Illinois
On this page
Illinois at a glance
- Who runs it
- Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services
- Business Entity Search (ilsos.gov)
- Cost to search
- Free
- Account needed
- No
- Search without signing up
- Search by
- Business Name, Registered Agent
- and 6 more
State fees
- Form an LLC$150Articles of Organization (Form LLC-5.5)Official source
- Annual Report$75Before the first day of the LLC's anniversary month, every year.Official source
- Certificate of Good Standing$25Proof the business is currentOfficial source
- Change registered agent$25Form LLC-1.36/1.37, Statement of Change of Registered Agent and/or Registered Office. It can also be filed online.Every LLC must have oneOfficial source
Illinois LLC lookup: how to use the Business Entity Search (ilsos.gov)
An LLC lookup in Illinois is the same search as a business search. The Business Entity Search (ilsos.gov), kept by the Illinois Secretary of State, lists LLCs alongside corporations and other registered businesses. You can search by business Name, registered Agent, president, secretary, manager, file Number, keyword or partial Word. It's free, and you don't need an account.
- Open the Business Entity Search. One database covers corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, and LLPs.
- Choose a search method: Business Name, Registered Agent, President, Secretary, Manager, File Number, Keyword, or Partial Word. "Partial Word" is the most forgiving if you're unsure of the exact name.
- Open the File Detail Report for the entity. It shows status, the registered agent and office, and an LLC's managers.
- Buy a Certificate of Good Standing online from the File Detail Report ($25), then print it from the receipt page or the email link.
- For copies of filed documents, send Form LLC-50.25. A photocopy or certified copy is $25.
Good to know in Illinois: Illinois lets you search by a person's name, not just the business name: registered agent, manager, president, or secretary. The File Detail Report lists an LLC's managers with their addresses. Illinois also adds a $100 late penalty to the $75 annual report once you're more than 60 days late.
What the search shows you
- Official name
- Date of formation or registration
- Jurisdiction
- Registered agent name and registered office address
- Status (active or inactive)
- Managers' names and addresses (LLCs)
- President and secretary (corporations)
What the status words mean
Illinois uses its own words for a company's status, and they don't always mean the same thing as in other states. Here's what you'll see on the Business Entity Search (ilsos.gov), in the state's own wording.
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Not in good standing | The LLC is behind on its annual report or fees. It has to pay any late penalty when it files, and it can't terminate or withdraw until it's back in good standing. |
| Delinquent | The annual report wasn't filed by its due date. |
| Penalty status | The annual report is more than 60 days late, and a $100 late-filing penalty has been added. |
| Administratively dissolved | The Secretary of State dissolved the LLC because its annual report was still unfiled 120 days after it became delinquent. It can reinstate, and its name stays unavailable to others for three years. |
| Revoked | A foreign (out-of-state) LLC's authority to do business in Illinois was revoked. It can apply for reinstatement. |
| Withdrawn | A foreign LLC filed an Application for Withdrawal and left Illinois. |
| Merged | The LLC merged into another entity. |
For how these compare across states, see what business entity status means.
Finding the registered agent, filing history and owners
Registered Agent
The File Detail Report lists the registered agent's name and the registered office address.
Filing history
Copies of filed documents are requested with Form LLC-50.25. A photocopy or certified copy is $25, plus $50 if you want it expedited.
Owners, managers and officers
For LLCs, the File Detail Report lists the managers' names and addresses. For corporations, it lists the president and secretary. If the state record doesn't name anyone, our guide on how to find the owner of an LLC covers where else to look.
Finding an Illinois File Number
Illinois gives every business on its register a File Number. It's the quickest way to pin down the right company when names are alike.
- What it looks like
- Up to eight characters for an LLC. The online LLC annual report takes an eight-character "Limited Liability Company File Number."
- Where to find yours
- Search the business name in the Business Entity Search. The file number is on the result. You need it to file the LLC annual report online.
- Search by it
- Yes. The Business Entity Search (ilsos.gov) accepts it.
Your federal EIN is a different number again. See which business number a form is asking for.
Checking whether a business name is available in Illinois
- Search the Business Entity Search for the name. Illinois requires an LLC name to be distinguishable from other LLC and corporate names, assumed names, and reserved or registered names.
- Run a "Partial Word" search so you catch names that differ only by suffix or spacing.
- Reserve a name for 90 days with Form LLC-1.15 ($25). The name of an administratively dissolved LLC stays unavailable for three years.
A clear result on the state search isn't a trademark clearance. If the name matters to you, also search the USPTO trademark database and check the domain. More in our business name search guide.
DBA and UCC search in Illinois
DBAs and assumed names
- What it's called
- Assumed Name
- Where they're filed
- LLCs adopt an assumed name with the Secretary of State (Form LLC-1.20). Sole proprietorships and general partnerships register an assumed business name with their county clerk.
- Search
- No statewide online search.
- State fee
- $150. For an LLC application filed in a year ending in 0 or 5. The fee drops by $30 for each later year of the five-year cycle, down to $30 in a year ending in 4 or 9.
- How long it lasts
- For an LLC, until the first day of its anniversary month in the next year evenly divisible by five. It's then renewed for five years ($150).
UCC liens
Lenders file UCC financing statements with the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, UCC Division. The online search is free. Our Illinois UCC search guide has the steps and fees.
Illinois fees and deadlines
These are the state's own fees, before any service charges. Each row links to the official page we took it from.
Form an LLC
$150- Articles of Organization (Form LLC-5.5).
- Standard online filing takes 10 business days. The confirmation comes by email once the filing is approved.
- Faster options: 24-hour service online for $100 extra ($250 total instead of $150). Expedited paper filings must be requested in person in Springfield or Chicago.
Annual Report
$75- Due: Before the first day of the LLC's anniversary month, every year.
- If you're late: $100 penalty if not filed within 60 days of the due date. If it's still not filed 120 days after it became delinquent, the LLC is administratively dissolved.
- A pre-filled report is mailed to the registered agent about 45 days before the due date. Reinstating a dissolved LLC costs $200 plus every missed report (up to six years) and all fees due.
Change your registered agent
$25- Every Illinois LLC must have one.
- Form LLC-1.36/1.37, Statement of Change of Registered Agent and/or Registered Office. It can also be filed online.
Certificate of Good Standing
$25- Proof the company exists and is current, from the Illinois Secretary of State.
150,514 new business applications were filed in Illinois from January to September 2026, up 9.2% on last year, according to the Census Bureau. See every state.
Starting a business in Illinois?
A lot of people search the Business Entity Search (ilsos.gov) to see if a name is taken before they file. If that's you, here's the order to do things in.
- 1Check the name is free in IllinoisTakes two minutes, steps on this page
- 2File your LLC with the stateArticles of Organization, $150 state fee
- 3Or let a service file it for youCompared on what you pay in year two
Step 3 goes to our comparison page, which has sponsored links. We earn a commission if you buy, and it doesn't change our rankings. How that works.
Frequently asked questions
How do I look up an LLC in Illinois?
Search the Business Entity Search (ilsos.gov), the official database kept by the Illinois Secretary of State. You can search by business Name, registered Agent, president, secretary, manager, file Number, keyword or partial Word. It's free, and you don't need an account. Open the matching record to see the LLC's status, registered agent and filing history.
Is the Illinois business entity search free?
Yes. Searching and viewing the File Detail Report are free. A Certificate of Good Standing is $25 online, and a copy of a filed document is $25.
What does "administratively dissolved" mean in Illinois?
The Secretary of State dissolved the LLC because its annual report was still unfiled 120 days after it became delinquent. The LLC can reinstate by filing every missed report (up to six years), paying all fees due, and paying the $200 reinstatement fee.
When is the Illinois LLC annual report due?
Before the first day of your anniversary month each year. An LLC formed on March 20 must file by the last day of February. The fee is $75, and a $100 penalty applies if you're more than 60 days late.
Does Illinois show who owns an LLC?
It shows the managers' names and addresses on the File Detail Report. Managers are often the owners, but not always.
Sources
We take every fee, deadline and rule on this page from these pages and nowhere else. Rules change, so open the source before you pay anything.
- 1.Illinois Business Entity SearchChecked November 8, 2026
- 2.ILSOS: Business search and Certificate of Good StandingChecked November 8, 2026
- 3.ILSOS: LLC publications, forms, and feesChecked November 8, 2026
- 4.ILSOS: Guide for Organizing Domestic LLCs (C 334, PDF)Checked November 8, 2026
- 5.ILSOS: Forming an LLC onlineChecked November 8, 2026
- 6.ILSOS: File an annual reportChecked November 8, 2026
- 7.ILSOS: LLC annual report filing instructionsChecked November 8, 2026
- 8.ILSOS: LLC reinstatementChecked November 8, 2026
- 9.ILSOS: LLC termination and withdrawalChecked November 8, 2026
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