No.1
Our top pick
1. Mainstay Filing: best for businesses active in several states
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides, $349 payable at checkout; the agent is $149 yearly after year one
Score9.6out of 10
First place: Mainstay Filing. Its fee is $199 beyond the state's, year-one registered agent service costs nothing, and the charge is the same in every state.
The first agent year costs nothing; later years are $149 each, in this state or any other.
Its three-year total exceeds IL Registered Agent.org's by $100; the broader coverage outweighs that difference in our scoring.
In the price
- The registration prepared and lodged on your behalf
- Year one as your registered agent, at no charge
- Papers served on the company are scanned within the business day, free
Why pick it
- Year-one registered agent service costs nothing
- One price in each of the fifty states
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
- A $199 service charge, with the state's fee added
Weak spots
- The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 more than IL Registered Agent.org
No.2
Lower renewal than Mainstay
2. IL Registered Agent.org: best for companies that only add Illinois
$199 for the service, state fee on top; from year two the agent bills $99 annually
Score9.4out of 10
Second place: IL Registered Agent.org. The Illinois registration costs $199 with the first agent year included, and $99 a year follows.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
In the price
- Registration prepared and filed
- One year of registered agent service at the start
Why pick it
- $199 to register, state fee on top
- Afterward, $99 a year keeps the agent
- Twelve months as your registered agent come with it
Weak spots
- Serves Illinois only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
No.3
Best for an Illinois-only company
3. Illinois Registered Agent.co: best for Illinois registrations only
$199 for the service, state fee on top; from year two the agent bills $99 annually
Score9.3out of 10
Third place: Illinois Registered Agent.co. The Illinois registration costs $199 with the first agent year included, and $99 a year follows.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
Illinois Registered Agent.co mirrors IL Registered Agent.org on price and features, so the pair is nearly level.
In the price
- Registration prepared and filed
- A first year as your registered agent
Why pick it
- The agent renews at $99 annually
- Includes your registered agent for the first year
- $199 for the registration, before state fees
Weak spots
- Serves Illinois only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Service charge | Year two | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.6 | $199 | $149/yr | Businesses spread over several states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 2 | IL Registered Agent.org | 9.4 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit IL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 3 | Illinois Registered Agent.co | 9.3 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit Illinois Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
The 10-point scores are editorial. They apply the criteria on
How we rank and do not draw on customer ratings.
Illinois foreign registration service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Agent covered in year one |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149 | $149 | $497 | Free |
|---|
| IL Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
| Illinois Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Illinois's $150 registration fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.
What decided the order
The decisive criterion in Illinois was work taken off the founder. For reference, the method assigns 31% to charge over three years, 31% to work taken off the founder and 38% across renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight.
A second-state registration involves two jurisdictions. One provider at one price in both earned the higher coverage score, ahead of IL Registered Agent.org.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
Foreign LLC registration in Illinois: the form, the office and the fee
Registration is lodged with the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division using the Application for Admission to Transact Business (Form LLC-45.5). The state fee is $150. Illinois also requires certificate of Good Standing or Existence, issued no more than 60 days before the filing.
Once registered, the company's recurring filing is the annual report, priced at $75, with a due date of within the 60 days before your anniversary month.
Items to gather before filing
- Certificate of Good Standing or Existence, no older than 60 days at filing.
- The exact legal name registered in the home state, along with the date it was formed.
- A registered agent whose street address is in the state. Any provider on this page can fill the role.
- The $150 state fee, remitted with the application.
- A date in your calendar for the annual report, which carries a $75 fee.
Consequences of operating in Illinois unregistered
Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC may not sue in Illinois courts (805 ILCS 180/45-45(a)). The contracts it makes stay enforceable (805 ILCS 180/45-45(b)). Fees for the unregistered period are owed too.
Questions on Illinois foreign registration services
Is an out-of-state LLC required to register in Illinois?
Yes, as soon as it conducts business there. Until it registers, it has no standing to sue in that state's courts.
What will foreign registration in Illinois run in total?
The state fee is $150; service charges run $199.
What does Illinois call its foreign registration form?
The Application for Admission to Transact Business (Form LLC-45.5), lodged with the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division.
Must the home state vouch for the company before Illinois accepts it?
It must. Certificate of Good Standing or Existence, issued no more than 60 days before filing accompanies the application.
Is a registered agent still needed after the company is registered?
Yes. A registered agent with a street address in the state stays on file for as long as the registration lasts.
Which foreign registration service does the record favor in Illinois?
Mainstay Filing, since $199 covers the Illinois registration and the registered agent role is free the first year, then $149 annually.
The record
- Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division, on the record as of August 2026
- Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division, on the record as of August 2026
- 805 ILCS 180/5-5, on the record as of August 2026
- Illinois formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Illinois formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Illinois registered agent statute, on the record as of October 2026
- Form LLC-45.5, Application for Admission, on the record as of October 2026
- Form LLC-45.40, Application for Withdrawal, on the record as of October 2026
- 805 ILCS 180/45-45, consequences of transacting business without admission, on the record as of October 2026
- 805 ILCS 180/45-47, activities that are not transacting business, on the record as of October 2026
- 805 ILCS 180/45-45, on the record as of November 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Illinois service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: IL Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Illinois Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026