Filing plus recurring state fees
Procedure count
7From first to last
Sheet aims
Where and how a Illinois LLC is filed
Who may serve as the registered agent
What follows formation
Who we would engage to file
Best reading
Who we would engage in Illinois
Cost over three years comes first, then procedures performed, renewal, Illinois fit and price legibility (method page).
Best overall
1. Mainstay Filing: best for no annual report paperwork
$199 yearly, renewing at $199
Top of the Illinois readings is Mainstay Filing: observed cost is $199 a year for filing, registered agent service and the annual report, with no change at renewal ($199).
Illinois Registered Agent.co measures $200 lower over three years; this service still reads higher because it performs more of the sheet.
The Limited Liability Company Annual Report counts as performed, with Illinois's $75 billed without markup.
What the price performs
Formation prepared and filed
Registered agent for the full year
Annual report filed on schedule
EIN application included
Official fee, nothing added
Measured strengths
The EIN procedure is part of the price
No increase at renewal ($199)
$199 per year for the full bundle
Measured limits
Its renewal is $100 higher than Illinois Registered Agent.co's
Prices are recorded from each company's own site on November 13, 2026. Each row also requires the $150 state fee.
Formation in sequence
Procedure1
Procedure 1: Confirm no other company holds the name
Run the name search at the Illinois Secretary of State before anything else.
TipHold a fallback name in reserve.
Procedure2
Procedure 2: Name the registered agent
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. An Illinois resident, or a business authorized to do business in Illinois. The LLC cannot act as its own agent.
The address has to be a registered office in Illinois that matches the agent's business office. A P.O. box alone is not accepted.
TipAll of the ranked services provide a registered agent.
Procedure 3: Compare filing alone with engaging a service
Without a service the whole bill is the state's $150. Each of the ranked services adds $199 and handles the paperwork.
Procedure4
Procedure 4: Prepare the Articles of Organization
The company comes into existence through the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-5.5), delivered to the Illinois Secretary of State with $150 (805 ILCS 180/5-5).
Specimen: Specimen: ilsos.gov, logged October 2026
Procedure5
Procedure 5: Obtain an EIN
With Illinois's approval recorded, request an EIN so the LLC can open accounts in its own name. This procedure sits inside the Mainstay Filing package.
Procedure6
Procedure 6: Set the ownership rules in writing
Owners sign it to fix shares, votes and what follows a departure. It is a private document and is not filed.
Procedure7
Procedure 7: Maintain good standing in Illinois
Keeping the LLC active means filing the Limited Liability Company Annual Report every year ($75), by before the first day of the entity's anniversary month. A late filing draws $100.
Specimen: Specimen: ilsos.gov, logged October 2026
The cost of this sheet
Procedure
Paid to
Total
Formation filing
State
$150
Limited Liability Company Annual Report
State
$75 every year
Late filing penalty
State
$100
Filing service (optional)
The service
$199 at the outset
Three years of state fees
State
$300
Figures paid to Illinois are its published fees, with the specimens listed beneath the table; each service row is that company's own price. The three-year state row sums the filing, the year-two report, the year-three report and any minimum tax.
How the Illinois results were ordered
prevailed on procedures the price performs (28% of the reading), with close behind.
Illinois requires the Limited Liability Company Annual Report every year, so a price that performs it outscored a lower price that leaves it to the owner.
Questions readers ask
What will a Illinois LLC cost at the start?
$150 goes to the state. Engage a service and add $199.
Which form creates the LLC?
The Articles of Organization (Form LLC-5.5) is the instrument, and the Illinois Secretary of State receives it.
Is a registered agent required?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
What does Illinois require each year?
File the Limited Liability Company Annual Report every year, paying $75; the deadline is before the first day of the entity's anniversary month.
Can I form the LLC without a service?
It is permitted: Illinois asks $150, and a registered agent must also be named.
Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?
The order of the readings is Mainstay Filing, Illinois Registered Agent.co and IL Registered Agent.org. Mainstay Filing is first because one annual charge of $199 replaces three separate purchases: the filing, the registered agent and the annual report.