Where Illinois stands on fees
34th
among 50 states, counting one year of state fees
Registered agent required
Yes
Limited Liability Company Annual Report
$75 / yr
Timing as the state words it: before the first day of the entity's anniversary month. Taken from
ilsos.gov on October 2026
State total, one year
$75
Fees that recur, shown for one year
Providers for Illinois, ranked
The
method page lists all five criteria. The two heaviest are three-year charges and what the price covers.
Top of the chart
1. Mainstay Filing: best for businesses planning to spread out
Year one $149, year two $149
Highest on the list, Mainstay Filing: a single $149 agent plan that goes along when the company registers in another state.
IL Registered Agent.org is $150 lower over three years, and coverage is the criterion that pulls the other way.
Price covers
- Illinois street address for the registered office
- Court papers or notices served on the company are scanned the same business day, with no fee
- Mail from government offices is scanned free, up to three pieces each year
- Not just for LLCs: corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits can use it
Upside
- $149 per year, level at renewal
- Fifty-state coverage
Downside
- $50 per year above IL Registered Agent.org
- Report filing belongs to the formation package, not this plan
Regional pick
2. IL Registered Agent.org: best for Illinois-only companies
Year one $99, year two $99
IL Registered Agent.org takes spot 2: a flat $99 each year, with served papers scanned and sent to you.
Price covers
- An address inside the state for the registered office
- You can read served papers online as scans
Upside
- $99 per year, unchanged at renewal
- A smaller yearly bill than Mainstay Filing
Downside
- Nothing beyond this state
- Filing the Limited Liability Company Annual Report is not part of the deal
Regional pick
3. Illinois Registered Agent.co: best for a nearby agent
Year one $99, year two $99
Illinois Registered Agent.co takes spot 3: a flat $99 each year, with served papers scanned and sent to you.
It ties with IL Registered Agent.org on price.
Price covers
- An address inside the state for the registered office
- You can read served papers online as scans
Upside
- A smaller yearly bill than Mainstay Filing
- $99 per year, unchanged at renewal
Downside
- Nothing beyond this state
- Filing the Limited Liability Company Annual Report is not part of the deal
Prices in a row
Each company's own price page was read on November 12, 2026. Illinois's own charges stay the same whichever agent you name.
Agent budget calculator
Each agent's price is added to the state charges that repeat (the Limited Liability Company Annual Report from year two). The formation fee is not part of the total.
Illinois and the states beside it on the chart
Illinois registered agent requirements (official, Secretary of State)
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a registered office in Illinois that matches the agent's business office. A P.O. box alone is not accepted.
Who may be named: An Illinois resident, or a business authorized to do business in Illinois. The LLC cannot act as its own agent. Legal source: 805 ILCS 180/1-35.
What Illinois bills each year
One thing recurs: the Limited Liability Company Annual Report, at $75 every year, before the first day of the entity's anniversary month. Late filings add $100.
Reasoning for the ranking
Requirements handled settled first place in Illinois; it carries 24% of the score, and the other criteria are service cost across three years, renewal behavior, state-specific fit, pass-through of state fees.
IL Registered Agent.org charges less, but reach across states scored higher.
Questions answered
Is a registered agent required for every Illinois LLC?
Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Who qualifies as the registered agent for a Illinois LLC?
An Illinois resident, or a business authorized to do business in Illinois. The LLC cannot act as its own agent.
How much does Illinois registered agent service run each year?
$99 to $149 per year, going by the ranking above.
What does the state bill an LLC every year?
$75 per year by our yearly measure, which is the Limited Liability Company Annual Report ($75 every year).
Which registered agents does this chart rank?
Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), IL Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Illinois Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), from top to bottom of the chart.
Which registered agent should I use?
Mainstay Filing, IL Registered Agent.org and Illinois Registered Agent.co, as ranked.
Where each number comes from
- On August 2026 we compared Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services with ilsos.gov.
- On August 2026 we compared Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services with ilsos.gov.
- On August 2026 we compared 805 ILCS 180/5-5 with ilga.gov.
- On October 2026 we compared Illinois formation fee: Filing fee, official source with ilga.gov.
- On October 2026 we compared Illinois formation fee: Filing fee, official source with ilsos.gov.
- On October 2026 we compared Illinois registered agent statute with ilga.gov.
- On August 2026 we compared Wyoming Secretary of State, Business Division with wyobiz.wyo.gov.
- On August 2026 we compared Wyoming Secretary of State, Business Division with wyobiz.wyo.gov.
- On August 2026 we compared Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division with ccfs.sos.wa.gov.
- On August 2026 we compared Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division with sos.wa.gov.
- On October 2026 we compared Washington yearly filing: Annual report, official source with sos.wa.gov.
- On August 2026 we compared New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services with njportal.com.
- On August 2026 we compared New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services with njportal.com.
- On August 2026 we compared Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division with business.ct.gov.
- On August 2026 we compared Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division with business.ct.gov.
- On October 2026 we compared Connecticut yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source with business.ct.gov.
- Mainstay Filing, Illinois service page; company page seen November 12, 2026
- IL Registered Agent.org, pricing page; company page seen November 12, 2026
- Illinois Registered Agent.co, pricing page; company page seen November 12, 2026