Illinois Form BCA 13.15 is the Application for Authority to Transact Business in Illinois that every for-profit corporation formed outside Illinois must file with the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services before opening doors, hiring employees, or signing contracts inside the state. The form is required by 805 ILCS 5/13.15, and filing it gives your out-of-state corporation a Certificate of Authority — the green light to legally do business in Illinois.
The Illinois Secretary of State processes more than 30,000 foreign qualification filings each year, and a meaningful share are rejected on the first pass for paid-in capital errors, missing certificates of good standing, or name conflicts that could have been fixed in five minutes. Getting it right the first time saves weeks and avoids the civil penalty for transacting business without authority, which can equal all fees and franchise taxes you would have owed plus interest plus a separate penalty.
In this guide you will learn:
- 📋 What Form BCA 13.15 does and exactly who must file it
- 🗂️ The documents and numbers to gather before you start typing
- ✍️ A line-by-line walkthrough of every item on the form, with sample entries
- 👥 Three real-world filled-out examples for different filer types
- 💵 Filing channels, fees, expedite options, and what happens after you submit
What the Form Is and Who Must File It
Form BCA 13.15 is the official Illinois application that a foreign for-profit corporation uses to register — or “qualify” — to transact business in Illinois. The form is issued by the Department of Business Services inside the Illinois Secretary of State’s office, and the statutory authority for it is 805 ILCS 5/13.15 of the Illinois Business Corporation Act of 1983. The current revision is printed in the lower-left corner of the PDF; always confirm you are using the most recent version on the Secretary of State’s BCA forms page before filing.
A “foreign” corporation in Illinois language simply means a corporation formed under the laws of any state other than Illinois, including a Delaware C-corp, a California close corporation, or a Texas professional corporation. If your corporation has an office in Illinois, employs Illinois workers, owns Illinois real estate, holds repeated in-person meetings with Illinois customers, or enters Illinois contracts as a regular course of business, you almost certainly must file BCA 13.15. Isolated transactions, online sales shipped from out of state, and certain interstate commerce activities listed in 805 ILCS 5/13.75 are explicitly exempted.
LLCs do not use this form — they file Form LLC-45.5. Nonprofits use Form NFP 113.15. Professional service corporations (doctors, lawyers, accountants) use this same BCA 13.15 but must add a licensure certification from the relevant Illinois licensing board. Banks, insurers, and certain regulated entities have separate qualification routes outside the BCA framework.
If you transact business in Illinois without first filing this form, 805 ILCS 5/13.15 and 805 ILCS 5/13.65 bar you from suing in Illinois courts and expose the corporation to a civil penalty equal to all fees, franchise taxes, and interest that would have been owed, plus a penalty of 10% of those amounts or $200, whichever is greater. The corporation can cure the lapse by filing late, but the back-tax math gets ugly fast.
Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need
Walk into BCA 13.15 with everything ready, because the form has no save-and-resume function and a missing attachment will bounce the entire packet. The most common reason filings get rejected is a stale or missing Certificate of Good Standing from the home state. The second most common is a paid-in capital number that does not match the corporation’s books.
Collect these items before you open the PDF:
- Certificate of Good Standing (or Existence) from your home state, dated within 90 days, because Illinois will not accept anything older and you will pay a re-order fee at your home Secretary of State to fix it.
- A duly authenticated copy of your Articles of Incorporation and every amendment, because 805 ILCS 5/13.15 requires the full charter history; missing an amendment will get the file rejected.
- The exact legal corporate name as it appears on those articles, because Illinois compares character-for-character and will reject a filing that drops “Inc.” or swaps “Co.” for “Company.”
- A backup assumed name in case your true name is unavailable in Illinois, because identical or deceptively similar names already on file at ilsos.gov will block your filing.
- A registered agent with an Illinois street address (no P.O. boxes), because Illinois requires a physical address for service of process and will reject a P.O. Box outright.
- The names and home or business addresses of all directors and officers, because Item 7 of the form requires them all and a blank slot equals an incomplete filing.
- Authorized and issued share counts and par value, because Items 8 and 9 must match your articles exactly and your home-state stock ledger.
- Total paid-in capital of the corporation worldwide, because Item 10 drives the Illinois initial franchise tax calculation.
- Estimate of property and business value everywhere and in Illinois for the next year, because Item 11 sets the Illinois “allocation factor” used to apportion franchise tax.
- Payment method: Illinois attorney’s check, certified check, cashier’s check, money order, or credit card on the online portal.
If you cannot find your stock authorization or paid-in capital quickly, ask your home-state corporate secretary or check the most recent annual report filed in your home state. Guessing on these numbers is the single fastest way to a rejection or to overpaying franchise tax.
Where to Get the Form and How to Access It
The official PDF lives on the Illinois Secretary of State’s BCA forms page, and you should always download a fresh copy rather than reuse an old one because field labels change between revisions. Print the form on plain white 8.5” × 11” paper, single-sided, with no shrink-to-fit so the OCR boxes align. The form is two pages plus the required attachments (good-standing certificate and authenticated articles).
You can file BCA 13.15 three ways: through the Illinois Business Services online portal, by mail to Springfield, or in person at the Springfield counter. Online filing is the fastest route and gives you a same-day or next-business-day Certificate of Authority for most clean filings. Mail filings typically take 10 to 15 business days from receipt.
The mailing address for paper filings is Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, 501 S. Second Street, Room 350, Springfield, IL 62756. Walk-in filings are accepted at the same address during business hours and can be expedited at the counter. The Chicago office at 69 W. Washington historically did not accept BCA 13.15 walk-ins; always confirm current intake on the Department of Business Services contact page.
If your corporation has an Illinois attorney involved, the attorney’s check is the smoothest payment method because the cashier’s office accepts it without holds. Personal checks and out-of-state business checks are rejected by long-standing policy.
Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out Form BCA 13.15 Line by Line
Below is the line-by-line walkthrough using the exact item numbers and labels printed on the current BCA 13.15. Type all entries in CAPITAL LETTERS, use MM/DD/YYYY for every date, and never use white-out or correction tape — a corrected entry must be re-typed on a clean form.
Item 1: Corporate Name
This field asks for the full legal name of your corporation exactly as it appears in your home-state articles of incorporation. Type the complete name including any required ending such as Corporation, Incorporated, Company, Limited, or the abbreviations Corp., Inc., Co., or Ltd. If your home-state name does not include one of these endings, you must add one for Illinois purposes under 805 ILCS 5/4.05.
For example, Aisha Patel is qualifying her Delaware corporation and writes NORTHWIND ANALYTICS, INC. in Item 1, matching her Delaware charter character for character. The nuance: if Illinois already has a corporation with that exact or a deceptively similar name on file, you must complete Item 2 with an assumed name. The most common mistake is dropping the punctuation from Inc. or Corp. — do this and the examiner kicks the form back, costing you 10 days. A common misconception is that adding “of Illinois” makes a similar name unique; it does not, because the ilsos.gov name search compares the dominant words.
Item 2: Assumed Corporate Name (if applicable)
This field asks what name you will use in Illinois if your true corporate name is unavailable or you simply prefer a different brand here. Leave it blank if your true name clears the Illinois name database; otherwise type the assumed name you want to use, and file a separate BCA 4.15 Application to Adopt an Assumed Corporate Name with an additional fee. The assumed name must itself comply with 805 ILCS 5/4.05 and not conflict with any other Illinois entity.
For example, Marcus Lee’s California corporation Lee Holdings, Inc. finds that name taken in Illinois, so he writes LEE HOLDINGS OF ILLINOIS, INC. in Item 2 and pairs it with BCA 4.15. The nuance: an assumed name lasts only through the end of the calendar year ending in 0 or 5 and must be renewed under 805 ILCS 5/4.20. The common mistake is forgetting to file BCA 4.15 with payment alongside BCA 13.15, which freezes the entire packet. The misconception is that an assumed name in Illinois protects the brand statewide like a trademark — it does not, and you should still register a state or federal trademark.
Item 3: State or Country of Incorporation
This field asks where your corporation was originally formed. Type the full name of the U.S. state, U.S. territory, or foreign country — for example DELAWARE, CALIFORNIA, PUERTO RICO, or ONTARIO, CANADA.
For example, Aisha Patel writes DELAWARE because Northwind Analytics, Inc. was filed with the Delaware Division of Corporations. The nuance is that if your corporation was redomiciled (converted from one state to another), enter the current state of incorporation, not the original. The common mistake is writing the state where you do most of your business; that is irrelevant to Item 3 and the examiner will reject it. The misconception is that “incorporated in the U.S.” is acceptable for a federally chartered entity — federally chartered banks and similar entities use a different qualification track, not BCA 13.15.
Item 4: Date of Incorporation and Period of Duration
This field asks for two pieces of information: the date of incorporation in your home state and the period of duration, which is usually PERPETUAL. Pull the incorporation date directly from your home-state articles or good-standing certificate and type it as MM/DD/YYYY; for duration, type PERPETUAL unless your charter specifies an end date.
For example, Marcus Lee enters 07/12/2009 and PERPETUAL because his California articles say so. The nuance: if the corporation was administratively dissolved and reinstated in the home state, use the original incorporation date, not the reinstatement date. The common mistake is entering the date the Illinois filing is being prepared instead of the home-state formation date, which automatically triggers a rejection because Illinois cross-checks the good-standing certificate. The misconception is that PERPETUAL commits the corporation to existing forever in Illinois — it only mirrors your home charter, and you can withdraw any time using BCA 13.45.
Item 5: Date Authorized to Transact Business in Illinois
This field is normally left blank for new applications because the Secretary of State stamps in the effective date when the certificate issues. If you have already been transacting business in Illinois without authority and are filing late, enter the first date you began doing business in Illinois so the franchise tax can be calculated back to that date.
For example, Janet Rivera’s Florida corporation began Illinois operations on 03/01/2025 without filing, and now she enters 03/01/2025 in Item 5 to start the late-qualification clock. The nuance: this date drives back-franchise-tax math under 805 ILCS 5/13.65, so be precise. The common mistake is leaving this blank when you have a late-qualification scenario, which leads to the Department of Business Services billing you later for a larger penalty plus interest. The misconception is that fudging the date earlier or later avoids the penalty — examiners cross-reference Illinois Department of Revenue payroll filings and will catch it.
Item 6: Address of the Principal Office
This field asks for the full street address of your corporation’s principal office, wherever it sits in the world. Type street, city, state, ZIP, and country if outside the U.S., with no abbreviations for the street suffix.
For example, Aisha Patel enters 1209 ORANGE STREET, WILMINGTON, DELAWARE 19801. The nuance: if your principal office is in a coworking space, use the suite number you actually occupy, because mail forwarded by the building manager can be intercepted. The common mistake is using a P.O. Box; principal office addresses must be physical street addresses. The misconception is that this address must be in Illinois — it almost never is for a foreign corporation, and that’s fine.
Item 7: Names and Addresses of Officers and Directors
This field asks for the full name and home or business address of every officer and director currently serving the corporation. List each on a separate line with their title — PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT, SECRETARY, TREASURER, and each DIRECTOR. Use the home address unless the officer prefers a business address.
For example, Marcus Lee lists MARCUS LEE, PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR, 882 SUNSET BLVD, LOS ANGELES, CA 90046 and three more directors on the continuation sheet. The nuance: Illinois will publish these names and addresses in its public corporate database, so officers concerned about privacy may use a business address. The common mistake is omitting the secretary or treasurer because the same person holds multiple titles in a small company; Illinois still wants every position listed even if one human fills three of them. The misconception is that you can write SAME AS PRINCIPAL OFFICE — Illinois requires a real address per person, not a cross-reference.
Item 8: Authorized Shares
This field asks for the total number of shares the corporation is authorized to issue, broken out by class and series with par value. Pull these numbers verbatim from your home-state articles and any amendments.
For example, Aisha Patel enters 10,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $0.0001 par value, exactly as in Northwind’s Delaware certificate. The nuance: if your corporation has multiple classes (Common, Series A Preferred, Series B Preferred), each gets its own line with its own par and authorization. The common mistake is reporting issued shares here instead of authorized — that goes in Item 9. The misconception is that Illinois cares about the dollar value of authorized shares; for franchise tax it cares about paid-in capital (Item 10), not authorization.
Item 9: Issued Shares
This field asks for the total shares actually issued and outstanding as of the filing date. Match this to your home-state stock ledger and most recent home-state annual report.
For example, Marcus Lee enters 3,500,000 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding. The nuance: treasury shares (repurchased and held by the corporation) are not “issued and outstanding” for this purpose. The common mistake is using the cap table from a year ago and missing recent stock grants, which creates inconsistencies the examiner spots when comparing to your home-state filings. The misconception is that issued share count drives Illinois franchise tax — it does not directly; paid-in capital does.
Item 10: Paid-in Capital (Stated Capital + Paid-in Surplus)
This field asks for the corporation’s total paid-in capital, computed as stated capital plus paid-in surplus, expressed in U.S. dollars to the nearest dollar. This is the most important number on the form because the Illinois initial franchise tax is 0.15% × Item 10 × Illinois allocation factor under 805 ILCS 5/15.35.
For example, Janet Rivera’s Florida corporation has $2,000,000 of paid-in capital, so she enters $2,000,000 in Item 10. The nuance: paid-in capital includes the original issue price plus additional paid-in surplus from later capital infusions, but does not include retained earnings. The common mistake is plugging in retained earnings or book value of equity, which inflates the number and the franchise tax. The misconception is that paid-in capital can be reduced by losses; it cannot be reduced except by a formal capital reduction filing in the home state.
Item 11: Estimate of Property and Business
This field asks for two estimates for the next 12 months: the value of all property the corporation will own everywhere and the value of property located in Illinois, plus the gross amount of business the corporation will transact everywhere and the gross amount transacted in Illinois. These four figures generate the Illinois “allocation factor” used to apportion paid-in capital for franchise tax.
For example, Aisha Patel estimates $5,000,000 worldwide property, $200,000 Illinois property, $8,000,000 worldwide gross business, and $1,000,000 Illinois gross business. The nuance: the allocation factor is (Illinois property + Illinois business) ÷ (worldwide property + worldwide business), so understating Illinois numbers reduces tax but also invites audit. The common mistake is leaving the worldwide figures blank or zero, which makes Illinois default to a 100% allocation factor and maximize your tax. The misconception is that these are binding numbers — they are estimates, and the corporation reconciles each year on the BCA 14.05 annual report.
Item 12: Specific Industry Statement (Telegraph, Telephone, Cable, Pipeline, Etc.)
This field applies only to regulated utilities and similar industries listed in 805 ILCS 5/13.15. Most filers leave this blank or write NOT APPLICABLE.
For example, Marcus Lee’s retail holding company writes NOT APPLICABLE. The nuance: if you are a regulated telecom or pipeline, you must additionally certify compliance with the Illinois Commerce Commission. The common mistake is regulated companies skipping this section and getting kicked to the ICC for separate authorization. The misconception is that any company with phone lines or internet has to fill it in — it applies to providers, not consumers.
Registered Agent and Registered Office
This field asks for the full name of your Illinois registered agent and the registered office’s street address (no P.O. Boxes), county, city, and ZIP. The agent must be either an Illinois resident individual or an entity authorized to transact business in Illinois.
For example, Janet Rivera uses ILLINOIS CORP SERVICES LLC, 801 ADLAI STEVENSON DRIVE, SPRINGFIELD, SANGAMON COUNTY, IL 62703. The nuance: the agent must consent to appointment, and if the agent resigns, the corporation has 60 days to appoint a successor under 805 ILCS 5/5.10 before the Secretary can revoke authority. The common mistake is using a friend’s home address without their consent, which causes service-of-process failures and default judgments. The misconception is that the registered agent must be a lawyer — any qualified resident or registered service company works.
Signature, Title, and Date
This field requires an authorized officer’s original signature, printed name, title, and the date of execution. Black ink is preferred; the form is sworn under penalty of perjury per 805 ILCS 5/1.10.
For example, Aisha Patel signs Aisha Patel, prints AISHA PATEL, writes PRESIDENT, and dates 05/15/2026. The nuance: signatures must be original on paper filings; on the online portal an electronic signature is permitted. The common mistake is having a non-officer (a paralegal or assistant) sign — only an officer of the corporation may execute the application. The misconception is that a notarization is required; it is not for BCA 13.15, only the officer’s signed certification.
Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios
Below are three end-to-end walkthroughs of named filers completing every major section of BCA 13.15. Each table has form-specific headers and shows what the filer enters.
Scenario 1: Aisha Patel — Delaware Tech Startup Hiring Its First Illinois Engineer
| Form Section | What Aisha Enters |
|---|---|
| Item 1 — Corporate Name | NORTHWIND ANALYTICS, INC. |
| Item 2 — Assumed Name | (blank) |
| Item 3 — State of Incorporation | DELAWARE |
| Item 4 — Date / Duration | 02/14/2022 / PERPETUAL |
| Item 5 — Date Authorized in Illinois | (blank — new filing) |
| Item 6 — Principal Office | 1209 ORANGE STREET, WILMINGTON, DE 19801 |
| Item 7 — Officers/Directors | AISHA PATEL, PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR; RAJ MEHTA, SECRETARY/DIRECTOR |
| Item 8 — Authorized Shares | 10,000,000 Common, $0.0001 par |
| Item 9 — Issued Shares | 6,200,000 Common |
| Item 10 — Paid-in Capital | $1,250,000 |
| Item 11 — Property/Business Estimates | $5,000,000 / $200,000 / $8,000,000 / $1,000,000 |
| Registered Agent | ILLINOIS CORP SERVICES LLC, 801 ADLAI STEVENSON DR, SPRINGFIELD, IL 62703 |
| Signature | Aisha Patel, President, 05/15/2026 |
Scenario 2: Marcus Lee — California Close Corporation Opening a Chicago Retail Store
| Form Section | What Marcus Enters |
|---|---|
| Item 1 — Corporate Name | LEE HOLDINGS, INC. |
| Item 2 — Assumed Name | LEE HOLDINGS OF ILLINOIS, INC. |
| Item 3 — State of Incorporation | CALIFORNIA |
| Item 4 — Date / Duration | 07/12/2009 / PERPETUAL |
| Item 6 — Principal Office | 882 SUNSET BLVD, LOS ANGELES, CA 90046 |
| Item 7 — Officers/Directors | MARCUS LEE, PRESIDENT; ELENA LEE, SECRETARY/TREASURER; DAVID KIM, DIRECTOR |
| Item 8 — Authorized Shares | 1,000,000 Common, $1.00 par |
| Item 9 — Issued Shares | 350,000 Common |
| Item 10 — Paid-in Capital | $350,000 |
| Item 11 — Property/Business Estimates | $1,200,000 / $400,000 / $3,000,000 / $900,000 |
| Registered Agent | MIDWEST AGENT INC., 200 W RANDOLPH ST, CHICAGO, IL 60606 |
| Signature | Marcus Lee, President, 06/02/2026 |
Scenario 3: Janet Rivera — Florida Corporation Curing a Late Qualification
| Form Section | What Janet Enters |
|---|---|
| Item 1 — Corporate Name | SUNCOAST CONSULTING CORPORATION |
| Item 3 — State of Incorporation | FLORIDA |
| Item 4 — Date / Duration | 11/04/2014 / PERPETUAL |
| Item 5 — Date Authorized in Illinois | 03/01/2025 (date business actually started) |
| Item 6 — Principal Office | 500 BAY STREET, TAMPA, FL 33602 |
| Item 7 — Officers/Directors | JANET RIVERA, PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR; CARLOS RIVERA, VICE PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR |
| Item 8 — Authorized Shares | 5,000 Common, $1.00 par |
| Item 9 — Issued Shares | 2,500 Common |
| Item 10 — Paid-in Capital | $2,000,000 |
| Item 11 — Property/Business Estimates | $2,500,000 / $300,000 / $4,000,000 / $1,200,000 |
| Registered Agent | PRAIRIE STATE AGENTS LLC, 19 N GREEN ST, CHICAGO, IL 60607 |
| Signature | Janet Rivera, President, 05/20/2026 |
Janet pays the standard $175 filing fee plus the late-qualification penalty under 805 ILCS 5/13.65, which is calculated as the franchise taxes she would have paid since 03/01/2025 plus 10% (or $200, whichever is greater).
How to File the Completed Form
You can file BCA 13.15 online, by mail, or in person. Each channel has different fees, processing times, and proof-of-filing options.
Online filing is available through the Illinois Business Services online portal for most foreign for-profit corporations. The fee is $175 for the certificate plus the initial franchise tax under 805 ILCS 5/15.35, payable by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express; processing is typically same-day to one business day, and the portal emails you a stamped Certificate of Authority you should save as a PDF and print.
Mail filing goes to Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, 501 S. Second Street, Room 350, Springfield, IL 62756, with two duplicate originals of the form, the authenticated home-state articles, the good-standing certificate, and an Illinois attorney’s check, certified check, cashier’s check, or money order made payable to Secretary of State. Standard mail processing takes 10 to 15 business days; the proof of filing is the file-stamped duplicate that returns to you, which you should scan immediately.
In-person filing at the Springfield counter is the only same-day option for paper filings and accepts an additional $100 expedite fee on top of the $175 base. Bring two original signed copies, all attachments, and acceptable payment; the cashier issues a Certificate of Authority while you wait, and you keep the cashier’s receipt as proof of filing date for any time-sensitive contract or court deadline.
The base filing fee is $175 under 805 ILCS 5/15.10, the initial franchise tax is 0.15% of paid-in capital × Illinois allocation factor, and there is a separate $25 fee for filing the BCA 4.15 assumed name application if you need one.
What Happens After You File
Once the Department of Business Services accepts the application, it issues a Certificate of Authority and assigns the corporation an Illinois File Number — a seven-digit number you will need for every future Illinois filing. The corporation now appears in the public Illinois Corporation/LLC Search database, usually within 24 hours of the filing.
Going forward, the corporation must file an Annual Report on Form BCA 14.05 each year before the first day of its anniversary month, with a $75 filing fee plus the recurring franchise tax. The corporation must also keep its registered agent and registered office current and notify Illinois of any home-state amendments using BCA 13.40 within 60 days.
If the application is rejected, the Department of Business Services returns the entire packet with a rejection slip explaining the defect; you have to fix the defect and refile, and the original filing fee is generally credited toward the resubmission within a reasonable window. If you stop doing business in Illinois, you should formally withdraw using BCA 13.45 to stop the franchise tax meter, because authority — and the tax — continues until you withdraw.
Failure to file annual reports for two consecutive years leads to revocation of authority under 805 ILCS 5/13.50; reinstatement is possible but expensive and requires BCA 13.45 backed up by all unpaid fees, taxes, and penalties.
Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form
- Submitting a Certificate of Good Standing older than 90 days, which automatically bounces the entire packet for reorder.
- Listing a P.O. Box as the registered office, which violates 805 ILCS 5/5.05 and rejects the filing.
- Reporting retained earnings instead of paid-in capital in Item 10, which inflates franchise tax and creates a multi-year correction problem.
- Leaving Item 11 worldwide figures blank or zero, which forces a 100% Illinois allocation and maximizes franchise tax.
- Forgetting to attach an authenticated copy of every articles amendment, which is treated as an incomplete charter and rejected.
- Using a personal check or out-of-state business check, both of which the cashier’s office rejects on sight.
- Signing as a non-officer (paralegal, attorney, assistant), which violates the certification requirement of 805 ILCS 5/1.10.
- Skipping BCA 4.15 when an assumed name is required, which freezes BCA 13.15 at examination.
- Misspelling or abbreviating the corporate name differently than the home-state articles, which fails the character-for-character match Illinois runs.
- Leaving Item 5 blank when actually filing late, which understates the back-tax base and triggers a separate audit-driven assessment.
- Naming a registered agent who never consented, which causes service-of-process failures and default judgments down the road.
- Estimating Illinois business at zero while having a Chicago office, which is a red flag the examiner notices instantly.
Do’s and Don’ts
- Do download a fresh copy of BCA 13.15 for every filing, because field labels change between revisions and an outdated form is rejected.
- Do order your home-state Certificate of Good Standing within two weeks of filing, so the 90-day window does not expire mid-process.
- Do run the proposed name through the ilsos.gov entity search before filing, and pre-clear borderline matches with the name section by phone.
- Do keep a stamped copy of the filed form and Certificate of Authority for your minute book, because lenders and Illinois courts will ask for it.
- Do calendar the Illinois anniversary-month annual report deadline immediately, because missing two in a row revokes authority.
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Do appoint a professional registered agent if no officer lives in Illinois, because reliable service of process is non-negotiable.
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Don’t sign the form before all attachments are gathered, because partial packets get rejected and the signature must be re-executed.
- Don’t estimate paid-in capital — pull it from the books, because a wrong number is hard to amend and overpays franchise tax for years.
- Don’t assume online sales to Illinois customers are exempt without checking 805 ILCS 5/13.75, because the safe-harbor list is narrow.
- Don’t rely on a registered agent’s home address you have not verified is current, because agents move and unforwarded service of process leads to default.
- Don’t wait to file until after you have signed an Illinois lease or hired an Illinois employee, because the late-qualification penalty starts accruing the day you began transacting business.
- Don’t ignore a rejection slip’s deadline; refile within the window to preserve the original filing fee credit.
Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help
- Pro of filing yourself: The total out-of-pocket is just the $175 state fee plus franchise tax, with no service or attorney markup.
- Pro of filing yourself: You learn the BCA framework, which helps with future amendments and the annual report.
- Pro of filing yourself: Online filing through ilsos.gov takes 30 minutes for a clean fact pattern.
- Pro of filing yourself: You control the timing and can file the moment your good-standing certificate arrives.
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Pro of filing yourself: There is no third party storing your officers’ personal information.
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Con of filing yourself: A single rejection costs 10–15 business days, which can blow a closing or hiring deadline.
- Con of filing yourself: Paid-in capital and allocation factor errors carry forward into franchise tax and are tedious to amend.
- Con of filing yourself: You must source and maintain your own Illinois registered agent.
- Con of filing yourself: You will not catch nuanced issues like a name-similarity rejection until the examiner flags it.
- Con of filing yourself: Late-qualification scenarios under 805 ILCS 5/13.65 are easy to underpay without counsel.
Related Forms at a Glance
| Form | Purpose |
|---|---|
| BCA 13.15 | Application for Authority to Transact Business in Illinois (this form) |
| BCA 14.05 | Annual Report (filed every year by the anniversary month) |
| BCA 13.40 | Application for Amended Authority (home-state changes) |
| BCA 13.45 | Application for Withdrawal and Final Report |
| BCA 4.15 | Application to Adopt or Change an Assumed Corporate Name |
| LLC-45.5 | Foreign LLC application (LLCs use this instead of BCA 13.15) |
FAQs
Do I have to file BCA 13.15 if I only have remote employees in Illinois?
Yes. Hiring an Illinois resident as a W-2 employee is a clear “transacting business” trigger under 805 ILCS 5/13.05, so file before payroll begins.
Can an LLC use Form BCA 13.15?
No. LLCs use Form LLC-45.5. Form BCA 13.15 is only for foreign for-profit corporations governed by the Illinois Business Corporation Act.
What is the filing fee for BCA 13.15 in 2026?
Yes, there is a fee — the base state fee is $175 under 805 ILCS 5/15.10, plus initial franchise tax of 0.15% of paid-in capital times the Illinois allocation factor.
Do I write authorized shares or issued shares in Item 8?
Yes, write authorized shares in Item 8, taken directly from your home-state articles; issued shares belong in Item 9 and must match your stock ledger.
Is paid-in capital the same as retained earnings?
No. Paid-in capital is stated capital plus paid-in surplus from stock issuances; retained earnings are accumulated profits and never go in Item 10.
Can my registered office address be a P.O. Box?
No. 805 ILCS 5/5.05 requires a physical Illinois street address; a P.O. Box is rejected automatically.
Do I need a Certificate of Good Standing dated within 90 days?
Yes. Illinois requires the home-state good-standing certificate to be dated within 90 days of filing, or the packet is rejected.
Should I leave Item 5 blank for a brand-new Illinois entry?
Yes, leave Item 5 blank for new filings. The Secretary of State stamps the effective date when the certificate issues, but late filers must enter the actual date business began.
Can I file BCA 13.15 online?
Yes. Most for-profit corporations can use the Illinois Business Services online portal for same-day or next-day processing with a credit card.
What happens if I do business in Illinois without filing?
No lawsuits in Illinois courts and a civil penalty under 805 ILCS 5/13.65 — back fees, taxes, plus 10% or $200, whichever is greater.
Do officers’ home addresses become public?
Yes. Item 7 entries appear in the public Illinois Corporation/LLC Search, so privacy-conscious officers should use a business address.
Can a paralegal sign Form BCA 13.15?
No. Only an officer of the corporation may sign under 805 ILCS 5/1.10; a paralegal or attorney signature triggers a rejection.
Do I need to amend my Illinois authority if my home-state articles change?
Yes. File BCA 13.40 within 60 days of any home-state amendment to keep the Illinois record matched.
How long does it take to get the Certificate of Authority?
Yes, expect about 1 business day online, 10–15 business days by mail, and same-day in-person at Springfield with a $100 expedite fee.
Can I withdraw later if I stop doing business in Illinois?
Yes. File BCA 13.45 to withdraw and stop accruing franchise tax; otherwise the tax keeps running until revocation.
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