Mainstay Filing takes the top spot because the fee is $199 plus the state's own, with a free first year as registered agent, and the price is identical in every state.
Year one as agent costs nothing; every year after it is $149, wherever the company registers.
Its three-year total is $100 above IL Registered Agent.org's, and what the price covers justifies that gap for us.
In the price
- The registration filing prepared and submitted
- Your registered agent for year one at no charge
- Same-business-day scans of anything served on the company, with no fee
Good
- Papers served on the company are scanned the same business day at no charge
- The same price in each of the fifty states
- No charge for registered agent service in year one
- $199 service fee, with the state's fee added
Watch for
- The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 above IL Registered Agent.org
IL Registered Agent.org makes the list at number two because registering costs $199 plus the state fee, with the first registered agent year covered, then $99 a year for the agent.
The registered office is an in-state street address supplied by the plan, and any papers served on the company show up as scans in your online account.
In the price
- Filing with the state
- One year of registered agent service to start
Good
- $99 a year afterward for the agent
- A year as your registered agent comes included
- Registration costs $199 before the state fee
Watch for
- Illinois only; your home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application is an extra charge ($99)
Illinois Registered Agent.co makes the list at number three because registering costs $199 plus the state fee, with the first registered agent year covered, then $99 a year for the agent.
The registered office is an in-state street address supplied by the plan, and any papers served on the company show up as scans in your online account.
Illinois Registered Agent.co matches IL Registered Agent.org on price and features, so this pair is a near tie.
In the price
- Filing with the state
- A first year as your registered agent
Good
- $199 to register, plus state fees
- Covers your first year of registered agent service
- Keeps the agent for $99 a year from year two
Watch for
- Illinois only; your home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application is an extra charge ($99)
The 3 picks side by side
The 10-point scores come from Filing Shortlist's editors and the criteria on How we rank. They are not customer ratings.
Illinois foreign registration service pricing in 2026: first year, renewals, three-year total
Every price comes from the company's own pages as of November 12, 2026. The $150 Illinois registration fee comes on top of each row and is left out of the totals.
What decided the order
What the price covers separated the picks in Illinois. The method gives three-year price 28%, gives what the price covers 28% and splits 44% over renewal terms, fit for the state and price clarity.
Registering in a second state touches two states, and one provider with one price in both scored highest on coverage, ahead of IL Registered Agent.org.
Every criterion and weight is set out on How we rank.
Registering a foreign LLC in Illinois: fee, form and office
Registration goes to the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division on the Application for Admission to Transact Business (Form LLC-45.5). The state fee is $150. Along with the form, Illinois expects certificate of Good Standing or Existence, no older than 60 days when you file.
Each year after that, the company files the annual report for $75, due within the 60 days before your anniversary month.
What to have ready before you file
- Certificate of Good Standing or Existence, dated within 60 days of filing.
- The company's exact legal name and its formation date in the home state.
- A registered agent at a street address in the state. Every company on this shortlist can be that agent.
- Payment of the $150 state fee with the filing.
- A reminder in your own calendar for the annual report and its $75 fee.
The cost of skipping Illinois registration
An unregistered out-of-state LLC cannot sue in Illinois courts (805 ILCS 180/45-45(a)). Its contracts remain valid (805 ILCS 180/45-45(b)). Fees for the unregistered period come due as well.
Common questions about Illinois foreign registration services
Must an LLC from another state register in Illinois?
It must, once it does business in the state. An unregistered company cannot sue in the state's courts until it does.
What is the full price of a foreign LLC registration in Illinois?
The state fee is $150, and service fees run $199.
What is the Illinois foreign registration form called?
It is the Application for Admission to Transact Business (Form LLC-45.5), submitted to the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division.
Does Illinois ask for proof of good standing from home?
It does. The state wants certificate of Good Standing or Existence, dated no more than 60 days before the filing.
Does a registered foreign LLC still need a registered agent?
Yes. The company keeps a registered agent in the state, at a street address there, for as long as it stays registered.
Which service leads the Illinois foreign registration shortlist?
Mainstay Filing, because it charges $199 on top of the state fee, serves as registered agent free for year one and prices every state the same.
Where the figures come from
- Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division (checked again August 2026)
- Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division (checked again August 2026)
- 805 ILCS 180/5-5 (checked again August 2026)
- Illinois formation fee: Filing fee, official source (checked again October 2026)
- Illinois formation fee: Filing fee, official source (checked again October 2026)
- Illinois registered agent statute (checked again October 2026)
- Form LLC-45.5, Application for Admission (checked again October 2026)
- Form LLC-45.40, Application for Withdrawal (checked again October 2026)
- 805 ILCS 180/45-45, consequences of transacting business without admission (checked again October 2026)
- 805 ILCS 180/45-47, activities that are not transacting business (checked again October 2026)
- 805 ILCS 180/45-45 (checked again November 2026)
- Pulled from Mainstay Filing: Illinois service page, November 12, 2026
- Pulled from IL Registered Agent.org: pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Pulled from Illinois Registered Agent.co: pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026