Legal Costs in Chicago, IL (2026)
Filing fees for LLCs, divorce, small claims, and notary services in Chicago — all sourced from official Illinois state records.
Form an LLC in Chicago, IL
To form an LLC with a Chicago address, you file with the Illinois Secretary of State — not the city or county. The state filing fee is $150. Standard processing takes 10 business days. There is also an annual report fee of $75.
0| State filing fee | $150 |
| Annual report fee | $75 |
| Standard processing | 10 business days |
| Expedited processing | 24 |
| Publication cost | Not required |
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Start My LLC →Small Claims Court in Chicago
Small claims cases in Chicago are heard at the Small Claims Court in Cook County. The maximum you can sue for is $10,000. Filing fees range from $56–$254 depending on the claim amount.
| Court name | Small Claims Court |
| Filing location | Cook County |
| Maximum claim limit | $10,000 |
| Filing fee | $56–$254 |
| Written contract SOL | 5 years |
| Oral contract SOL | 5 years |
Filing for Divorce in Chicago
Divorce petitions in Chicago are filed at the Cook County courthouse. The Illinois state filing fee is $289. Sheriff service costs $60. Illinois requires divorcing parents with minor children to complete a parenting class.
| Filing location | Cook County Courthouse |
| Filing fee | $289 |
| Sheriff service fee | $60 |
| Children surcharge | None |
| Parenting class | Required (if children) |
| Certified copy fee | $10 |
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Start My Online Divorce →Find a Notary in Chicago, IL
Illinois caps notary fees at $5 per notarial act ($25 for remote online notarization). Common places to find a notary in Chicago: your bank (often free for account holders), UPS Store, FedEx Office, public libraries, and law offices.
Illinois also allows Remote Online Notarization (RON) — get documents notarized via video call from anywhere, capped at $25. Useful if you can't travel to a Chicago notary in person.
| Acknowledgment fee cap | $5 |
| Jurat fee cap | $5 |
| RON (remote online) | $25 |
| State fee law | Yes — fee cap enforced |