The Fees and Filing Requirements for Your Illinois LLC

Depending on the specifics of your Illinois business, you’ll be required to pay certain fees and fulfill different filing requirements. Some of these costs are payable to the Illinois Secretary of State, while others are due to the federal or Illinois government. On this page, we’ve summarized the most common requirements and fees.

Note that Illinois business licenses and permits might need to be paid when you first form your business, on an ongoing schedule or on an ad hoc basis. Find more details below.

Illinois LLC Incorporation Filing and Fees

When you first incorporate your business in Illinois, you’ll need to file an LLC with the IL Secretary of State and pay an Illinois filing fee. Here are the current fees and filing times for Illinois:

Some states allow you to form your LLC more quickly by paying a rush fee. You can compare state filing times and fees here, including expedited fees for Illinois.

Incorporate your Illinois LLC through Incfile today

Getting an EIN/Tax ID for Your Illinois LLC

Every Illinois LLC should have a unique employer identification number (EIN). These are provided by the Internal Revenue Service and you use them when filing taxes, opening a business bank account and paying employees. You can get one yourself at no cost from the IRS or have Incfile obtain one on your behalf.

Get an EIN for Your Illinois LLC through Incfile

Foreign Qualification to Operate in a State Outside Illinois

If you’re expanding your Illinois LLC beyond the borders of the state, you will need a Foreign Qualification or Certificate of Authority to operate in another state. These are typically necessary if you have a physical presence, employees or banking in a different state than Illinois. Fees and requirements for foreign qualifications depend on each state’s rules. Incfile provides a complete Foreign Qualification service for any state.

Get a Foreign Qualification/Certificate of Authority through Incfile

Illinois LLC Annual Reporting and Ongoing Fees

Most states need to file an annual (or other periodic) report with their Secretary of State. When you file your IL LLC annual report, you may need to pay a fee. Here are the annual filing requirements for Illinois:

Incfile can also complete and file your Illinois annual report on your behalf.

Incfile’s Illinois Annual Report Filing service

Business Licenses and Permits in Illinois

Some IL LLCs will need certain business licenses and permits from federal, state and regional organizations. These permits and licenses will have associated fees that you should pay on a one-off or regular basis.

Permits and licenses vary based on:

• The industry your Illinois LLC operates in (e.g., restaurants will need health permits)
• The location of your Illinois LLC (state, county or city) (e.g., a license to conduct business from the city of Chicago)
• The type of business that you run (e.g., healthcare providers must meet HIPAA requirements)

You can research these permits and licenses yourself or use Incfile’s Business License Research Package, which includes:

• A complete report on all the licenses, permits and tax registrations your Illinois LLC will need
• The application forms you will need to file with the Illinois, regional and federal licensing authorities

Remember that operating your business without the required licenses can expose you to risks and fines from federal, Illinois and local governments.

Incfile’s Illinois Business License Research Package

Create an Operating Agreement for Your Illinois LLC

An Operating Agreement is a business document that covers how the business will be run, how managers and members are chosen, rights and duties of members and several other key areas.

Illinois LLCs aren’t required to have an Operating Agreement, but they are extremely useful for several reasons (learn about them here). If you’re interested in having your Operating Agreement created for you, Incfile can draft a general Operating Agreement template when you choose to form your Illinois business. You can choose to make changes to the template based on your unique requirements.

Ad Hoc Illinois Fees or Requirements for Your IL LLC

There are several other fees or requirements that you may need to meet during the life of your Illinois LLC. These ad hoc fees will only be payable in specific circumstances, which we’ve listed below.

To Obtain a Fictitious/DBA Name for Your Illinois LLC

If you want your IL business to trade under a different name, you can file a form with the Illinois Secretary of State. You will need to pay an Illinois filing fee. Incfile can file this form on your behalf.

Incfile’s Illinois Fictitious Name service

To Change the Illinois Registered Agent for Your IL LLC

Your Illinois LLC needs a Registered Agent. You need to appoint one when you first incorporate your LLC. You can also switch to a new IL Registered Agent later. Incfile provides a complete Illinois Registered Agent service.

Incfile’s Illinois Registered Agent service

To Reserve a Name for Your Illinois LLC

If you don’t want to form your IL business right away, you can reserve a name with the Illinois Secretary of State. You will need to pay a small fee to do this.

To Amend Certain Facts About Your Illinois LLC

Your business formation documents state certain facts about your Illinois business when it was originally formed. Over time, these facts might change — if they do, you need to file “Articles of Amendment” with the Illinois Secretary of State. You can do this yourself or have Incfile complete the filing on your behalf.

Areas you might want to file Illinois Articles of Amendment for include:

• Adding, removing or changing an Illinois LLC member or manager
• Changing the business address of your LLC
• Altering the stated business activities of your Illinois LLC

Incfile’s Illinois Articles of Amendment service

To Get a Certificate of Good Standing for Your Illinois LLC

Some organizations will request that you prove your Illinois LLC’s compliance with laws and tax requirements. If you need to prove you have met your commitments, you will need a “Certificate of Good Standing” from the Illinois Secretary of State. Incfile can obtain a certificate on your behalf.

Incfile’s Illinois Certificate of Good Standing service

The fees listed above detail all the charges that a standard IL LLC will be required to pay. In some unusual circumstances, there may be other one-off, periodic or ad hoc fees not listed above.

Of course, your Illinois LLC will also probably need to pay self-employment, payroll, federal, state and sales taxes, but we will cover that when we talk about taxes for IL LLCs.

FAQs About Illinois LLC Fees

What Happens to the State Fees That I Am Charged When Forming My Illinois LLC?

We charge you for this fee at cost and then pay the fee to the Secretary of State on your behalf when forming your Illinois business.

Do I Need to Pay an Annual Report Fee Every Year?

Usually, yes. Most states require you file a report for your LLC every year. Some states require filing biennially (every other year), though a handful don’t require annual reports. You can find out more on the compliance page for your state.

Who Will I Need to Get Business Licenses and Permits From for My Illinois LLC?

It depends on various factors including:

• The type of business you run
• Where you are located
• Governing organizations in your industry
• Federal, state and local regulations

That’s why our business license research package is so useful. It explores all of these areas for you and provides a comprehensive overview of exactly what your Illinois LLC needs to be compliant.