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Illinois LLC
Business Licenses and Permits
Quick Start Guide
This Quick Start Guide is a brief overview of how to form an LLC in Illinois.
Detailed Lessons:
1. Name Search
2. Registered Agent
3. Filing Forms
4. Operating Agreement
5. Tax ID Number (EIN)
6. Annual Report
7. Licenses and Permits ← you are here
8. Taxes
Illinois LLC Costs:
Illinois LLC filing fee: $150
Illinois LLC annual report: $75
Need to save time?
Hire a professional to form your LLC in Illinois:
Northwest ($39 + state fee) or LegalZoom ($149 + state fee)
(check out Northwest vs LegalZoom)
After you form your Illinois LLC, you’ll need to comply with state and local government (county and/or city) license and permit requirements.
Your requirements are determined by the industry you are in and where your business is located.
Not complying with license and permit requirements is risky and can result in penalties and fines, or worse, not being able to conduct business in Illinois.
Types of licenses & permits you may need in Illinois
Below are some license and permits examples:
- Business licenses/tax permits
- Building permit
- Health permit
- Occupational permit
- Signage permit
- Alarm permit
- Zoning permit
- Alcohol & tobacco permit
- Liquor license
- Sales and use tax permit
- Seller/reseller permit
Do it yourself in Illinois
Illinois does not issue business licenses at the state-level, but you may have local requirements for licenses and permits, which may be enforced at the county, city, and local level.
List of all counties in IL:
http://www.county-clerk.net/county.asp?state=Illinois
List of all cities and towns in IL:
http://www.citytown.info/Illinois.htm
List of all townships in IL:
https://www.toi.org/Resources/Develop-Your-Township
State page on Licenses and Permits
https://www.illinois.gov/Business/Pages/registration.aspx
Register with the Illinois Department of Revenue
Illinois Revenue: How do I register with the Illinois Department of Revenue?
(more information on taxes found here in this lesson: Illinois Taxes)
Our Recommendation
There are nearly 20,000 licensing and permit jurisdictions in the United States and each has its own rules and regulations.
If you want to save time, we recommend hiring a professional service company (like IncFile) to do the research and prepare your applications.
They will provide you with a comprehensive package of all the licenses, permits and tax registrations required for your Illinois LLC, as well as the necessary application forms.
Next Step
After you’ve researched and obtained the proper licenses and permits for your Illinois LLC, you can then proceed to the next lesson: Illinois LLC Taxes.
