Registered agent required
Yes
According to ilga.gov, as of October 2026
Registered agent guide · Illinois
Illinois Registered Agents (2026): State Rules, Fees and the 3 Best Agents
Short answer for Illinois: Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), IL Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Illinois Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), which is the sequence we would follow for a registered agent in 2026. Naming a registered agent is not optional in Illinois. The yearly state bill is $75, ranking 34th of 50.
What Illinois charges
34th
place among 50 on the yearly state bill
Rank 1 charges the least (joint rank). Fifty states in one table
Limited Liability Company Annual Report
$75 / yr
The state sets the deadline as before the first day of the entity's anniversary month. According to ilsos.gov, as of October 2026
State charges, per year
$75
Repeating state charges after formation
Illinois: our recommendations
Most of the weight goes to three-year charges and coverage. Read the methodology for all five criteria.
1. Mainstay Filing: best for one provider for all fifty states
$149 yearly, renewing at $149
Why Mainstay Filing leads: a $149 agent plan that travels with the company into any new state.
IL Registered Agent.org is $150 cheaper across three years, but the coverage criterion pulls the other way.
What the price buys
- A street address to serve as your registered office
- Anything served on the company is scanned and sent to you that business day, free of charge
- The first three letters from government agencies each year are scanned at no charge
- Also open to nonprofits, partnerships and corporations, not only LLCs
In its favor
- A single provider for any state
- $149 per year
Against it
- $50 extra a year compared with IL Registered Agent.org
- This plan is for the agent only; reports are yours to file
2. IL Registered Agent.org: best for Illinois-based owners
$99 yearly, renewing at $99
Number 2 is IL Registered Agent.org: a Illinois-based agent for $99 a year, whose street address goes on the public record.
What the price buys
- Illinois street address serves as the registered office
- Documents delivered to the agent are scanned into your account
In its favor
- $99 yearly with no increase
- Each year it bills less than Mainstay Filing
Against it
- Serves Illinois alone
- Limited Liability Company Annual Report sits outside the price
3. Illinois Registered Agent.co: best for businesses based only in Illinois
$99 yearly, renewing at $99
Number 3 is Illinois Registered Agent.co: a Illinois-based agent for $99 a year, whose street address goes on the public record.
On price it is level with IL Registered Agent.org.
What the price buys
- Illinois street address serves as the registered office
- Documents delivered to the agent are scanned into your account
In its favor
- Each year it bills less than Mainstay Filing
- $99 yearly with no increase
Against it
- Serves Illinois alone
- Limited Liability Company Annual Report sits outside the price
The 3 picks at a glance
| No. | Service | Yearly price | Renews at | Service charges, three years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149/yr | $447 | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | IL Registered Agent.org | $99 | $99/yr | $297 | Visit IL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | Illinois Registered Agent.co | $99 | $99/yr | $297 | Visit Illinois Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
Prices come from each company's own pages and were copied on November 12, 2026. State charges stay the same with any agent.
Illinois agent and upkeep calculator
Each agent's price is combined with the state charges that repeat (the Limited Liability Company Annual Report from year two). Formation fees are not in the total.
Illinois next to the states ranked around it
| Place | State | Yearly state fees |
|---|---|---|
| 31st | Wyoming | $60 |
| 33rd | Washington | $70 |
| 34th | Illinois | $75 |
| 34th | New Jersey | $75 |
| 36th | Connecticut | $80 |
The complete ranking applies one method to all fifty states.
Illinois registered agent requirements under the statute
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.
Persons the state allows: An Illinois resident, or a business authorized to do business in Illinois. The LLC cannot act as its own agent. This follows 805 ILCS 180/1-35.
What Illinois bills each year
The state's mail about the Limited Liability Company Annual Report arrives at your registered agent. The report costs $75 every year and is due before the first day of the entity's anniversary month.
Why Mainstay Filing is first
In Illinois the deciding criterion was paperwork the price takes on, at 26% of the total.
An agent that stays with you in every state outscored IL Registered Agent.org's smaller price.
Frequently asked questions
Does every Illinois LLC need a registered agent?
Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Who may act as the registered agent for Illinois LLCs?
An Illinois resident, or a business authorized to do business in Illinois. The LLC cannot act as its own agent.
What is the yearly price of registered agent service for Illinois?
Budget $99 to $149 each year.
What does the state itself charge an LLC each year?
About $75 a year by our yearly measure, which comes from the Limited Liability Company Annual Report ($75 every year).
Which registered agents are recommended on this page?
Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), IL Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Illinois Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), ranked from best to last.
Which registered agent is the best choice?
Start with Mainstay Filing: $149 yearly in Illinois and the same everywhere else, with a renewal price of $149. After that, IL Registered Agent.org and Illinois Registered Agent.co.
Sources for this chapter
- Official page for Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services: ilsos.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services: ilsos.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for 805 ILCS 180/5-5: ilga.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for Illinois formation fee: Filing fee, official source: ilga.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Illinois formation fee: Filing fee, official source: ilsos.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Illinois registered agent statute: ilga.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Wyoming Secretary of State, Business Division: wyobiz.wyo.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for Wyoming Secretary of State, Business Division: wyobiz.wyo.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division: ccfs.sos.wa.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division: sos.wa.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for Washington yearly filing: Annual report, official source: sos.wa.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services: njportal.com, opened August 2026
- Official page for New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services: njportal.com, opened August 2026
- Official page for Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division: business.ct.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division: business.ct.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for Connecticut yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source: business.ct.gov, opened October 2026
- Mainstay Filing lists its Illinois service page; we copied it November 12, 2026
- IL Registered Agent.org lists its pricing page; we copied it November 12, 2026
- Illinois Registered Agent.co lists its pricing page; we copied it November 12, 2026