In Short: How to Get a Certificate of Good Standing in Illinois
Illinois issues a Certificate of Good Standing through the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services. Order it online from the Secretary of State’s Business Search / Certificate of Good Standing page for $25 and print it right away from the receipt page or emailed link. An LLC can also order by mail on Form LLC-50.25 for $25. An LLC stays in good standing by filing its $75 annual report before its anniversary month.
- Official name: Certificate of Good Standing
- Issued by: Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services
- Fee: $25 for an LLC or a corporation
- How to order: Online through the Secretary of State Business Search / Certificate of Good Standing page, or by mail on Form LLC-50.25 for an LLC
- Turnaround: Immediate online; no mail processing time is published
- Free status check: Illinois Secretary of State business search
- What keeps you in good standing: Filing the $75 LLC annual report (Form LLC-50.1) before the first day of your anniversary month and keeping a registered agent
In Illinois the document carries the exact name people search for: the Illinois Secretary of State issues a Certificate of Good Standing. You buy it online, pay $25, and print it the same minute. This page covers the online and mail orders, the fee, the free status search, the LLC annual report and reinstatement rules, and how the Secretary of State certificate differs from an Illinois Department of Revenue tax clearance. For other states, see how to get a certificate of good standing.
What an Illinois Certificate of Good Standing Is
An Illinois Certificate of Good Standing is an official statement from the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, that your LLC or corporation is on file in Illinois and in good standing on the date the certificate is issued. It is the document an outside party uses to confirm, without calling Springfield, that the entity has not been dissolved or revoked.
Illinois businesses are asked for the certificate by:
- Banks opening a business checking account or adding a signer.
- Other states when an Illinois LLC registers as a foreign LLC to do business there.
- Lenders closing a commercial loan, an SBA loan or equipment financing.
- Payment processors completing merchant underwriting.
- Buyers and investors verifying the company during due diligence.
- Licensing agencies issuing or renewing a state or municipal license.
Because the certificate reflects status on its issue date, buy it close to the date you will hand it over. In Illinois there is no wait, so you can order it the same day you need it.
How to Order a Certificate of Good Standing in Illinois
The Illinois Secretary of State sells the certificate online from its Business Search / Certificate of Good Standing page.
- Open the Illinois Secretary of State Business Search / Certificate of Good Standing page.
- Search for your LLC or corporation by business name.
- Open the correct record and check the status. If the entity is not in good standing, fix the problem before you buy the certificate.
- Select the option to purchase a Certificate of Good Standing.
- Pay the $25 fee online.
- Print the certificate from the receipt page, or open it from the link sent to your email.
Save a PDF copy as soon as you print it. If a bank or another state asks for a fresh certificate later, buy a new one; the process takes a few minutes.
By mail with Form LLC-50.25
An Illinois LLC can also request a Certificate of Good Standing by mail on Form LLC-50.25. The fee is $25, the same as online. Complete the form with the LLC’s exact name and send it with payment to the Department of Business Services at the address printed on the form. The Secretary of State does not publish a processing time for mail requests, so use the online order when you face a deadline. The form and fee are listed in the Secretary of State’s Guide for Organizing Domestic Limited Liability Companies.
Illinois Certificate of Good Standing Fees and Processing Time
| Method | Fee | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Online, LLC | $25 | Immediate: print from the receipt page or emailed link |
| Online, corporation | $25 | Immediate: print from the receipt page or emailed link |
| Mail (Form LLC-50.25), LLC | $25 | Not published by the state |
LLCs and corporations pay the same $25 online, and an LLC pays $25 by mail.
How to Check Illinois Good Standing Status for Free
The same Illinois Secretary of State business search page lets you look up any LLC or corporation at no cost. Search by name, open the record, and read the status. The record shows the details the Secretary of State holds on file for the entity, so you can spot a problem before you pay for a certificate. For a full walkthrough of the search, read our guide on Illinois business entity search.
A free search result is for your own checking. A bank or another state will want the purchased Certificate of Good Standing.
How an Illinois LLC Stays in Good Standing
An Illinois LLC stays in good standing by filing its annual report with the Department of Business Services every year and by keeping a registered agent on record. See how Illinois compares with other states in our guide to annual report filing requirements by state.
Illinois annual report
Every Illinois LLC must file an annual report to maintain its existence. The rules come from the Secretary of State’s Guide for Organizing Domestic Limited Liability Companies:
- Form: LLC-50.1, the LLC annual report.
- Due: Before the first day of the LLC’s anniversary month each year. An LLC organized on September 15 files before September 1.
- Fee: $75.
- Reminder: The Secretary of State mails a pre-filled report to the registered agent about 45 days before the due date.
- Late filing: An LLC that does not file within 60 days of the due date goes into penalty status and owes a $100 late-filing penalty.
An LLC that keeps ignoring the report faces administrative dissolution, and a dissolved LLC cannot get a Certificate of Good Standing until it reinstates. Check your status in the free business search after each filing.
Registered agent
Every Illinois LLC and corporation must keep a registered agent with an Illinois street address on file with the Secretary of State. The agent receives lawsuits and state notices, including the pre-filled annual report the Secretary of State mails 45 days ahead of the due date. If your agent moves, resigns or stops forwarding mail, that report never reaches you. Owners who live outside Illinois, or outside the United States, use a commercial registered agent to cover this requirement.
What to Do If Your Illinois Business Is Not in Good Standing
If the business search shows your Illinois LLC or corporation is not in good standing, the fix starts with the filings you missed.
- Look up the entity in the Secretary of State business search and note its current status and the last annual report on file.
- If the LLC is in penalty status, file each missing annual report on Form LLC-50.1 and pay the $75 fee plus the $100 late-filing penalty.
- If the LLC has been administratively dissolved or revoked, file an Application for Reinstatement following Administrative Dissolution or Revocation. The fee is $200, and the missing annual reports must be brought current.
- Confirm the record shows good standing again in the free search.
- Buy a new Certificate of Good Standing online for $25.
Our guide on how to reinstate an administratively dissolved LLC covers the reinstatement process in more detail. Illinois fees for LLC filings are listed in the Secretary of State’s LLC organizing guide.
Illinois Tax Good Standing vs Secretary of State Certificate
The Secretary of State’s Certificate of Good Standing covers your entity’s filings with the Department of Business Services. It does not confirm that your Illinois taxes are paid. Tax standing is handled by the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR), which accepts a Request for Tax Clearance on Form ITR-1. Buyers of an Illinois business and some lenders ask for both documents. Find Form ITR-1 on the IDOR Miscellaneous Tax Forms page.
Using an Illinois Certificate in Another State
When an Illinois LLC registers in another state as a foreign LLC, that state asks for proof the LLC is in good standing in Illinois. The Illinois Certificate of Good Standing is that proof, and the other state then issues its own authority to do business there. The two documents are compared in certificate of good standing vs certificate of authority. Since the Illinois certificate is available immediately, buy it right before you submit the foreign registration.
$0 formation fee plus the state filing fee. Registered agent free for the first year.
Illinois Certificate of Good Standing FAQs
How much is a Certificate of Good Standing in Illinois?
The Illinois Secretary of State charges $25 for a Certificate of Good Standing. The fee is the same for LLCs and corporations. Online orders print immediately.
How fast can I get an Illinois Certificate of Good Standing?
Immediately. After you pay online, you print the certificate from the receipt page or open it from the link sent to your email.
Where do I order an Illinois Certificate of Good Standing?
Order it online on the Illinois Secretary of State Business Search / Certificate of Good Standing page by searching your LLC or corporation by name. An LLC can also order by mail on Form LLC-50.25 for the same $25 fee.
When is the Illinois LLC annual report due?
It is due before the first day of the LLC’s anniversary month each year, so an LLC organized on September 15 files before September 1. The fee is $75 on Form LLC-50.1. Filing more than 60 days late puts the LLC in penalty status with a $100 late-filing penalty.
Is an Illinois tax clearance the same as a Certificate of Good Standing?
No. The Certificate of Good Standing comes from the Secretary of State and covers business filings. Tax clearance comes from the Illinois Department of Revenue and is requested on Form ITR-1.
Fees verified against official Illinois sources in October 2026. State fees change; confirm the current amount on the Illinois Secretary of State site before you order.
