Filed with
Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services
Document
Articles of Organization
Recurring filing
Every year
- 01
Choose a name for your Illinois LLC
Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services business filings →The name must contain "Limited Liability Company", "LLC" or "L.L.C."; may not contain "Corporation", "Corp.", "Incorporated", "Inc.", "Ltd.", "Co." or "Limited Partnership". It also has to be distinguishable from every business already on the Illinois register.
Search the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services business records before you file.
- 02
Choose a registered agent
Every Illinois LLC needs a registered agent with a physical address in Illinois, available in business hours to accept legal papers and state notices.
You can be your own agent, but your address goes on the public record and you need to be there during business hours. A registered agent service keeps your home address off the filing.
- 03
File your Articles of Organization
Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services →The Articles of Organization is the document that creates your LLC. It is filed with the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, which accepts it online.
It names the LLC, its registered agent and address, and whether it is managed by its members or by managers.
- 04
Write an operating agreement
Illinois operating agreement rules and free generator →The operating agreement sets out who owns the LLC, how profits are shared and how decisions are made. It is not filed with the state, but banks often ask for it, and without one your state’s default rules decide disputes between members.
- 05
Get an EIN
An Employer Identification Number from the IRS is the LLC’s federal tax number. You need it to open a business bank account and to hire, and it is free from the IRS.
- 06
Open a business bank account
Keep the LLC’s money separate from yours from the first day. Mixing them is the most common reason courts set aside an LLC’s liability protection.
- 07
Get the licenses your business needs
Illinois business license lookup →Forming the LLC is not a business license. Check whether Illinois requires a state license, what your city or county requires, and whether your trade is licensed. If you sell taxable goods or services, register for Illinois sales tax too.
- 08
Keep your Illinois LLC in good standing
Compliance deadline tracker →Illinois LLCs file an Annual Report every year. It is due before the first day of the LLC's anniversary month each year (the month it was formed).
Illinois follows the federal classification: an LLC taxed as a partnership files Form IL-1065 and pays Personal Property Replacement Income Tax on its Illinois net income; an LLC taxed as a corporation files IL-1120 (or IL-1120-ST for an S corporation); a single-member disregarded LLC has no separate Illinois return
Worth knowing in Illinois
- A late filing penalty applies when the Annual Report is not filed before the first day of the anniversary month.
- An LLC providing services licensed by IDFPR must use "Professional Limited Liability Company", "PLLC" or "P.L.L.C." instead.
Or have it done for $399
We check your name, file your Articles of Organization with the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services and pay the state fee, act as your Illinois registered agent for the first year, get your EIN and write your operating agreement. One price, nothing else to buy.
Sources
Nearby states
Frequently asked questions
How do I start an LLC in Illinois?
Choose an available name, appoint a registered agent in Illinois, and file a Articles of Organization with the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services. Then write an operating agreement, get an EIN from the IRS and open a business bank account.
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Illinois?
Illinois charges a filing fee for the Articles of Organization. With StartGlobal the total is $399, with that fee included, plus your EIN, operating agreement and first-year registered agent service. See our Illinois LLC cost page for the yearly costs.
Does a Illinois LLC have to file an annual report?
Illinois LLCs file an Annual Report every year. It is due before the first day of the LLC's anniversary month each year (the month it was formed).
What is the Articles of Organization?
The document filed with the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services that creates your LLC. It gives the LLC's name, its registered agent and registered office in Illinois, and how it is managed.
Can I be my own registered agent in Illinois?
Yes, if you have a physical address in Illinois and are there during business hours. That address becomes part of the public record.
