Illinois ledger, best value first
Service prices only. The $150 state fee is identical in every row.
1. IL Registered Agent.org: best for a budget registration
Best value
$199 plus state fee, then $99/yr
- First year
- $199
- Later years
- $99/yr
- Three-year tally
- $397
IL Registered Agent.org leads the Illinois ledger. The entries: a $199 filing fee and a $99 agent renewal in Illinois.
A smaller three-year total than Mainstay Filing wins the first row, because cost is the heaviest column.
Included lines
- State registration
- Agent service, year one
Gains
- Agent renews at $99 after that
- $199 on top of the state fee
- No agent charge in year one
2
2. Illinois Registered Agent.co: best for a one-state add-on
Local line
$199 plus state fee, then $99/yr
- First year
- $199
- Later years
- $99/yr
- Three-year tally
- $397
Second line: Illinois Registered Agent.co, because a $199 filing fee and a $99 agent renewal in Illinois.
Its published prices equal IL Registered Agent.org's.
Included lines
- State registration
- Agent service, year one
Gains
- Agent renews at $99 after that
- $199 on top of the state fee
- No agent charge in year one
3
3. Mainstay Filing: best for companies on the grow
Nationwide
$199 plus state fee, then $149/yr
- First year
- $199
- Later years
- $149/yr
- Three-year tally
- $497
Third line: Mainstay Filing, because the Illinois filing at $199 plus state fees, agent covered in year one.
On the three-year tally it trails IL Registered Agent.org by $100.
Agent renewal is $149 per year wherever you register.
Included lines
- Filing prepared and sent
- Registered agent, year one free
- Fifty-state coverage
Gains
- No price change by state
- No registered agent charge in year one
- Adds $199 to the state fee
Minus column
- IL Registered Agent.org renews its agent $50 lower
What each row adds up to
Read November 13, 2026. Each column adds another renewal. No row overtakes another within ten years.
Break-even check
Change the years to re-tally the rows.
Illinois state fees (official)
We total the state side as filing plus two later reports plus any minimum tax; anything with no fixed price is described but not counted.
How the rows were ranked
Three-year tally put IL Registered Agent.org in row one. That column carries 39% of the sort, and jobs ticked off, renewal step, break-even tally and price on the page make up the rest.
IL Registered Agent.org takes the cost column at $397 for three years, with Mainstay Filing $100 higher.
Illinois foreign LLC registration fee and rules (official)
An LLC formed in another state registers with Illinois before doing business there, by filing the Application for Admission to Transact Business (Form LLC-45.5) with the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division ($150). Attach certificate of Good Standing or Existence dated no earlier than 60 days.
Staying unregistered can bring it cannot act as plaintiff (805 ILCS 180/45-45(a)); fees owed for the gap before registering.
Official text: per ilga.gov (booked October 2026 to the ledger)
Filing on your own
The do-it-yourself bottom line is $300 in state fees across three years. Each service books its own extra on top, $397 to $497 over the same period.
FAQ
What does Illinois charge to register an LLC formed elsewhere?
$150 at the state office, with our rows adding $199.
What do three years of service add up to?
Year one plus two renewals comes to $397 to $497.
Which form registers the LLC?
The registration is Application for Admission to Transact Business (Form LLC-45.5), submitted to the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division.
Does Illinois want a document from the home state?
Yes, and it must be dated within 60 days: certificate of Good Standing or Existence.
What recurring filing follows the registration?
The annual report costs $75.
When does one service turn into the lower total?
Within ten years, never: the order of the totals does not change.
Which foreign registration service is the best value for Illinois?
The Illinois tally reads IL Registered Agent.org, Illinois Registered Agent.co and Mainstay Filing from top to bottom.
Where the entries come from
- ilsos.gov supplies Illinois Secretary of State, Department, entered August 2026
- ilsos.gov supplies Illinois Secretary of State, Department, entered August 2026
- ilga.gov supplies 805 ILCS 180/5-5, entered August 2026
- ilga.gov supplies Illinois formation fee: Filing fee, entered October 2026
- ilsos.gov supplies Illinois formation fee: Filing fee, entered October 2026
- ilga.gov supplies Illinois registered agent statute, entered October 2026
- ilsos.gov supplies Form LLC-45.5, Application for Admission, entered October 2026
- ilsos.gov supplies Form LLC-45.40, Application for Withdrawal, entered October 2026
- ilga.gov supplies 805 ILCS 180/45-45, consequences of, entered October 2026
- ilga.gov supplies 805 ILCS 180/45-47, activities that, entered October 2026
- ilga.gov supplies 805 ILCS 180/45-45, entered November 2026
- IL Registered Agent.org, pricing page: entered November 13, 2026
- Illinois Registered Agent.co, pricing page: entered November 13, 2026
- Mainstay Filing, Illinois service page: entered November 13, 2026