Illinois law requires that individuals conducting or transacting a business under
any name other than the real names of the owners must file an Assumed Name Certificate
with the County Clerk in the county in which the business is located. If the business
will be incorporated, a corporation, or an LLC, file with the Illinois Secretary of State
(217-782-7880), not the County Clerk. For retail tax information, call 217-524-4772.
What is the procedure?
The Assumed Name Certificate must be completed with the name and physical address
(not P.O. Box) of the business, the type of product or service you're offering,
and the names and home addresses of all owners/partners in the business.
All business owners/partners must sign the form in front of a Notary Public (We have notaries available). The
certificate is then filed in the County Clerk's office along with a $5.00 filing
fee. At that time Assumed Name Publication Notice will be issued to you.
The Assumed Name Publication Notice must be taken
to a general circulation Kane County newspaper where the Publication Notice is published
once a week for three consecutive weeks. The first of the three notices must be
published within 15 days of the initial filing of the Assumed Name Certificate.
After publishing, the newspaper completes the Publisher's Certificate and attaches
a tear-sheet of the notice. The Publisher's Certificate must be received in the
County Clerk's office in order for the filing requirements to be complete. It is
the responsibility of the business owner to be sure the Publisher's Certificate
is returned to the County Clerk's office within 50 days from the date of filing.
After receipt of the Publisher's Certificate, the business will be given a Certificate
of Ownership of Business. This will have completed all the Assumed Name filing requirements.
*Certification of registration will be considered VOID if the first of the three notices is not
published within 15 days of the initial filing of the Assumed Name Certificate or proof of publication is
not provided within 50 days from the date of filing.
What if there are changes in the business information?
If there is any change in the address, name of owner(s) or address, it is necessary
to file a Supplemental Assumed Name Certificate with the County Clerk's office,
indicating the change. The filing fee for this is $1.50. Publication is again required
with the change involves: adding owner(s) names to the business, closing the business,
withdrawing owner(s) names when withdrawal involves 25% or more of the total ownership,
or change of business address.
Most of these procedures can be accomplished by mail to the County Clerk's office.
If you have any questions, please call the Clerk's office at 630/232-5950.