No.1
Best here
1. Illinois Registered Agent.co: best for an Illinois LLC that intends to stay put
$199 to form, then $99 a year for the agent, with the state fee extra
Score9.4out of 10
First place: Illinois Registered Agent.co. The formation charge is $199 over the state fee, then $99 annually for the agent.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The Limited Liability Company Annual Report lies outside its published prices, so you file it with Illinois every year.
Three-year cost is where it gains on Mainstay Filing, and that criterion is weighted heavily.
In the price
- The formation filing
- Your registered agent for the first year
Why pick it
- The first year as registered agent is free
- $199 for the formation, before state fees
- $99 a year for the agent from year two
Weak spots
- The Limited Liability Company Annual Report is not prepared for you
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
No.2
Best all-in yearly price
2. Mainstay Filing: best for the formation, the agent and the annual report under one charge
$199 a year plus the state fee ($349 due at checkout)
Score9.2out of 10
Second place: Mainstay Filing. The Illinois formation, the registered agent and the annual report all fall under one $199 charge.
At renewal Mainstay prepares and files the Limited Liability Company Annual Report for you. Illinois charges $75 every year for it, due before the first day of the entity's anniversary month, and lateness adds $100; Mainstay passes the state fee along at cost.
Illinois Registered Agent.co costs $200 less over three years, and Mainstay Filing trails it on that criterion.
In the price
- Preparation and filing of the formation document
- Your registered agent all year long
- Annual report prepared and filed on your behalf
- EIN application prepared
Why pick it
- Renews at $199 with nothing added
- Illinois's fee is passed along at cost
- One yearly charge of $199 that covers the annual report
- Covers the EIN application
Weak spots
- Its agent charge after year one is $100 a year above Illinois Registered Agent.co's
No.3
Low renewal
3. IL Registered Agent.org: best for a filing made only in Illinois
$199 to form, then $99 a year for the agent, with the state fee extra
Score9.1out of 10
Third place: IL Registered Agent.org. The formation charge is $199 over the state fee, then $99 annually for the agent.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The Limited Liability Company Annual Report lies outside its published prices, so you file it with Illinois every year.
Illinois Registered Agent.co and IL Registered Agent.org publish the same price and the same features, so either is a defensible choice.
In the price
- The formation filing
- A first year as your registered agent
Why pick it
- $199 to form the LLC, state fee on top
- Year-two agent charge: $99
- The first year as registered agent is free
Weak spots
- The Limited Liability Company Annual Report is not prepared for you
- 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 | Illinois Registered Agent.co | 9.4 | $199 | $99/yr | A Illinois business holding down its costs | Visit Illinois Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 2 | Mainstay Filing | 9.2 | $199 | $199/yr | The formation, the agent and the annual report under one charge | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 3 | IL Registered Agent.org | 9.1 | $199 | $99/yr | A Illinois business holding down its costs | Visit IL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
Scores out of 10 are editorial marks set by The Startup Judge from the criteria on
How we rank. They are not customer ratings.
Illinois LLC service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Files the Limited Liability Company Annual Report |
|---|
| Illinois Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | No |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $199 | $199 | $597 | Yes |
|---|
| IL Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | No |
|---|
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Illinois's $150 filing fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.
The basis for the order
The method behind these rulings gives 31% to charge over three years and 31% to work taken off the founder, with renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight dividing 38%. What settled Illinois was charge over three years.
Over three years Illinois Registered Agent.co totals $397, $200 less than Mainstay Filing. Mainstay would file the Limited Liability Company Annual Report as well, yet an owner can do it alone for the state fee, so the lower charge carried the ruling.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
The Illinois LLC filing fee and form (official figures)
To file the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-5.5) with the Illinois Secretary of State, budget $150. Each provider on this page adds that state fee at cost to its own charge.
Obligations after the Illinois filing is accepted
File the Limited Liability Company Annual Report every year; the date is before the first day of the entity's anniversary month. $75 goes to the state. Filing late adds $100. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Questions on Illinois LLC services
What does it take, in dollars, to form an LLC in Illinois?
The state filing fee is $150; service charges run $199.
What is filed to bring the company into existence?
The Articles of Organization (Form LLC-5.5), lodged with the Illinois Secretary of State.
Does an Illinois LLC have to name a registered agent on its formation paperwork?
Yes. The company names a registered agent when it forms and keeps one on file afterward, with a street address in Illinois.
Which recurring filings follow formation?
One: the Limited Liability Company Annual Report, filed every year, due before the first day of the entity's anniversary month, at a state fee of $75.
Does the quoted price cover the EIN application?
At Mainstay Filing it does; the application sits inside the yearly price. Illinois Registered Agent.co and IL Registered Agent.org add $99 for the application. Applying directly with the IRS carries no fee.
Which Illinois LLC service does the record favor?
Illinois Registered Agent.co, since its Illinois formation is $199 plus the state fee, year-one registered agent service included, then $99 a year.
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
- Exhibit: Illinois Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Illinois service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: IL Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026