Mainstay Filing takes the top spot because one yearly charge of $199 files the Illinois formation, serves as your registered agent and files the annual report; renewal is $199.
Renewal includes Mainstay filing the Limited Liability Company Annual Report on your behalf. The state fee in Illinois is $75 every year, due before the first day of the entity's anniversary month, with $100 added if it is late, and Mainstay passes that fee through at cost.
Its three-year total is $200 above Illinois Registered Agent.co's, and what the price covers justifies that gap for us.
In the price
- The formation filing, submitted on your behalf
- Your registered agent for the full year
- Your annual report, prepared and filed for you
- EIN application handled
Good
- Illinois's fee is added at cost
- A single $199 yearly price that covers the annual report
- Renews at $199 with no add-ons
- EIN application is part of the package
Watch for
- The agent part costs $100 a year more than Illinois Registered Agent.co's after year one
Illinois Registered Agent.co makes the list at number two because the Illinois formation runs $199 above the state's fee, with the registered agent free for a year and $99 yearly to keep 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.
Its published prices leave out the Limited Liability Company Annual Report, so the owner files it with Illinois every year.
In the price
- Articles prepared and filed
- Year one as your registered agent
Good
- The registered agent role is free for the first year
- $199 to form the LLC, plus state fees
- $99 yearly for the agent in year two
Watch for
- Leaves the Limited Liability Company Annual Report to the owner
- The EIN application is an extra charge ($99)
IL Registered Agent.org makes the list at number three because the Illinois formation runs $199 above the state's fee, with the registered agent free for a year and $99 yearly to keep 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.
Its published prices leave out the Limited Liability Company Annual Report, so the owner files it with Illinois every year.
Illinois Registered Agent.co and IL Registered Agent.org list the same price and the same features, so either one is a reasonable choice.
In the price
- Articles prepared and filed
- Your registered agent for the first year
Good
- An agent price of $99 from year two
- Formation costs $199 before the state fee
- The registered agent role is free for the first year
Watch for
- Leaves the Limited Liability Company Annual Report to the owner
- The EIN application is an extra charge ($99)
The 3 picks side by side
Scores out of 10 are editorial marks from Filing Shortlist, based on the criteria on How we rank. Customers do not rate anything on this site.
Illinois LLC 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 filing fee comes on top of each row and is left out of the totals.
How the order came together
Two criteria count most here, three-year price and what the price covers, at 28% each, while renewal terms, fit for the state and price clarity divide 44%. What tipped Illinois was what the price covers.
Illinois asks for a report each year and charges $75, plus $100 when it is late. Mainstay's price covers that filing and Illinois Registered Agent.co's does not, so coverage beat Illinois Registered Agent.co's lower three-year bill.
Every criterion and weight is set out on How we rank.
Forming in Illinois: filing fee and form
The Articles of Organization (Form LLC-5.5) costs $150 to file with the Illinois Secretary of State. Each service here adds that fee at cost to its own price.
Keeping the company in good order in Illinois after formation
File the Limited Liability Company Annual Report every year, by before the first day of the entity's anniversary month. The state fee is $75. A late filing adds $100. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Common questions about Illinois LLC services
What is the price of starting an LLC in Illinois?
The state filing fee is $150, and service fees run $199.
Which document creates the LLC?
The Articles of Organization (Form LLC-5.5), submitted to the Illinois Secretary of State.
Must a new company list a registered agent when it forms in Illinois?
Yes. Illinois wants a registered agent named at formation and kept on file afterwards, with a street address in the state.
What does the company have to file after forming in Illinois?
The Limited Liability Company Annual Report, every year, due before the first day of the entity's anniversary month, for a $75 state fee.
Is the EIN application part of the price?
With Mainstay Filing it is, inside the yearly price. For the EIN application, Illinois Registered Agent.co and IL Registered Agent.org bill $99. The IRS issues EINs at no charge if you apply yourself.
Which service tops the Illinois LLC shortlist?
Mainstay Filing, because the Illinois formation, a registered agent and the annual report share a single $199 price.
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)
- Pulled from Mainstay Filing: Illinois service page, November 12, 2026
- Pulled from Illinois Registered Agent.co: pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Pulled from IL Registered Agent.org: pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026