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LLC Straight Talk What it costs, what you have to file, who's worth paying.

No fluff · Illinois

3 Best LLC Services in Illinois (2026) and What Illinois Really Requires

If you need LLC formation services in Illinois in 2026, here's the order we'd go in: IL Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Illinois Registered Agent.co ($199). Here's the money: $150 to the state, $397 to $597 to a service across three years.
Straight from the LLC Straight Talk editorial team

The short of it

The short of it
What the state charges
$150, once, up front
Every year after
$75 a year
Registered agent
Yes, it's the law
Who we'd use
IL Registered Agent.org, Mainstay Filing then Illinois Registered Agent.co

Illinois: our ranking

The order comes from our five tests: three-year cost first, then what the price covers.

#1 Our top pick

1. IL Registered Agent.org: best for a business that never leaves one state

$199 to form, $99 a year after

IL Registered Agent.org is who we'd use first in Illinois, because $199 gets your LLC formed, and then the agent's $99 a year.

Its three-year total's under Mainstay Filing's, which makes it the first pick for a company that stays put.

You're still on the hook for the Limited Liability Company Annual Report.

What you get

  • Illinois formation filing
  • The first agent year's on them

Pluses

  • No agent charge in year one
  • Agent renews at $99
  • $199 to form the LLC

What's not

  • You're stuck filing the Limited Liability Company Annual Report
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra
Check IL Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
#2 Every state

2. Mainstay Filing: best for one price for setup and upkeep

$199 a year, plus the $150 state fee

For $199 a year, formation, the registered agent and the annual report are all handled. That puts Mainstay Filing second.

A $200 three-year gap to IL Registered Agent.org explains the lower spot.

It files your Limited Liability Company Annual Report, and Illinois's $75 gets passed along at cost.

What you get

  • Your formation filing, taken care of
  • Registered agent for twelve straight months
  • Annual report done for you
  • EIN application
  • State fees at cost

Pluses

  • Renews at $199
  • The EIN application's included
  • $199 a year covers filing, agent and report

What's not

  • You'll pay $100 more each year than at IL Registered Agent.org
Check Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
#3 Illinois only

3. Illinois Registered Agent.co: best for single-state outfits

$199 to form, $99 a year after

Illinois Registered Agent.co comes in third because $199 gets your LLC formed, and then the agent's $99 a year.

You're still on the hook for the Limited Liability Company Annual Report.

Its prices match IL Registered Agent.org exactly, so the order between them's a close call.

What you get

  • Illinois formation filing
  • The first agent year's on them

Pluses

  • Agent renews at $99
  • $199 to form the LLC
  • No agent charge in year one

What's not

  • You're stuck filing the Limited Liability Company Annual Report
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra
Check Illinois Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The numbers

#WhoFirst yearThenThree-year totalCovers
1 IL Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397illinois formation filing; The first agent year's on them Check IL Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $199$199/yr$597your formation filing, taken care of; registered agent for twelve straight months; annual report done for you Check Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Illinois Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397illinois formation filing; The first agent year's on them Check Illinois Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Prices as of November 13, 2026. The state's own fees are in the checklist below.

The questions that matter

How much do I need to start an LLC in this state?

$150 goes to the state. Hire a service in year one and that's $199 more.

Across three years the state collects $300, filing fee included. go check ilsos.gov, last confirmed October 2026

What do I actually send the state?

The Articles of Organization (Form LLC-5.5) goes to the Illinois Secretary of State, and approval is what creates your LLC.

Statute: 805 ILCS 180/5-5. go check ilsos.gov, last confirmed October 2026

Does the state make me have a registered agent?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

An Illinois resident, or a business authorized to do business in Illinois. The LLC cannot act as its own agent.

go check ilga.gov, last confirmed October 2026

What's due in later years?

You'll file the Limited Liability Company Annual Report every year, and it's $75 each time. Here's the date the state gives: before the first day of the entity's anniversary month. Don't miss it.

File late and the state adds $100.

go check ilsos.gov, last confirmed October 2026

Can I just file it myself?

Yes. Filing it yourself costs only the state's fees: $300 over three years.

A service adds $397 to $597 over three years, and with Mainstay Filing the reports are in that price.

Why this order?

IL Registered Agent.org scores best on money out the door in three years, and that test is worth 35%.

Two tests carry most of the weight: money out the door in three years (35%) and jobs the price actually covers (30%).

Mainstay Filing costs $200 more over three years than IL Registered Agent.org, which comes to $397.

How we judge

What Illinois requires to form an LLC

RequirementThe rule or the numberOfficial source
LLC filing fee $150go check ilsos.gov, last confirmed October 2026
Registered agent Yes, it's the lawgo check ilga.gov, last confirmed October 2026
Limited Liability Company Annual Report $75 every yeargo check ilsos.gov, last confirmed October 2026
What the state collects in three years $300The rows above, added up

Want to check the total? Add the filing fee, the next two reports and any minimum tax. We don't count costs without a set amount.

More questions

Is the EIN application included?

Mainstay Filing includes the EIN application. The others make you pay: IL Registered Agent.org $99; Illinois Registered Agent.co $99.

Is there a late fee?

A late report costs $100 more.

What do the picks cost over three years?

IL Registered Agent.org will set you back $397, and Mainstay Filing will set you back $597, and Illinois Registered Agent.co will set you back $397, before state fees.

Are the fees official?

Official Illinois sources back the state side, and posted prices back the service side.

Do I have to use a service?

No law says you need a service. It's a convenience you pay for.

Who should I use for a LLC service in Illinois?

IL Registered Agent.org, because it starts at $199 with the first agent year thrown in, and from year two you pay $99. After that, Mainstay Filing and Illinois Registered Agent.co.

What's next

Don't take our word for it

  1. Where Illinois Secretary of State, Department comes from: ilsos.gov, confirmed August 2026, and you can go look yourself
  2. Where Illinois Secretary of State, Department comes from: ilsos.gov, confirmed August 2026, and you can go look yourself
  3. Where 805 ILCS 180/5-5 comes from: ilga.gov, confirmed August 2026, and you can go look yourself
  4. Where Illinois formation fee: Filing fee comes from: ilga.gov, confirmed October 2026, and you can go look yourself
  5. Where Illinois formation fee: Filing fee comes from: ilsos.gov, confirmed October 2026, and you can go look yourself
  6. Where Illinois registered agent statute comes from: ilga.gov, confirmed October 2026, and you can go look yourself
  7. IL Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  8. Mainstay Filing Illinois service page, read November 13, 2026
  9. Illinois Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026