IL registered agent
Illinois registered agent service, $5 a year
Illinois requires every corporation and LLC on its books to keep a registered agent at a real address in the state. Here is what Illinois law says about who that agent has to be and where it has to be.
What Illinois requires of a registered agent
The requirement
For corporations, the agent must be either an individual resident of Illinois whose business office is identical with the registered office, or a domestic or foreign corporation, LLC, LP, or LLP authorized to transact business in Illinois whose statement of purpose authorizes it to act as agent. The LLC Act parallel (805 ILCS 180/1-35(a)) requires the agent to be 'an individual resident of this State or other person authorized to transact business in this State.'
A registered agent, which agent may be either an individual, resident in this State, whose business office is identical with such registered office, or a domestic or foreign corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, or limited liability partnership authorized to transact business in this State that is authorized by its statement of purpose to act as such agent, having a business office identical with such registered office.
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: 805 ILCS 5/5.05(b)
How we comply
We don't.
What Illinois does to your company when we don't
Here is what the state does to an entity that has no agent, or whose agent is us.
Administrative dissolution
Failure to appoint and maintain a registered agent is an express ground for administrative dissolution of a domestic corporation (after a Notice of Delinquency and a 90-day cure window under 805 ILCS 5/12.40).
The Secretary of State may dissolve any corporation administratively if: ... (e) it has failed to appoint and maintain a registered agent in this State;
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: 805 ILCS 5/12.35(e)
Administrative dissolution
The LLC Act carries the same ground: an Illinois LLC that fails to appoint and maintain a registered agent may be administratively dissolved (60-day cure window after the notice of delinquency under 805 ILCS 180/35-30(b)).
The Secretary of State may dissolve any limited liability company administratively if: ... (3) it has failed to appoint and maintain a registered agent in Illinois in accordance with the provisions of this Act;
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: 805 ILCS 180/35-25(3)
Revocation (foreign entities)
A foreign corporation's authority to transact business in Illinois may be revoked for failure to appoint and maintain a registered agent.
The authority of a foreign corporation to transact business in this State may be revoked by the Secretary of State: ... (e) Upon the failure of the corporation to appoint and maintain a registered agent in this State.
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: 805 ILCS 5/13.50(e)
Revocation (foreign entities)
A foreign LLC's admission may be revoked if it fails to appoint and maintain a registered agent within 60 days after its agent's notice of resignation.
The admission of a foreign limited liability company to transact business in this State may be revoked by the Secretary of State if: (1) The foreign limited company has failed to: ... (B) appoint and maintain a registered agent in Illinois within 60 days after a registered agent's notice of resignation under Section 1-35;
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: 805 ILCS 180/45-35(a)(1)(B)
Civil penalty
An LLC that fails to appoint and maintain a registered agent within 60 days of notification of a resignation is declared delinquent and not in good standing, exposing it to a $100 penalty plus $100 for each additional year of delinquency, filing blocks, and a not-in-good-standing flag.
(2) It has failed to appoint and maintain a registered agent in Illinois within 60 days of notification of the Secretary of State by the resigning registered agent. ... (1) For failure or refusal to comply with subsection (a) of this Section before the first day of the second month after the anniversary month, a penalty of $100 plus $100 for each year or fraction thereof beginning with the second year of delinquency until returned to good standing or until reinstatement is effected.
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: 805 ILCS 180/50-15
No access to the courts
A foreign corporation transacting business without authority (including after revocation for registered agent failure) may not maintain a civil action in Illinois courts until authority is obtained; the LLC Act parallel is 805 ILCS 180/45-45(a).
No foreign corporation transacting business in this State without authority to do so is permitted to maintain a civil action in any court of this State, until the corporation obtains that authority.
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: 805 ILCS 5/13.70(a)
The bill to come back
Reinstatement fee
Reinstatement after administrative dissolution requires filing all overdue reports, paying all fees, franchise taxes, and penalties then due, plus a $200 reinstatement application fee ($200 for LLCs as well, 805 ILCS 180/50-10(b)(12)).
Filing an application for reinstatement of a domestic or a foreign corporation, $200.
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: 805 ILCS 5/15.10(p)
What happens to the lawsuit you never saw
Substituted service
The Secretary of State is irrevocably appointed as agent for service whenever the entity fails to appoint or maintain a registered agent, or the agent cannot with reasonable diligence be found at the registered office. Service is made on the Secretary of State with a fee, plus registered/certified mail notice to the entity. The LLC Act parallel is 805 ILCS 180/1-50(b).
The Secretary of State shall be irrevocably appointed as an agent of a domestic corporation or of a foreign corporation having authority upon whom any process, notice or demand may be served: (1) Whenever the corporation shall fail to appoint or maintain a registered agent in this State, or (2) Whenever the corporation's registered agent cannot with reasonable diligence be found at the registered office in this State ...
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: 805 ILCS 5/5.25(b)
Statutory text as captured by incFACTS (retrieved 2026-08-01, verified word-for-word against the state code 2026-08-10). Laws change. The statute governs; this page does not.