Foreign LLC Filing › Illinois
Filing a foreign LLC in Illinois
To file a foreign LLC in Illinois, send Form LLC-45.5, Application for Admission to Transact Business and the $150 fee to the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division, with a home-state certificate.
The filing packet
| Item | Illinois requirement | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Application | Form LLC-45.5, Application for Admission to Transact Business | Download from the office |
| Filing fee | $150 | Paid to the state |
| Home-state certificate | Certificate of Good Standing or Existence, no older than 60 days | Order from the home state first |
| Registered agent | A registered agent with a Illinois street address | Named on the application |
Where it goes
- Receiving office
- Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division
- Application
- Form LLC-45.5, Application for Admission to Transact Business
- Fee
- $150
Paying for it
The $150 is the whole state charge for the filing.
Best 3 Foreign Registration Services in Illinois (2026)
A service can assemble and send this packet. For Illinois these are the three we would choose.
1. Mainstay Filing
$199 + $150 state fee = $349
Registered agent free for the first year, then $149 a year.
2. IL Registered Agent.org
$199 + $150 state fee = $349
Registered agent included for the first year, then $99 a year.
3. Illinois Registered Agent.co
$199 + $150 state fee = $349
Registered agent included for the first year, then $99 a year.
Service prices read from each provider’s Illinois page on October 28, 2026. The state fee is the official figure below and is paid to the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division.
Illinois filing questions
Where do I file a foreign LLC in Illinois?
With the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division. Its filing page is linked in the table above.
What do I attach to the Illinois filing?
Certificate of Good Standing or Existence, no older than 60 days, with Form LLC-45.5, Application for Admission to Transact Business.
What does the Illinois filing cost?
$150 to the state. A filing service adds its own $199.
Sources
- Illinois Secretary of State, LLC forms: www.ilsos.gov/publications/business-services/llc.html, checked October 8, 2026
- Form LLC-45.5, Application for Admission: www.ilsos.gov/content/dam/publications/pdf_publications/llc455.pdf, checked October 8, 2026
- Form LLC-45.40, Application for Withdrawal: www.ilsos.gov/content/dam/publications/pdf_publications/llc4540.pdf, checked October 8, 2026
- 805 ILCS 180/45-45, consequences of transacting business without admission: www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=080501800K45-45, checked October 8, 2026
- 805 ILCS 180/45-47, activities that are not transacting business: www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=080501800K45-47, checked October 8, 2026