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How to start an LLC in Illinois

Every step to form your LLC in Illinois, with the state's fees and the official page for each. Checked against the state's own pages on September 30, 2026.

Filing fee
$150
Regular report
$75
What you file
Articles of Organization
Where
The Illinois Secretary of State

Get the free checklist It follows these steps with you, for your business, and keeps track of what's done.

What an LLC costs in Illinois

Filing Articles of Organization with the Illinois Secretary of State$150
The regular report that keeps it in good standing$75
An EIN from the IRSFree
A registered agentFree if you're your own; a service charges a yearly fee

The state's fees only. Card or handling fees, a registered agent service, local licenses and taxes come on top where they apply. Checked against official sources on September 30, 2026. It's general information, not legal or tax advice.

Step by step

In the order most owners do them. Each step says where it happens and links to the official page.

  1. With the state

    Check your name is free

    Search the Illinois Secretary of State's business records to check no business already uses your name, or one too close to it. An LLC's name must also end with "LLC" or a similar ending.

    Search business names (opens the official site)

  2. Your records

    Choose a registered agent

    Every LLC and corporation in Illinois needs a registered agent: a person or company with a street address in Illinois who receives legal papers and state notices for it. You can be your own, or pay a registered agent service.

  3. With the state

    File your Articles of Organization

    File them with the Illinois Secretary of State online. The state's fee is $150 for processing in about 10 business days, or $250 for 24-hour service; a payment processor fee is added when you pay by card. Once they're filed, your business exists.

    File online (opens the official site)

  4. Your records

    Write an operating agreement

    It sets out who owns the LLC, how decisions are made and what happens if someone leaves. It isn't filed with the state: keep it with your records. A lawyer can help you write one.

  5. With the IRS

    Get an EIN from the IRS

    An Employer Identification Number is your business's tax number, for taxes, hiring and a bank account. Apply once your Articles of Organization are filed. It's free from the IRS: with a Social Security number or ITIN, you can apply on the IRS's own site and get it at once. Watch out for look-alike sites that charge for it.

    Apply for an EIN on IRS.gov (opens the official site)

  6. With the state

    Register for state taxes

    If you conduct business in Illinois, register with the Illinois Department of Revenue before you make purchases, make sales or hire an employee; register online through MyTax Illinois (Form REG-1). Employers also register with the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) for unemployment insurance, which can also be done through MyTax Illinois.

    Register for state taxes (opens the official site)

  7. City or county

    Check local licenses and permits

    Illinois licenses many professions and industries at the state level, mostly through the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). Cities, villages and counties may require a general business license, zoning approval or a home occupation permit. In Chicago, most business types need a City of Chicago business license.

    Find your local requirements (opens the official site)

  8. Your records

    Open a business bank account

    Keep the business's money apart from your own: it keeps your records clear at tax time, and keeps the LLC separate from you. Banks usually ask for your filed Articles of Organization and your EIN.

  9. With the state

    Put the yearly report in your calendar

    Every Illinois LLC files an annual report with the Secretary of State each year, in the 60 days before the first day of the month it was formed in (its anniversary month), starting the year after it's formed. The fee is $75. A late report puts the LLC out of good standing, and one not filed by the end of the month after the anniversary month adds a $100 penalty.

    About annual reports (opens the official site)

Questions about an LLC in Illinois

How much does it cost to start an LLC in Illinois?

The state's fee to file Articles of Organization is $150. To stay in good standing, it also files a regular report, which costs $75. An EIN from the IRS is free.

Does Illinois require a yearly report for an LLC?

Yes. Illinois asks every LLC for a regular report to stay in good standing. It costs $75, and the step below says when it's due and where to file it.

Can I form an LLC in Illinois myself?

Yes. You file Articles of Organization with the Illinois Secretary of State and pay the state's fee, and the steps above show where. You don't need a lawyer, though one can advise on your situation. PressUp's free checklist follows these steps with you.

Is this legal or tax advice?

No. PressUp isn't a law firm or an accountant. This guide is general information from Illinois's official pages, checked on September 30, 2026. For advice about your own situation, ask a lawyer or an accountant.

Where this comes from

Illinois's official pages, read on September 30, 2026:

LLC guides for other states