How to Register an Assumed Name for an Illinois LLC

An existing Illinois LLC can use an assumed name, commonly called a DBA, when it wants to operate under an approved business name different from its legal LLC name.

For an Illinois LLC, the applicable Secretary of State filing is Form LLC-1.20, Application to Adopt, Change, Cancel or Renew an Assumed Name.

A DBA does not create another LLC.

It also does not, by itself:

• Change the LLC’s legal name
• Create a separate legal entity
• Change the owners
• Change ownership percentages
• Replace the Articles of Organization
• Automatically create separate liability protection
• Require a new EIN merely because a business-facing name is adopted

The underlying LLC remains the legal entity.

What Is an Illinois LLC DBA?

Suppose an Illinois LLC’s legal name is:

Prairie Lantern Studio LLC

The company wants to market a particular line of business as:

Northside Illustration

Instead of changing the LLC’s legal name, the company may evaluate registering Northside Illustration as an assumed name.

The structure would then conceptually be:

Legal entity: Prairie Lantern Studio LLC
Assumed name/DBA: Northside Illustration

Northside Illustration does not become a second LLC merely because the assumed name is approved.

DBA vs. Legal LLC Name Change

Start by identifying what the company actually wants to accomplish.

Do not file an assumed name simply because the company wants to change its legal name everywhere.

If the objective is to replace the legal name appearing in the LLC’s formation record, review the Illinois Articles of Amendment process instead.

Illinois LLC DBAs Are Filed With the Secretary of State

Do not confuse the Illinois LLC assumed-name process with county-level procedures applicable to some other business structures.

An LLC uses the applicable Illinois Secretary of State assumed-name process.

Do not automatically add county filing or newspaper-publication steps copied from a sole-proprietor or general assumed-business-name checklist.

First identify the entity type and the specific requirement that applies.

Prepare These Seven Items Before Filing

Before completing LLC-1.20, gather:

1. Current company status and any compliance issue that needs correction.
2. Exact legal LLC name shown in the Secretary of State record.
3. Illinois business file number.
4. Proposed assumed name and preliminary name-search results.
5. Domestic or foreign LLC status and any relevant series information.
6. Filing-year fee and intended submission method.
7. Renewal reminder based on the approved assumed-name term.

Using the Secretary of State record as the source for the legal entity information can reduce discrepancies.

Search the Proposed Assumed Name

Before filing, search the proposed name through the Illinois Secretary of State’s available business-name resources.

Search:

• Exact proposed name
• Distinctive words
• Singular and plural variations where relevant
• Similar spelling
• Existing active businesses with similar names

A clean search does not itself guarantee approval.

It also does not establish trademark rights.

Entity-name availability, assumed-name registration, and trademark clearance are different questions.

Use the Correct LLC-1.20 Transaction

The current LLC-1.20 process covers several assumed-name transactions.

These include:

• Adoption
• Change
• Cancellation
• Renewal

Complete the portion corresponding to what the LLC actually intends to do.

Do not complete conflicting alternatives merely because they appear on the same form.

For example, an LLC adopting an assumed name for the first time should not complete the filing as though it were simultaneously canceling that name.

How Much Does an Illinois LLC DBA Cost?

Illinois does not charge every applicant the same initial assumed-name adoption fee.

The adoption fee depends on where the filing year falls within the state’s five-year cycle.

For example, an assumed name adopted in 2026 carries a listed adoption fee of:

$120

This declining fee schedule makes more sense when considered together with Illinois’s assumed-name expiration cycle.

Why Does the Filing Fee Change?

An Illinois assumed name does not simply run for five years from whatever date the application happens to be filed.

Instead, the filing operates within a fixed five-year statutory cycle.

That means an applicant entering the cycle later pays a lower initial adoption fee.

Do not calendar every newly adopted assumed name as:

Filing date + five years

That can produce the wrong renewal date.

When Does an Illinois LLC DBA Expire?

The applicable form describes the assumed name as expiring on the first day of the LLC’s anniversary month in the next calendar year evenly divisible by five, under the applicable rules.

This makes the LLC’s anniversary month important.

For example, a company adopting an assumed name in 2026 should not automatically assume the registration runs through the same date in 2031.

Instead, determine the actual expiration applicable to the LLC and record the expiration reflected in the approved filing or applicable state record.

Calendar the Actual Expiration Date

Once the assumed name is approved, save:

• Assumed name
• Approval date
• Expiration date
• Renewal deadline
• Responsible person
• Source document
• Filing confirmation

Do not rely solely on a generic recurring reminder saying “renew DBA every five years.”

The actual Illinois cycle should control the calendar.

Illinois Assumed-Name Renewal Fee

The Secretary of State fee schedule lists the assumed-name renewal fee as:

$150

Renewal should be handled before the applicable expiration under the current rules and instructions.

Do not assume that continued use of the brand automatically renews the state registration.

Changing an Assumed Name

If an LLC needs to change an existing assumed name through the applicable procedure, the listed state fee is:

$25

Review the current LLC-1.20 instructions and determine whether the proposed transaction is properly treated as a change rather than adoption of another assumed name.

The underlying LLC’s legal name remains a separate issue.

Canceling an Assumed Name

If the company stops using the assumed name, it may be appropriate to cancel the registration.

The listed cancellation fee is:

$5

Retain the accepted cancellation with the company’s permanent records.

Removing the brand from a website or storefront does not necessarily update the Secretary of State record.

Additional Charges

The base assumed-name fees should not automatically be treated as the total transaction cost.

Depending on the filing method and options selected, additional charges may include:

• Expedited-service fees
• Electronic payment or processing charges
• Professional service fees

Review the displayed or stated total before paying.

How to Submit the Illinois DBA Filing

Use the current LLC-1.20 form or an eligible Secretary of State online process.

Before submission:

1. Confirm the LLC’s legal name.
2. Confirm its file number.
3. Review company status.
4. Search the proposed assumed name.
5. Select the correct transaction.
6. Calculate the fee for the applicable filing year.
7. Complete the required company information.
8. Complete the signer information.
9. Review the filing for consistency.
10. Submit using the current instructions.

For paper filing, follow the form’s current requirements concerning copies, payment, signatures, and delivery.

Do not reuse submission instructions from another Secretary of State form.

Save the Accepted Filing

Do not keep only the application you submitted.

Retain:

• Submitted application
• Payment confirmation
• Accepted assumed-name filing
• Secretary of State confirmation
• Applicable expiration date

Then verify that the company’s public record reflects the expected information where applicable.

How Should the LLC Sign Contracts Using Its DBA?

An assumed name should remain connected to the underlying legal entity.

For example:

Prairie Lantern Studio LLC, doing business as Northside Illustration

By: [Name]
Title: [Authorized Title]

The point is to identify the legal entity behind the assumed name.

The individual signing still needs actual authority to bind the LLC.

A particular contract, lender, regulator, or counterparty may also require different or additional wording.

Do Not Sign as Though the DBA Were a Separate LLC

If Northside Illustration is merely an assumed name of Prairie Lantern Studio LLC, avoid creating documents that inaccurately suggest:

Northside Illustration LLC

exists as a separate company when no such LLC has actually been formed.

The DBA is a business name used by the existing entity.

It does not create another legal person.

Update the Bank

After approval, determine what the LLC’s bank requires before transactions can be conducted under the assumed name.

The bank may request:

• Accepted assumed-name filing
• Articles of Organization
• EIN documentation
• Operating agreement
• Authorized-signer information

Bank policies vary.

Do not assume Secretary of State approval automatically changes the name associated with the company’s bank account.

Update Payment Providers

If customers will see the DBA on:

• Card statements
• Payment pages
• Invoices
• Checkout systems
• Merchant accounts

coordinate the assumed-name update with the applicable payment providers.

This can reduce discrepancies between the business’s public brand and its payment records.

Update Licenses and Permits

Determine whether relevant licensing authorities require the assumed name to be separately reported or approved.

This may be particularly important for:

• Professional businesses
• Regulated industries
• Local business licenses
• Health-related businesses
• Financial activities
• Other licensed operations

Secretary of State assumed-name approval does not automatically amend every license.

Update Insurance

Notify the insurer or broker where appropriate.

Confirm whether the assumed name should appear as:

• DBA
• Trade name
• Additional business name
• Other applicable designation

The legal insured should remain accurately identified.

Do not assume a state DBA filing automatically changes an insurance policy.

Does a DBA Need a New EIN?

Do not obtain a second EIN merely because the LLC adopts an assumed name.

An assumed-name registration does not itself create another LLC.

Whether a new EIN is required depends on the actual federal tax and entity circumstances, not simply a change in branding.

Review current IRS rules before applying for another EIN.

A DBA Does Not Change Ownership

Registering an assumed name does not by itself:

• Add a member
• Remove a member
• Transfer membership interests
• Change ownership percentages
• Appoint a manager
• Amend the operating agreement

If the underlying ownership or governance is changing, document that transaction separately.

A DBA Does Not Provide a Separate Liability Compartment

Suppose Prairie Lantern Studio LLC operates two brands:

• Northside Illustration
• Lakeshore Creative

Registering two assumed names does not create three separate LLCs.

The assumed names remain associated with the same underlying legal entity.

If the owners want legally separate entities or another liability structure, they need to evaluate an appropriate entity arrangement rather than relying on DBAs.

What Happens If the Business Is Sold?

Do not assume a buyer automatically acquires the right to use an assumed name merely because it purchases:

• A website
• Domain
• Customer list
• Equipment
• Social-media account

The transaction documents should address relevant:

• Trademark rights
• Trade names
• Domains
• Goodwill
• Assumed-name filings
• Entity ownership
• Other intellectual-property rights

The parties should then make any required government filings.

Illinois LLC DBA Checklist

Before adopting an assumed name:

1. Confirm that the underlying LLC already exists.
2. Verify its exact legal name.
3. Confirm the Illinois file number.
4. Review company status.
5. Decide whether you actually need a DBA or legal-name amendment.
6. Search the proposed assumed name.
7. Review similar names.
8. Consider separate trademark clearance.
9. Identify the correct LLC-1.20 transaction.
10. Determine the filing-year adoption fee.
11. Complete the applicable form or online process.
12. Confirm signer authority.
13. Submit using current Secretary of State instructions.
14. Save the accepted filing.
15. Record the actual expiration date.
16. Assign responsibility for renewal.
17. Update bank records where required.
18. Update payment providers where required.
19. Update licenses and permits where required.
20. Update insurance where appropriate.
21. Use the DBA together with the underlying legal entity where appropriate.
22. Cancel the assumed name if the company permanently stops using it and cancellation is appropriate.

Conclusion

An Illinois LLC can use an assumed name to operate under a brand different from its legal company name.

The applicable Secretary of State process uses Form LLC-1.20, and the initial adoption fee depends on the filing year within Illinois’s five-year assumed-name cycle. For a 2026 adoption, the listed state fee is $120.

Do not confuse a DBA with a legal-name amendment or a new LLC.

The assumed name does not change the company’s owners, create another legal entity, or replace the legal name appearing in the company’s formation record.

After approval, connect the assumed name clearly to the underlying LLC, update relevant bank, payment, licensing, and insurance records, and calendar the actual Illinois expiration date rather than simply adding five years to the filing date.

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