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Registered agent guide · Illinois

Illinois Registered Agent Guide (2026): Rules, Fees and the 3 Best Agents

In 2026 we'd hire IL Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and Illinois Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) for registered agent service in Illinois, in that order. Illinois requires a registered agent for every LLC. Yearly state fees run $75, which ranks 34th of 50.
State Filing Data research desk

Illinois fee data

of 50, yearly state fees

Rank 1 is the least expensive state, shared rank. Full table

Registered agent required

Yes

per ilga.gov, October 2026

Limited Liability Company Annual Report

$75 / yr

Timing: before the first day of the entity's anniversary month. per ilsos.gov, October 2026

Yearly state fees

$75

Report fee at its yearly rate + minimum tax

Illinois picks

The methodology sets the order. Service fees over three years count most, then what the price covers.

Top of our list

1. IL Registered Agent.org: best for a one-state company

$99 per year (renewal $99)

First choice, IL Registered Agent.org: $99 yearly for an Illinois agent with an in-state office address.

Its three-year service fees come in under Mainstay Filing's, and service fees are our heaviest criterion at 35%.

What you pay for

  • Registered office street address
  • Online scans of documents served on the company

For

  • Less per year than the national option
  • Flat $99/yr

Against

  • Single-state service
  • No Limited Liability Company Annual Report filing
Most covered

2. Mainstay Filing: best for one agent in every state

$149 per year (renewal $149)

Mainstay Filing slots in second. What it offers: a $149 yearly agent plan that you can keep if the company registers in more states.

IL Registered Agent.org undercuts it by $150 over three years, which is why it sits lower here.

What you pay for

  • Registered office address in Illinois
  • Service of process scanned the same business day, no fee
  • First three government mailings a year scanned free
  • Works for LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits

For

  • Flat $149/yr
  • Same price in all fifty states

Against

  • IL Registered Agent.org is $50 a year less
  • Reports are not part of the agent plan
In-state

3. Illinois Registered Agent.co: best for an Illinois specialist

$99 per year (renewal $99)

Illinois Registered Agent.co is our third choice: $99 yearly for an Illinois agent with an in-state office address.

It publishes the same prices as IL Registered Agent.org, so the two are close.

What you pay for

  • Registered office street address
  • Online scans of documents served on the company

For

  • Less per year than the national option
  • Flat $99/yr

Against

  • Single-state service
  • No Limited Liability Company Annual Report filing

The picks in numbers

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year service fees
1 IL Registered Agent.org $99$99/yr$297
Visit IL Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $149$149/yr$447
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Illinois Registered Agent.co $99$99/yr$297
Visit Illinois Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Read from the companies' price pages on November 12, 2026. Whichever agent you name, Illinois charges the same.

Yearly cost calculator

The total pairs each agent's prices with Illinois's recurring state fees.

Total, 3 years, IL Registered Agent.org: $447. State $150, service $297.

Illinois and its neighbors in the rank

RankStateYearly state fees
31st Wyoming$60
33rd Washington$70
34th Illinois$75
34th New Jersey$75
36th Connecticut$80

All states: Registered agent rules by state.

What Illinois requires of a registered agent

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.

Who can serve: An Illinois resident, or a business authorized to do business in Illinois. The LLC cannot act as its own agent. 805 ILCS 180/1-35 sets this out.

What Illinois charges each year

Besides the agent, the LLC files the Limited Liability Company Annual Report every year for $75, due before the first day of the entity's anniversary month. Late filings cost $100.

Why this order

The split between IL Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing sits in service fees over three years, which carries 35%.

At $297 over three years, $150 below Mainstay Filing, IL Registered Agent.org leads on cost.

Illinois questions answered

Does Illinois require a registered agent?

Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Who can serve as the registered agent?

An Illinois resident, or a business authorized to do business in Illinois. The LLC cannot act as its own agent.

How much does a registered agent cost in Illinois?

$99 to $149 a year among our picks.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

$75 a year on our measure: the Limited Liability Company Annual Report ($75 every year).

Which registered agents are on this page?

IL Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and Illinois Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), in our order.

Which registered agent would you pick?

We'd use IL Registered Agent.org: $99 a year, the same at renewal, for a company that operates in one state. Mainstay Filing and Illinois Registered Agent.co follow.

Other guides

Sources

  1. ilsos.gov: Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services (checked August 2026)
  2. ilsos.gov: Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services (checked August 2026)
  3. ilga.gov: 805 ILCS 180/5-5 (checked August 2026)
  4. ilga.gov: Illinois formation fee: Filing fee, official source (checked October 2026)
  5. ilsos.gov: Illinois formation fee: Filing fee, official source (checked October 2026)
  6. ilga.gov: Illinois registered agent statute (checked October 2026)
  7. wyobiz.wyo.gov: Wyoming Secretary of State, Business Division (checked August 2026)
  8. wyobiz.wyo.gov: Wyoming Secretary of State, Business Division (checked August 2026)
  9. ccfs.sos.wa.gov: Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division (checked August 2026)
  10. sos.wa.gov: Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division (checked August 2026)
  11. sos.wa.gov: Washington yearly filing: Annual report, official source (checked October 2026)
  12. njportal.com: New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (checked August 2026)
  13. njportal.com: New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (checked August 2026)
  14. business.ct.gov: Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division (checked August 2026)
  15. business.ct.gov: Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division (checked August 2026)
  16. business.ct.gov: Connecticut yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source (checked October 2026)
  17. Pricing page: IL Registered Agent.org, read November 12, 2026
  18. Illinois service page: Mainstay Filing, read November 12, 2026
  19. Pricing page: Illinois Registered Agent.co, read November 12, 2026