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How to Get a Certificate of Good Standing in Illinois

Illinois calls it the Certificate of Good Standing and charges $25. Here is how to order it and what must be current first.

At a glance

Document name
Certificate of Good Standing
State fee
$25
Online ordering
Yes
Typical turnaround
Immediate download online
Issuing office
Illinois SOS ↗

How to order it

  1. Clear any past-due filings first. The Illinois SOS will not issue a certificate while you have unpaid tax or an unfiled report. The state-specific requirements are in the points below.
  2. Order it online. Search your LLC in the Illinois portal, request the certificate, and download it. Link in the table above.
  3. Pay the $25 fee. Pay by card at checkout. A small card surcharge usually applies.
  4. Use it inside the recipient's window. The certificate has no state expiration, but banks and other states usually want one dated within the last 30 to 90 days. Order it close to when you need it.
Full ordering details for Illinois

Illinois issues a Certificate of Good Standing through the Secretary of State at $25 for LLCs ($5 for nonprofits). Order online at apps.ilsos.gov/corporatellc - search for the entity, click the File Detail Report, then purchase the certificate. Immediate PDF download upon payment. Mail requests go to Secretary of State Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division, 501 S. Second St. Rm. 351, Springfield IL 62756. Fax orders add a $2 surcharge. The annual report ($75 for LLCs) must be filed and current for a certificate to issue; the annual report is due the first day of the LLC anniversary month.

Processing and expedited tiers: Immediate download online; mail requests 5-10 business days

Important to know about Illinois

  • Illinois retired the Cyberdrive Illinois portal in favor of ilsos.gov / apps.ilsos.gov. If older guides reference Cyberdrive, the URL has changed - use apps.ilsos.gov/corporatellc.
  • The LLC Annual Report ($75) must be filed by the first day of the LLC anniversary month. Missing the deadline triggers a $100 late penalty and eventual administrative dissolution.
  • Illinois has separate annual report fees for LLCs ($75) vs corporations ($150 minimum). Some older sources quote only the corporation fee.
  • Fax orders add $2 to the $25 fee. Online and mail are both $25 flat.
  • The Certificate of Good Standing only confirms Secretary of State compliance. It does NOT confirm tax compliance with the Illinois Department of Revenue - a separate Tax Clearance Certificate from IDOR is sometimes required for major transactions.

Ordering this to register in another state?

A certificate of good standing from Illinois is what the new state asks for when your Illinois LLC registers to do business there. Pick the state you are expanding into to see its exact filing, fee, and process.

Find your state-to-state guide · Registering an out-of-state LLC into Illinois instead?

Related guides

This page provides general information based on publicly available Illinois Secretary of State requirements. It is not legal advice. Names, fees, and procedures can change. Verify with the Illinois SOS before ordering.