Use Illinois Form LLC 5.5 for an ordinary LLC. A series LLC uses a different form and fee.
This guide covers forming a new Illinois LLC. If your LLC already exists in another state or country, use the foreign-registration process instead.
Illinois LLC at a glance
- Official filing website
- Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services
- Business name check
- Search business namesA name search does not reserve or approve the name.
- Formation document
- Articles of Organization (LLC 5.5)
- State filing fee
- $150Formation filing only; other required costs and optional services are separate.
- Processing time
- Online5-10 business daysPaper7-14 business days; add mail transitPublished guide estimate. Published guide estimate for a complete filing; not a state guarantee. Check the filing office before setting a deadline.
- Ongoing report or tax
- Annual Report (LLC 50.1)
- Report / renewal charge
- $75Fee for this filing only.
- Frequency / due date
- Annually; check the company’s filing deadline
- Sales tax base rate
- 6.25%Local rates may apply. July 1, 2026 snapshot; not an address-specific rate. General rate for ordinary taxable sales; exemptions, special products and local rules can change the result.Official tax agency ↗
- Names in formation records
- Management names requiredThe form asks for managers and any member with the authority of a manager, plus organizer information. Other filings and private bank/tax records may identify owners.
Before you file in Illinois
Prepare the name, principal office, Illinois agent, organizers and managers or members who have manager authority.
File the Articles of Organization (LLC 5.5)
- Open the ordinary LLC articles application or download LLC 5.5.
- Enter the office, agent, purpose and duration, then list the people required in the management section.
- Have the organizers sign and submit with the filing fee. Save the accepted articles and file number.
What to enter in the form
- Managers and authorized members
- List the managers and any owners with authority to act as managers. Include those people even if someone else signs as the organizer.
- Agent
- Provide the appointed Illinois agent and registered office.
- Organizer
- The organizer signs the articles. Keep ownership percentages in the operating agreement.
- Series LLC
- Several owners do not make an LLC a series LLC. Use the standard form unless you are deliberately creating a series structure.
After approval in Illinois
- Find the annual-report deadline in the Illinois company record. Set a reminder early enough to prepare and submit the report.
Annual Report (LLC 50.1)
File an Illinois LLC annual report ↗
- Open the LLC annual-report service and find the company using its file number.
- Confirm or update the principal office and required manager/authorized-member information. Sign and submit the report with its fee.
- Save the accepted report. Use the state’s agent-change filing if the registered-agent appointment needs a separate update.
Compare the filing cycles in our annual report and recurring-fee table.
Next steps: operating agreement · get an EIN · starting checklist.
Sources and filing links
Sources checked . Confirm the state’s current fees and instructions before filing.
Research and walkthrough references
These references provide background and filing walkthroughs. Follow current state instructions if an older walkthrough differs.
See our editorial policy for the research process and contact page for correction information.