How to search and claim an LLC name in Illinois
- Search Illinois's official entity records at no cost, leaving “LLC” off the name.
- Make sure the name ends with one of Illinois's accepted endings, such as “Limited Liability Company” or “L.L.C.”
- Hold the name with a $25 reservation for 90 days if you need time before filing.
- File the Articles of Organization with the Illinois Secretary of State (Department of Business Services) for $150.
- Note the recurring report so the LLC stays in good standing: $75 each year.
What an Illinois LLC name must include
Illinois accepts these endings for a limited liability company:
- Limited Liability Company
- L.L.C.
- LLC
Corporate and partnership words are out: an Illinois LLC name can't include Corporation, Corp., Incorporated, Inc., Ltd., Co., Limited Partnership or L.P. A word that another Illinois statute restricts is allowed only if that statute's conditions are met, and the name must be written in English letters, Arabic or Roman numerals and reproducible symbols (805 ILCS 180/1-10). Low-profit LLCs use the ending L3C.
How Illinois decides two names are the same
The comparison reaches beyond LLCs. Your name has to stand apart from LLCs and admitted foreign LLCs, from reserved, registered and assumed names, and from business and not-for-profit corporations' names and assumed names, and an ending such as LLC, Inc. or Corp. doesn't count as a difference (805 ILCS 180/1-10; 14 Ill. Adm. Code 178).
Where the rules are written. 805 ILCS 180/1-10 (LLC name); 805 ILCS 180/1-15 (reservation).
Searching for an LLC name in Illinois
Illinois's Corporation/LLC search is free and includes a name availability check, along with file detail reports for existing entities. Because corporations count in the comparison, search the name without any ending so corporate matches show up too.
Open the official Illinois entity search
Leave the ending off when you search, so every version of the name shows up, then compare each result word by word. If one matches apart from spacing, punctuation or a plural, change a real word in your name.
Holding the name: Illinois LLC name reservation
For $25 the Secretary of State holds an LLC name for 90 days. Use Form LLC-1.15 and file it by mail or in person; a transfer costs another $25 and a cancellation $5.
File an Illinois name reservation
Forming the LLC in Illinois
Articles of Organization cost $150 to file; a series LLC pays $400.
File the Articles of Organization online
An Illinois LLC's annual report is due before the first day of its anniversary month, every year, for $75; filing more than 60 days late adds a $100 penalty. There's no franchise tax at the Secretary of State and no publication requirement for a new LLC. A Certificate of Good Standing is $25 online.
When the LLC trades under another name
To use another name, an Illinois LLC files Form LLC-1.20 with the Secretary of State. The fee depends on where the year falls in the state's five-year cycle, from $150 in years ending in 0 or 5 down to $30 in years ending in 4 or 9; changes are $25 and cancellations $5.
Sources
- ilsos.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- Business searches, ilsos.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- Llc instructions, ilsos.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- ilga.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- Entire part, ilga.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- Ilcs3, ilga.gov, checked 2026-10-07
These are the official pages behind every fact above. If one of them now says something different, it's right and this page is out of date.
A few were read from search results, not the page itself, because the site refused direct requests; treat the facts they back as provisional until the Illinois Secretary of State (Department of Business Services) confirms them.
Common questions
Can two LLCs in Illinois have the same name?
No. Illinois accepts a new LLC name only if it can be told apart from every name on its record. Adding or changing an ending such as “LLC” doesn't make a name different.
How long can I hold an LLC name in Illinois?
90 days, for $25.
Does a new Illinois LLC have to publish a notice?
No. Illinois has no newspaper publication requirement for LLCs.
How much is the Illinois LLC filing fee?
$150, paid when you file the Articles of Organization.