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Rankings of registered agents, LLC formation and foreign registration services in all 50 states.

LLC service verdict · Illinois

3 Best LLC Services in Illinois (2026)

Filing Verdict's 2026 verdict on LLC services in Illinois: Mainstay Filing ($199), IL Registered Agent.org ($199) and Illinois Registered Agent.co ($199), in that order. Mainstay Filing takes first place: $199 a year pays for the formation filing, a full year as your registered agent and the annual report, renewing at $199.
The Filing Verdict editorial team
Our top pick in Illinois
Spot 1

1. Mainstay Filing: best for formation, agent and annual report for one price

$199 each year plus the state fee ($349 due at checkout)

9.3Editorial score
out of 10

Mainstay Filing wins here: the Illinois formation, your registered agent and the annual report all sit in a single $199 yearly charge.

Mainstay files the Limited Liability Company Annual Report for you as part of the renewal. Illinois charges $75 every year, due before the first day of the entity's anniversary month, and a late filing adds $100; the state's fee is passed through at cost.

The three-year bill is $200 higher than IL Registered Agent.org's, and the wider coverage is worth that to us.

What you get

  • Formation paperwork prepared and filed
  • A full year of registered agent service
  • The annual report, prepared and filed
  • The EIN application

What we like

  • Illinois's fee is passed through at cost
  • $199 at renewal, nothing extra
  • The EIN application comes with it
  • One $199 yearly price that includes the annual report

Cons

  • From year two its agent costs $100 a year more than IL Registered Agent.org's
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full Mainstay Filing verdict
Best value here
Spot 2

2. IL Registered Agent.org: best for an Illinois LLC that plans to stay local

Formation $199, then $99 a year for the agent, plus the state fee

8.9Editorial score
out of 10

Second place goes to IL Registered Agent.org: $199 plus the Illinois filing fee, with the first year of registered agent service included, then $99 a year.

The plan gives the company an in-state street address as its registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned to your online account.

The Limited Liability Company Annual Report filing is not in its published prices, so you file it with Illinois yourself every year.

What you get

  • Articles prepared and filed
  • A first year of registered agent service

What we like

  • Formation at $199 before the state fee
  • Year-two agent cost of $99
  • The first registered agent year is included

Cons

  • Does not take over the Limited Liability Company Annual Report
  • The EIN application is billed separately ($99)
Visit IL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full IL Registered Agent.org verdict
Best for an Illinois-only company
Spot 3

3. Illinois Registered Agent.co: best for a local Illinois filing

Formation $199, then $99 a year for the agent, plus the state fee

8.8Editorial score
out of 10

Third place goes to Illinois Registered Agent.co: $199 plus the Illinois filing fee, with the first year of registered agent service included, then $99 a year.

The plan gives the company an in-state street address as its registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned to your online account.

The Limited Liability Company Annual Report filing is not in its published prices, so you file it with Illinois yourself every year.

IL Registered Agent.org and Illinois Registered Agent.co publish identical prices and plan features, so little separates them; either is a safe pick.

What you get

  • Articles prepared and filed
  • The first year as your registered agent

What we like

  • Forms the LLC for $199 plus the state's fee
  • The first registered agent year is included
  • Agent at $99 yearly from year two

Cons

  • Does not take over the Limited Liability Company Annual Report
  • The EIN application is billed separately ($99)
Visit Illinois Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full Illinois Registered Agent.co verdict

The 3 verdicts at a glance

No.ServiceVerdict scoreService feeYear twoBest forVisit
1Mainstay Filing9.3$199$199/yrFormation, agent and annual report, one price Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2IL Registered Agent.org8.9$199$99/yrAn Illinois-only LLC watching its budget Visit IL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Illinois Registered Agent.co8.8$199$99/yrAn Illinois-only LLC watching its budget Visit Illinois Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Every score here is Filing Verdict's own editorial mark out of 10, set from the criteria on How we rank. No customer ratings are involved.

Illinois LLC service prices for 2026: year one, renewals and three years

ServiceYear 1Year 2Year 3Total, 3 yearsLimited Liability Company Annual Report handled for you
Mainstay Filing$199$199$199$597Yes
IL Registered Agent.org$199$99$99$397No
Illinois Registered Agent.co$199$99$99$397No
Prices were read from each company's own pages on November 12, 2026. Illinois's $150 filing fee goes on top of every row and is not counted in these totals.

What settled the order

The method behind this ranking weighs total over three years at 35% and paperwork the price handles at 35%, with renewal behavior, match to the state and up-front pricing sharing the remaining 30%. For Illinois, paperwork the price handles decided the order.

Illinois wants a report every year with a $75 state fee, and filing late adds $100. Mainstay's price includes that filing and IL Registered Agent.org's does not, so the coverage score outweighed IL Registered Agent.org's lower three-year cost.

The full list of criteria and weights is on How we rank.

Illinois LLC filing fee and form: official figures

Filing the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-5.5) costs $150 at the Illinois Secretary of State. Each service on this page adds that fee on top of its own price, at cost.

Illinois LLC upkeep after the filing

The Limited Liability Company Annual Report is filed every year, due before the first day of the entity's anniversary month. The state fee is $75. A late filing adds $100. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Illinois LLC service: questions answered

What does it cost to form an LLC in Illinois?

The state filing fee is $150, and the service fee is $199.

Which form do I file to create the LLC?

You file the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-5.5) with the Illinois Secretary of State.

Does an Illinois LLC have to name a registered agent?

Yes. Illinois requires every LLC to keep a registered agent on file, and the agent needs a street address in the state.

Which yearly filings does an Illinois LLC owe?

Just the Limited Liability Company Annual Report, every year, due before the first day of the entity's anniversary month ($75 state fee).

Does the price include the EIN application?

Mainstay Filing includes it in the yearly price. IL Registered Agent.org and Illinois Registered Agent.co bill $99 extra. The IRS charges nothing for an EIN.

Which LLC service is the best pick in Illinois?

Mainstay Filing, because one $199 yearly price that files the Illinois formation, acts as your registered agent and files the annual report, renewing at $199.

Keep reading

Sources and dates

  1. Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division, confirmed August 2026
  2. Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division, confirmed August 2026
  3. 805 ILCS 180/5-5, confirmed August 2026
  4. Illinois formation fee: Filing fee, official source, confirmed October 2026
  5. Illinois formation fee: Filing fee, official source, confirmed October 2026
  6. Illinois registered agent statute, confirmed October 2026
  7. Checked November 12, 2026: Mainstay Filing, Illinois service page
  8. Checked November 12, 2026: IL Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages
  9. Checked November 12, 2026: Illinois Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages