--- title: "Illinois DBA: How to File, $150 State Fee, Renewal | MCC" description: "To file a DBA in Illinois, register the assumed business name with the state or county, depending on who owns it ($150 at the state)." url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/bookkeeping/dba-illinois" --- Business names · Illinois # Registering a DBA in Illinois Where the assumed business name is filed, what it costs, when it has to be renewed and how the newspaper notice works, from the official pages. [![Intuit ProAdvisor Gold tier badge](/img/credentials/intuit-proadvisor-gold.png)](https://proadvisor.intuit.com/app/accountant/search?searchId=matthew-coleman77)Gold tier in Intuit's ProAdvisor program. [See my Intuit listing](https://proadvisor.intuit.com/app/accountant/search?searchId=matthew-coleman77) Keeping your own books? Tallyfinch does invoices, bank import and reports on your computer. [See Tallyfinch](/bookkeeping/mcc-books-downloadable-bookkeeping-software) **Short answer.** Individuals and partnerships file an assumed name certificate with the county clerk where the business is located (Assumed Business Name Act, 805 ILCS 405). LLCs and corporations file an application with the Secretary of State. Cost: Secretary of State, for an LLC or corporation: $150 in a year ending in 0 or 5, then $120, $90, $60 and $30 in years ending in 1/6, 2/7, 3/8 and 4/9; renewal is $150. County clerks set their own fee: $19 in Stephenson County, $50 in Cook County. The county pages we read don't say how long an individual's certificate lasts. ## At a glance Called assumed business name (assumed name for LLCs and corporations) Where to file Depends on the owner Filing fee Secretary of State, for an LLC or corporation: $150 in a year ending in 0 or 5, then $120, $90, $60 and $30 in years ending in 1/6, 2/7, 3/8 and 4/9; renewal is $150. County clerks set their own fee: $19 in Stephenson County, $50 in Cook County. Local fees vary Yes How long it lasts Individuals: see the rule; entities: up to 5 years Newspaper notice Yes, county filings Online filing [Some county clerks take assumed business name registrations online (Cook County).](https://cookcountyclerkil.gov/service/assumed-business-name-registration) ## Individuals and companies file in different places Individuals and partnerships file an assumed name certificate with the county clerk where the business is located (Assumed Business Name Act, 805 ILCS 405). LLCs and corporations file an application with the Secretary of State. Setting up the books for the new name? [A free bookkeeping health check](/bookkeeping/health-check). ## Renewal, with dates The county pages we read don't say how long an individual's certificate lasts. For an LLC or corporation: runs until the first day of its anniversary month in the next year divisible by 5 (filed in the two months before that month in such a year, it runs to the following one). Renew within the 60 days before, for five years, on the annual report. For a registration filed on Friday, November 13, 2026: - **Sole proprietor or partnership:** The county pages we read don't say how long an individual's certificate lasts. - **LLC or corporation:** runs until Friday, March 1, 2030; renewal window opens Monday, December 31, 2029 (for a company formed in March) ## The newspaper notice County filings: publish once a week for three consecutive weeks, the first within 15 days of filing, and get the certificate of publication to the county clerk within 50 days of filing or the registration is void. Filed on Friday, November 13, 2026, the dates work out as: - First notice by: Saturday, November 28, 2026 - Last of the 3 weekly notices, if the first runs that day: Saturday, December 12, 2026 - Proof of publication filed by: Saturday, January 2, 2027 Your own date: [open the calculator set to Illinois](/bookkeeping/dba-renewal-date-calculator?state=il). ## Official sources - [Stephenson County Clerk: Registration of assumed names (DBAs)](https://stephensoncountyil.gov/government/county_clerk_and_recorder/registration_of_assumed_names_(dbas).php) (checked November 2026) - [805 ILCS 180/1-20: LLC assumed names](https://ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/080501800K1-20.htm) (checked November 2026) - [805 ILCS 180/50-10: LLC fees](https://ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/080501800K50-10.htm) (checked November 2026) - [805 ILCS 5/4.15: Corporate assumed names](https://ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/080500050K4.15.htm) (checked November 2026) - [805 ILCS 5/15.10: Corporate fees](https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/080500050K15.10.htm) (checked November 2026) - [Cook County Clerk: Assumed business name registration](https://cookcountyclerkil.gov/service/assumed-business-name-registration) (checked November 2026) General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. Checked November 2026 against the pages above. Fees and forms change, and a county or town office can add its own steps, so confirm with the filing office before you file. We don't file DBAs or trade names for anyone. ## Questions people ask **Where is a DBA filed in Illinois?** It's called a assumed business name (assumed name for LLCs and corporations). Individuals and partnerships file an assumed name certificate with the county clerk where the business is located (Assumed Business Name Act, 805 ILCS 405). LLCs and corporations file an application with the Secretary of State. **What does it cost to register a business name in Illinois?** Secretary of State, for an LLC or corporation: $150 in a year ending in 0 or 5, then $120, $90, $60 and $30 in years ending in 1/6, 2/7, 3/8 and 4/9; renewal is $150. County clerks set their own fee: $19 in Stephenson County, $50 in Cook County. Local fees differ from one office to the next. **How long does a Illinois assumed business name last?** The county pages we read don't say how long an individual's certificate lasts. For an LLC or corporation: runs until the first day of its anniversary month in the next year divisible by 5 (filed in the two months before that month in such a year, it runs to the following one). Renew within the 60 days before, for five years, on the annual report. **Does Illinois require a newspaper notice?** Yes. County filings: publish once a week for three consecutive weeks, the first within 15 days of filing, and get the certificate of publication to the county clerk within 50 days of filing or the registration is void. **Can the filing be done online in Illinois?** Some county clerks take assumed business name registrations online (Cook County). All states: [DBA registration by state](/bookkeeping/dba-registration-by-state) · [Hawaii](/bookkeeping/dba-hawaii) · [Iowa](/bookkeeping/dba-iowa) Tallyfinch ### Books you keep on your own computer Tallyfinch does invoices, bills, bank import, reconciliation and the main reports, in a file you own. $99 once, then $5 a month for updates; the app keeps working if you stop the plan. It does not do payroll or sales tax filing. The free download records up to 60 entries. [See Tallyfinch](/bookkeeping/mcc-books-downloadable-bookkeeping-software) [Download it free](/tools/pro/trial/mccBooks) [Compare the three apps](/software) ## Want the books set up for the new name? [See bookkeeping services](/bookkeeping/)[Call (908) 444-6373](tel:+19084446373)