No.1
Best here
1. IL Registered Agent.org: best for the least expensive year among these agents
$99 yearly, no change
Score9.4out of 10
First place: IL Registered Agent.org. It charges $99 a year, holding that price at renewal, the lowest yearly charge on this list.
IL Registered Agent.org provides the in-state registered office and posts scans of any legal papers served there to your account.
Three-year cost is where it gains on Mainstay Filing, and that criterion is weighted heavily.
In the price
- An in-state registered office address
- Served legal papers are delivered to you as scans online
Why pick it
- Charges less per year than Mainstay Filing
- A yearly charge of $99 that stays the same
- LLC formation offered, year-one agent service included
Weak spots
- The Limited Liability Company Annual Report is yours to file
- Built for Illinois; elsewhere you need another agent
No.2
Best for growing companies
2. Mainstay Filing: best for all fifty states
$149 yearly, no change
Score9.0out of 10
Second place: Mainstay Filing. One plan at $149 a year goes wherever the company goes, renewing at $149.
For a company not yet formed, the $199 yearly package adds the Illinois filing and the annual report.
IL Registered Agent.org costs $150 less over three years, and Mainstay Filing trails it on that criterion.
In the price
- A street address in the state for the registered office
- Papers served on the company are scanned within the business day, free
- The first three letters from government offices each year, scanned at no cost
- Compliance reminders
Why pick it
- $149 a year, unchanged at renewal
- Accepts LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits
- Three government letters a year scanned at no charge
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
Weak spots
- The agent plan runs $50 a year above IL Registered Agent.org
- Annual report filing comes with the formation package, not the agent plan
No.3
Local Illinois agent
3. Illinois Registered Agent.co: best for Illinois specialists
$99 yearly, no change
Score8.9out of 10
Third place: Illinois Registered Agent.co. It charges $99 a year, holding that price at renewal, the lowest yearly charge on this list.
The registered office is Illinois Registered Agent.co's in-state street address, and you read whatever is served on the company as a scan in your account.
IL Registered Agent.org and Illinois Registered Agent.co publish the same price and the same features, so either is a defensible choice.
In the price
- A physical address in the state for the registered office
- Served legal papers are delivered to you as scans online
Why pick it
- $99 annually, flat across renewals
- Undercuts Mainstay Filing on yearly cost
- Forms LLCs too, with the first agent year free
Weak spots
- The Limited Liability Company Annual Report is yours to file
- Built for Illinois; elsewhere you need another agent
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Yearly charge | Renewal | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | IL Registered Agent.org | 9.4 | $99 | $99/yr | The lowest yearly charge on this list | Visit IL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 2 | Mainstay Filing | 9.0 | $149 | $149/yr | An agent usable in all fifty states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 3 | Illinois Registered Agent.co | 8.9 | $99 | $99/yr | The lowest yearly charge on this list | Visit Illinois Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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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 registered agent charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Price unchanged at renewal |
|---|
| IL Registered Agent.org | $99 | $99 | $99 | $297 | Yes |
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| Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149 | $149 | $447 | Yes |
|---|
| Illinois Registered Agent.co | $99 | $99 | $99 | $297 | Yes |
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Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Illinois's own fees are the same whichever agent is chosen.
How the ruling was reached
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 IL Registered Agent.org totals $297, $150 less than Mainstay Filing. A company that needs an agent only in Illinois gains little from fifty-state reach, so the lower yearly charge carried the ruling.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
What Illinois requires of a registered agent (source: Illinois 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. Authority: 805 ILCS 180/1-35.
The Illinois Limited Liability Company Annual Report: its fee and due date
In Illinois, the Limited Liability Company Annual Report comes due every year. $75 is payable to the state, and the deadline is before the first day of the entity's anniversary month. Filing late adds $100. Notices about it are sent to your registered agent.
Questions on Illinois registered agents
Is an Illinois LLC obliged to appoint a registered agent?
Yes. Illinois law expects every LLC to appoint a registered agent with a physical address in the state, and that appointment is public.
What is the going yearly rate for a Illinois registered agent?
Yearly charges fall between $99 to $149, and every provider holds its price at renewal.
Is the owner permitted to serve as the registered agent?
Yes, when the state's conditions are met. An Illinois resident, or a business authorized to do business in Illinois. The LLC cannot act as its own agent.
What is the deadline for the Illinois Limited Liability Company Annual Report?
$75 goes to the state, and the filing falls due before the first day of the entity's anniversary month. Lateness costs $100 more.
Which registered agents were heard in this ranking?
IL Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and Illinois Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), ruled upon in that order.
Which Illinois registered agent does the record favor?
IL Registered Agent.org, since it concentrates on Illinois at $99 a year and supplies an in-state street address for the registered office.
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: IL Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Illinois service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Illinois Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026