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Register Your Illinois LLC in Arizona
Step-by-step foreign qualification requirements, fees, and filing instructions for Illinois LLCs expanding into Arizona.
Cost Summary
- Arizona filing fee
- $150
- Illinois Certificate of Good Standing
- $25
- Annual obligation in Arizona
- No annual report required
- Estimated year 1 total
- $175
Note: Year 1 total includes the $150 filing fee in Arizona, the $25 Certificate of Good Standing fee from Illinois. Registered agent fees (typically $100-$200/year) are not included. Arizona also requires newspaper publication at $30 to $300. That cost is mandatory and is not included in this total. Newspaper publication required in most counties. Maricopa and Pima County filings are exempt because the ACC posts the notice. CONFLICT, unresolved 2026-08-01: the ACC instructions for Form L-025 (Foreign Registration Statement, Rev. 4/2022) answer "Is publication required? No", while LegalZoom, UpCounsel and Arizona statutory-agent services all state the requirement extends to foreign LLCs outside Maricopa and Pima. The $90 is retained pending a direct check with the ACC. If the form instructions govern, foreign initial_realistic_cost drops from 240 to 150.
Illinois data last reviewed Aug 1, 2026 · ilsos.gov
Arizona data last reviewed Aug 1, 2026 · azcc.gov
How to register your Illinois LLC in Arizona
1
Check name availability in Arizona
Before filing, verify that your LLC name (or a distinguishable variation) is available in Arizona. If your exact name is already taken, you may need to register under a fictitious or assumed name.
Search the business name register on the Arizona Corporation Commission website before you file.
2
Get a Certificate of Good Standing from Illinois
Arizona requires a Certificate of Good Standing from Illinois to prove your LLC is in good standing. The fee is $25. Available to order online. No state-imposed expiration; third parties typically require certificate dated within 30-60 days.
Order from Illinois ↗
3
File the Foreign Registration Statement in Arizona
Submit your application along with the Certificate of Good Standing and the $150 filing fee. Processing time is 5-10 business days. Expedited processing available for $35. Online filing is available.
Arizona filing portal ↗
4
Appoint a registered agent in Arizona
You must designate a registered agent with a physical address in Arizona to accept legal documents on behalf of your LLC. This is required as part of the foreign qualification application.
Ongoing compliance in Arizona
- Annual report
- No annual report required
- Report due
- Varies
- Processing time
- 5-10 business days
- Expedite
- $35
Note: Arizona does not require LLCs to file annual reports. LLC filings are handled by the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC), not the Secretary of State. Publication treatment for foreign registrations is unresolved: the ACC instructions for Form L-025 answer "Is publication required? No", while several current secondary sources say foreign LLCs outside Maricopa and Pima Counties must publish. Confirm with the ACC before budgeting. For a domestic Arizona LLC the requirement is settled: publish Notice of Formation in an approved newspaper within 60 days of formation (3 consecutive publications, $60-$120). Exempt if statutory agent is in Maricopa or Pima County.
Important to know about Arizona
- For a domestic Arizona LLC, failure to publish within 60 days triggers a 30-day warning from the ACC and then termination. Whether the same obligation attaches to a foreign registration is disputed and unresolved in this record.
If your LLC did business in Arizona before filing, check the Arizona foreign LLC penalty guide first. Back fees can run from the date you started, not the date you file.
Activities that do NOT require registration in Arizona
- Maintaining or defending a lawsuit, administrative proceeding, or arbitration
- Holding meetings of members or managers, or carrying on internal company affairs
- Maintaining bank accounts
- Maintaining offices or agencies for the transfer, exchange, or registration of the LLC's own securities
- Selling through independent contractors
- Soliciting or obtaining orders if orders require acceptance outside the state before becoming contracts
- Creating or acquiring indebtedness, mortgages, or security interests in real or personal property
- Securing or collecting debts, or enforcing mortgages or security interests
- Owning real or personal property
- Conducting an isolated transaction completed within 30 days that is not part of repeated similar transactions
- Transacting business in interstate commerce
Arizona's Revised Limited Liability Company Act lists activities that do not constitute doing business in Arizona at Section 29-3905. Foreign LLCs are administered by the Arizona Corporation Commission.
Need a registered agent in Arizona?
A registered agent is required for foreign qualification. These services operate in all 50 states.
Get Northwest Registered Agent ↗
Recommended · $125/year · Privacy included
Registered Agents Inc
$200/year · Report filing included, state fees extra
Harbor Compliance
$99 first year, then $149/year · Full-service compliance option
Not sure which service fits? Our full Northwest Registered Agent review and Harbor Compliance review cover pricing, renewal terms, and where each one fits.
Need a business address in Arizona?
A virtual mailbox gives your LLC a professional address in Arizona for mail forwarding, public filings, and banking, without leasing office space.
Independent mailbox providers
This page provides general information based on publicly available state requirements. It is not legal advice. Verify all fees and requirements with the Arizona Secretary of State before filing.