The identity of an Illinois LLC or corporation is a public record. This means finding the registered agent is a simple process of searching the Department of Business Services database on the Office of the Illinois Secretary of State’s website.
All you need to complete a search is a file number or part of the name of the entity you’re looking for.
What Is a Registered Agent?
A registered agent, also known as a resident agent or statutory agent, is a business entity or individual that’s authorized to receive official documents and papers for certain businesses. Official documents usually include tax documents, official government correspondence, and legal service of process papers.
A registered agent isn’t necessarily the owner or controlling officer of the business, although they can be. If you’re trying to find an owner of a business, you can sometimes find out who they are using the same process used for finding the registered agent. This is because the manager, partner, or corporate officer of the entity you’re looking for will sometimes be its owner. However, when you look up an entity on the Illinois Secretary of State’s website, it won’t explicitly state who the owner is.
Who Can Be a Registered Agent in Illinois?
In Illinois, Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), Limited Partnerships (LPs), Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs), and corporations (both profit and nonprofit) must have a registered agent. Generally speaking, anyone can be a registered agent in Illinois if they:
- Are at least 18 years of age;
- Are a resident of Illinois;
- Have a physical street address (not a P.O. Box) in the state where the business is registered, and
- Are available to receive documents during normal business hours.
Note that either an individual or an artificial legal entity, such as an LLC, LP, LLP, or corporation, can serve as a registered agent.
How to Lookup the Registered Agent and Owner in Illinois
Figuring out who the registered agent is for a business registered in Illinois can be done online and is a simple process.
Step 1: Type of Search
Note: If you are located outside of the U.S.A, you might be facing issues with accessing the Illinois Lookup tool as it is restricted to only being accessible within the U.S.A. You can use a VPN in between your internet Connection to get around this restriction.
Go to the Office of the Illinois Secretary of State website’s Corporation/LLC Search/Certificate of Good Standing searchable database and choose the type of business you think the registered agent you’re looking for is assigned to. If you’re not sure, you can select, “Corporate and LLC.”
Step 2: Choose a Search Method
Depending on the type of search you’ve chosen, you can search for a business entity by using a Name, Key Word, Partial Word, or File Number
Step 3: Search Results
This is where you go through the search results to find the business that has the registered agent you’re looking for. Once you find it, click on the business name. It’ll take you to a page that lists a wide range of information about the entity, including
- Type of entity
- File number
- Status (active or inactive)
- The entity’s incorporation or admission date
- Registered agent name and address
- Name and address of key officers (if a corporation) or managers (if an LLC)
Address of the entity’s principal office
As you can see in this example, Apple Inc. has C T Corporation System as its registered agent, which is a Service by Wolters Kluwer.
How Can I Find the Registered Agent of a Nonprofit in Illinois?
The process for finding the registered agent of an Illinois nonprofit corporation is the same as looking for a for-profit corporation or LLC. In Illinois, nonprofit organizations are generally structured as corporations.
Conclusion
If you want to find the registered agent or key individuals of an LLC or corporation in Illinois, all it takes is a few minutes of searching on the Illinois Office of the Secretary of State’s website. You don’t even need the full name of the entity you’re looking for, although having a complete name or file number can save time and limit the number of potential search results.