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

The state filing fee

An Illinois limited liability company is formed by filing articles of organization with the Secretary of State. Under 805 ILCS 180/50-10, the fee for filing articles of organization is $150.

A higher fee applies to an LLC that has a series or the ability to establish a series. For that kind of company the filing fee is $400. A company that does not need separate series files standard articles and pays $150.

The $150 is paid once, when the articles are filed. It is the same whether the company has one member or several, because the statute sets the fee by the type of filing and not by the number of owners.

Expedited service

Expedited handling is optional. 805 ILCS 180/50-50 sets the expedited service fee for articles of organization at $100. That charge is separate from the filing fee, so an expedited standard formation costs $250 in state fees.

The same section defines expedited services as services rendered within the same day, or within 24 hours from the time the request is submitted.

Costs that continue after formation

Every Illinois LLC files an annual report. The fee for filing an annual report is $75, plus a penalty if the report is late. Under 805 ILCS 180/50-1, the report and fee are due within the 60 days immediately preceding the first day of the company's anniversary month.

Each LLC must also continuously maintain a registered agent and registered office in Illinois, as 805 ILCS 180/1-35 requires. The agent may be an individual resident of Illinois or another person authorized to transact business in the state. A company that hires a commercial agent pays that agent's own fee, which the state does not set.

Optional filings

Two smaller fees come up often. Reserving a company name before filing costs $25, and reservation is a choice, not a requirement of the fee statute. Amending the articles later costs $50.

What the state fee does not cover

The filing fee buys the filing and nothing else. It does not produce an operating agreement, the contract that sets out how the company is owned and run. It also does not obtain a federal employer identification number, although the Internal Revenue Service issues that number online for free.

Hart David Carson LLP forms Illinois LLCs for a published flat fee: $1,250 for one owner or $2,000 for two or more owners, with the Illinois state filing fee included. The firm's free Document Studio drafts company documents online for owners who want to start on their own, and the first call with the firm is free.

Confirm the fee before you file

The figures on this page were checked against the Illinois statutes in November 2026. Fees change, so confirm the current amount with the Illinois Secretary of State before you file.

This page is general information about Illinois filing fees. It is not legal advice about any particular company.

Sources

Each figure and rule above comes from the official source listed here, read in November 2026. Fees and statutes change, so confirm the current figure with the state before you file.

• ilga.gov ilga.gov
• 805 ILCS 180/50-50 ilga.gov
• ilga.gov ilga.gov
• 805 ILCS 180/1-35 ilga.gov
• irs.gov irs.gov

This guide is general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.