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Foreign registration cost calculators + Illinois

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Illinois (2026): Cost Calculator

Run for 2026, the foreign registration services in Illinois that come out best are Illinois Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and IL Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. Registration in Illinois is $150; the services add $397 to $497 to that over three years.
Calculated by the Formation Calc editorial team

Result order: Sorted by a five-term formula where cost is 41% and coverage 27%

Illinois results

Registration fee owed to the state$150ilsos.gov {input read October 2026, shown in full}
First-year outputs$199Service side only
Three-year outputs$397 to $497Year one plus two renewals
What the state takes in 3 years$300Equal for every provider
Break-evenNone in ten yearsNo service passes another

Illinois results

Service prices only. Each result is subject to the same $150 state fee.
1

1. Illinois Registered Agent.co: best for a low registration result

Ranks first
Year-1 input$199
Input for year 2 on$99/yr
Result at year 3$397
$199 on top of Illinois's $150; renewal $99

Illinois Registered Agent.co gives the best result in Illinois: filing with Illinois through this service costs $199, after which the agent renews at $99.

A three-year result under Mainstay Filing's earns the top place.

Inputs covered

  • Registration handled for you
  • Agent service for the first year

Adds up well

  • A modest $99 renewal
  • Agent included to start
  • $199 for the registration

Adds up badly

  • Nothing outside this state
2

2. Mainstay Filing: best for registering again and again

Most work covered
Year-1 input$199
Input for year 2 on$149/yr
Result at year 3$497
$199 on top of Illinois's $150; renewal $149

Mainstay Filing places second. $199 past what Illinois charges, then $149 a year for the agent.

Illinois Registered Agent.co calculates $100 lower over three years, enough to rank higher.

The agent renews at $149 a year in every state.

Inputs covered

  • Registration paperwork, filed
  • Registered agent free in year one
  • Good in all fifty states

Adds up well

  • Helpful if another state follows
  • $199 for the registration
  • The first agent year is covered

Adds up badly

  • $50 above Illinois Registered Agent.co at renewal
3

3. IL Registered Agent.org: best for a nearby provider

Illinois focus
Year-1 input$199
Input for year 2 on$99/yr
Result at year 3$397
$199 on top of Illinois's $150; renewal $99

IL Registered Agent.org places third. Filing with Illinois through this service costs $199, after which the agent renews at $99.

The year-one and renewal inputs both equal Illinois Registered Agent.co's.

Inputs covered

  • Registration handled for you
  • Agent service for the first year

Adds up well

  • Agent included to start
  • $199 for the registration
  • A modest $99 renewal

Adds up badly

  • Nothing outside this state

Running total by year

RankServiceResult, year 1Result, year 2Result, year 3Result, year 5
1Illinois Registered Agent.co$199$298$397$595Open Illinois Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$348$497$795Open Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3IL Registered Agent.org$199$298$397$595Open IL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Service fees only, calculated from each company's prices as of November 13, 2026. Ranked by running result, the order is steady for ten years.

The calculator

Results for 1 to 5 years. State fees are not an input here because every service owes the same ones.
Result for 3 years: Illinois Registered Agent.co $397, Mainstay Filing $497, IL Registered Agent.org $397. Smallest result: Illinois Registered Agent.co.

Illinois fee list

InputAmountSource
Filing to register the foreign LLC$150ilsos.gov {input read October 2026, shown in full}
Annual report$75ilga.gov {input read October 2026, shown in full}
State side, 3 years$300Calculated from the inputs above
State result = filing fee + the two later reports + any minimum tax. Open-ended costs get a mention but no number.

How the result came out

Illinois Registered Agent.co wins calculated three-year cost, worth 41%, with Mainstay Filing close behind.

A three-year run with Illinois Registered Agent.co calculates to $397, while Mainstay Filing runs $100 higher.

How Illinois describes the foreign LLC registration fee and rules

Registration inputs: the Application for Admission to Transact Business (Form LLC-45.5), the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division, $150. The filing asks for certificate of Good Standing or Existence from the past 60 days.

If it never registers, expect exclusion from Illinois courts as plaintiff until it registers (805 ILCS 180/45-45(a)); back fees covering the unregistered stretch.

As written: ilga.gov {input read October 2026, shown in full}

The no-service result

Do-it-yourself result: $300 paid to the state across three years. A service at $397 to $497 is what avoiding the forms costs.

Common questions

What is the registration fee for a foreign LLC in Illinois?

$150 in state fees, not counting a service fee of $199.

What do these services calculate to over three years?

Service results after three years: $397 to $497.

Which form registers the LLC?

Complete Application for Admission to Transact Business (Form LLC-45.5) and deliver it to the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division.

Does the Illinois filing need a document from the home state?

Yes, one less than 60 days old: certificate of Good Standing or Existence.

What recurring filing follows registration?

The annual report, charged at $75.

When does one service pass another in total cost?

No break-even within ten years.

Which foreign registration service calculates best for Illinois?

Result one is Illinois Registered Agent.co, then Mainstay Filing, then IL Registered Agent.org.

Input sources

  1. Check Illinois Secretary of State, Department against ilsos.gov; entered August 2026.
  2. Check Illinois Secretary of State, Department against ilsos.gov; entered August 2026.
  3. Check 805 ILCS 180/5-5 against ilga.gov; entered August 2026.
  4. Check Illinois formation fee: Filing fee against ilga.gov; entered October 2026.
  5. Check Illinois formation fee: Filing fee against ilsos.gov; entered October 2026.
  6. Check Illinois registered agent statute against ilga.gov; entered October 2026.
  7. Check Form LLC-45.5, Application for Admission against ilsos.gov; entered October 2026.
  8. Check Form LLC-45.40, Application for Withdrawal against ilsos.gov; entered October 2026.
  9. Check 805 ILCS 180/45-45, consequences of against ilga.gov; entered October 2026.
  10. Check 805 ILCS 180/45-47, activities that against ilga.gov; entered October 2026.
  11. Check 805 ILCS 180/45-45 against ilga.gov; entered November 2026.
  12. pricing page figure supplied by Illinois Registered Agent.co, November 13, 2026
  13. Illinois service page figure supplied by Mainstay Filing, November 13, 2026
  14. pricing page figure supplied by IL Registered Agent.org, November 13, 2026