Illinois business formation and filing fees
Compare the costs of creating an LLC or corporation in Illinois, or registering a company formed elsewhere. The filing office is Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services.
Starting a company in Illinois
Domestic LLC filing fee
Illinois domestic LLC Articles of Organization cost $150.00 for regular 10-business-day service. The official LLC instructions list a 24-hour expedited total of $250.00, meaning the expedited option adds $100.00 to the regular filing charge. The form must identify the LLC name, Illinois registered agent and office, purpose, management structure, and organizer; series LLCs use a separate higher fee.
Domestic corporation filing fee
Illinois domestic business-corporation Articles of Incorporation have a $150.00 regular filing fee for the standard form, with a $250.00 24-hour expedited total. Authorized shares and paid-in capital must be stated, and the Illinois franchise-tax/license-fee calculation can be due with the formation document; the filing fee itself is not simply a per-share charge. Professional, close, nonprofit, and special corporations use separate forms and fees.
Registering a company formed elsewhere
For state registration, “foreign” can mean a company formed in another U.S. state. These fees are separate from creating a new Illinois entity.
Foreign LLC qualification
An out-of-state LLC files an Application for Admission to Transact Business in Illinois. The Secretary's LLC fee table lists $150.00 for the foreign admission filing in the regular/online column and $100.00 in the paper column as displayed in the current publication, so the live form should be checked for the applicable submission route before payment. The LLC must provide its home-jurisdiction existence information, Illinois registered agent and office, and the required certified home-state document.
Foreign corporation qualification
A foreign corporation files an Application for Authority to Transact Business in Illinois; the current corporation publication lists the standard foreign-authority filing and separate expedited add-on by form. The corporation must provide a recent certified home-jurisdiction existence document, Illinois registered agent and office, authorized/issued share information, and a corporate name distinguishable in Illinois. Because the accessible fee table presents regular and paper columns, verify the live BCA form for the exact route-specific total.
Illinois processing times
Illinois describes regular formation service as approximately 10 business days for domestic LLCs and corporations. Online or in-person expedited service can reduce the review period, but a complete filing and payment are still required and a rejected document does not become effective merely because it was submitted. Paper requests and documents needing franchise-tax calculation or correction may take longer.
Expedited filing options
Illinois offers 24-hour expedited formation service for domestic LLCs and corporations at a $250.00 total rather than the $150.00 regular LLC/corporation filing fee. The corporation and LLC publication also lists service-specific expedited additions for amendments, annual reports, certificates, and reinstatements; requests generally must be made in person at the Springfield or Chicago office, not by mail. The current annual-report online workflow includes a $50.00 expedited fee because the report is processed immediately.
Choose your next Illinois guide
Business entity search →
Find an existing business and understand its public record.
Annual reports →
Check recurring deadlines, report fees, and reinstatement rules.
Good standing →
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Registered agent →
Check agent qualifications, changes, and resignations.