Everything you need to register a foreign LLC in Illinois.
State filing fee$150one-time
Registered agent$125/yearbased on Northwest RA
Total, all in$750
Illinois data last reviewed Aug 26, 2026 · ilsos.govTotals include the $150 filing fee once, Northwest RA at $125/year, and Illinois recurring state costs over the selected period.
Foreign Qualification
Filing fee
$150
Form
Application for Admission to Transact Business (Form LLC-45.5)
Annual obligation
$75/year
Processing time
10-45 days by mail; same-day if filed in person with the $100 expedite
Expedite
$100 on an application for admission to transact business, on top of the $150 filing fee. Illinois prices expedite by document rather than by speed, so this is the rate for the admission filing itself and other Illinois filings carry their own. Expedited requests must be made in person at the Springfield or Chicago office and cannot be posted.
Illinois data last reviewed Aug 26, 2026 · ilsos.gov
Formation in Illinois
Formation fee
$150
Annual cost
$75/year
State income tax
Flat 4.95% income tax
Privacy
Low
What triggers foreign qualification in Illinois?
Physical office or place of business
Employees working in the state
Recurring business transactions
Important to know
Operating unregistered costs $100 for each month or fraction of a month, so the penalty compounds faster than in most states.
Activities that do NOT require registration in Illinois
The following activities are explicitly carved out by statute. On their own, they do not require a foreign LLC to register in Illinois.
Maintaining, defending, or settling a lawsuit or other proceeding
Holding meetings of members or managers, or carrying on internal company affairs
Maintaining bank accounts
Maintaining an office or agent to transfer, exchange, or register the company's own securities, or keeping a trustee or depositary for them
Selling through independent contractors
Soliciting or obtaining orders, by mail or through employees or agents, if orders require acceptance outside the state before becoming contracts
Owning real or personal property, and nothing more
Conducting an isolated transaction completed within 120 days that is not part of repeated similar transactions
Having a member or manager who is a resident of Illinois
Under 805 ILCS 180/45-47, all 9 statutory items. Illinois diverges from the uniform act three ways: the isolated-transaction window is 120 days rather than 30; there is a unique safe harbor for having a member or manager who is an Illinois resident; and the list omits indebtedness, debt collection and interstate commerce entirely. Subsection (b) disclaims service of process only, with no taxation clause.
This page provides general information based on publicly available state requirements. It is not legal advice. Verify with the Illinois SOS before filing.