Illinois Articles of Organization

Articles of organization form your Illinois LLC.

Preparing and filing your articles of organization is the first step in starting your limited liability company (LLC). Approval of this document secures your business name and creates the legal entity of the LLC. Only after this approval can you obtain a Federal Tax ID (EIN), open a bank account, sign contracts, and otherwise conduct business.

Benefits

Incorporating provides many important benefits:

  • Limits the liability of the members (owners) and managers
  • Fulfills statutory requirements to register your business name
  • Adds credibility

Fast Facts

Agency:Illinois Secretary of State - Business Services Department
Form:

Form LLC 5.5: Articles of Organization

Instructions:

Pub c334: A Guide for Organizing Domestic Limited Liability Companies

Filing Method:

Mail, fax (only if you have a prepaid account), or online

Agency Fee:

$150 + optional $100 expedite fee. The expedite fee is required if you file online.

Turnaround:

~2 weeks by mail or fax. ~1 business days with $100 expedite fee.

Law:

805 ILCS 180

Notes:
  • When you file by mail you must submit the original articles with signatures in black ink and one copy.
  • In addition to a traditional LLC, Illinois offer a Series LLC and L3C. They each have special formation requirements.
  • When you file online, you may return to the Secretary of State’s Web site after 24 hours and retrieve a copy of the document at no extra charge for a period of 30 days.
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