Certificate of Registration (Supreme Court Rule 721) | State of Illinois Office of the Illinois Courts

In order to engage in the practice of law in Illinois, the following entities are required to register under Supreme Court Rule 721: professional corporations, professional associations, limited liability companies, and registered limited liability partnerships formed under Illinois law or under similar statutes of other states.

The entity must annually renew its registration by January 31. If a firm has not renewed its registration by January 31, its registration will lapse and the firm must seek leave of Court to file its renewal or will be required to file a new application.

• At least one shareholder, member or partner must be licensed to practice law in Illinois and be engaged in the practice of law in Illinois. See Supreme Court Rule 721(a)(2).
• The entity must be in good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State.
• Any shareholder, member or partner of the entity that is a law firm required to register under Supreme Court Rule 721 must be in good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State and registered with the Court prior to the entity's registration.
• The entity must have an Illinois street address. If the firm does not maintain a law office in Illinois, then the address of the firm's registered agent in Illinois may be used. See Supreme Court Rule 721(e)(1).
• Disciplinary action cannot be pending against any shareholder, member or partner of the entity. See Supreme Court Rule 721(e)(5).

Supreme Court Rule 722 allows an entity who must register under the requirements of Rule 721 to indicate that it has limited liability insurance coverage (in lieu of joint and several liability imposed by Rule 721) by submitting a notarized affidavit or section 1-109 verification by certification. Any affidavit or section 1-109 verification must be submitted along with the application for certificate of registration. The affidavit or section 1-109 verification is optional and it is up to the registering entity to determine if it is appropriate.

On the application, mark the box in paragraph 6 and provide either a notarized affidavit of insurance or a section 1-109 verification stating that the firm “maintains the minimum insurance as required by Rule 722(b)(1) and/or funds as required by Rule 722(b)(3)."

 PLEASE NOTE: if an affidavit does not comply with the requirements of Rule 722, it will be rejected. A section 1-109 verification by certification form has been provided that may be used in lieu of an affidavit.

 DO NOT submit insurance or financial documents with the affidavit of insurance or section 1-109 verification.

The Illinois Secretary of State's website can provide the firm's date of incorporation.

Yes. You will need to include it on the application as part of your registered name.

If you have not previously registered an assumed name or d/b/a with the Clerk's office, please file an application, indicating the firm has a name change and include the assumed name as part of the entity's registered name. There is no fee for a name change.

A name change application should be filed with the Clerk’s office after the firm has changed its name with the Illinois Secretary of State's office. If you are filing under Supreme Court Rule 722, please include an affidavit or section 1-109 verification. There is no fee for a name change.

 PLEASE NOTE: if the entity has changed its incorporation type (i.e., from a P.C. to an LLC), a name change is not appropriate. Please complete a new application and submit it along with a $50 fee to the Clerk's office.

Please send a letter to the Clerk's office, on firm letterhead, stating the firm's previous address; the firm's updated address; and the effective date of the address change.

Disciplinary action means a formal legal proceeding, instituted by the filing of a complaint under Supreme Court Rule 753(b), pending either in the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) or the Supreme Court, or a matter in a comparable procedural posture in another jurisdiction. A disciplinary investigation where no formal complaint has been filed against an attorney does not require acknowledgment.

If a formal action is pending against any of the law firm's shareholders/members or partners, the law firm must submit a motion to the Court requesting permission to register or renew. The motion must provide the status of the pending disciplinary action. See below for more information regarding submitting a motion.

If the firm needs to seek leave of Court to register or renew its registration, a motion may be filed with the Clerk’s office in Springfield. An original and eight copies of the motion along with an original and eight copies of a proposed order phrased in the alternative should be submitted.  There is no filing fee for this type of motion; however an original or renewal application should be included with the submission, along with a check for the appropriate registration fee.  If the firm wishes to indicate it has limited liability insurance as provided by Supreme Court Rule 722, please include either an affidavit or a §1-109 verification.

If you need to file a motion for retroactive registration or retroactive renewal, the motion must state why registration/renewal had not been made previously.  Additionally, an affidavit must be submitted that states whether there are any matters or litigation pending where registration itself may be an issue.    

Please see  Supreme Court Rule 361 for more information regarding the requirements of filing a motion with the Court.

Should the Supreme Court be informed if the law firm is no longer in business?

It is not required that you send notice; however, if you are still collecting fees and will be keeping the firm open for that purpose only, you will need to seek leave of Court in order to renew your registration for purposes of winding down. Please see above for the requirements of filing a motion with the Court.

Can I e-mail or fax the application directly to the Clerk's office?

No, the Clerk's office will not accept applications via e-mail or fax. For information on electronic filing, please see below.

 PLEASE NOTE: To ensure you are using the most up-to-date application, always use the online copy.

No, the Clerk's office will not accept completed forms via e-mail or fax. For information on electronic filing, please see below.

Any firm that is renewing its registration and does not have a name change is encouraged to file electronically. However, any firm that does have a change in firm name or is filing an initial application must submit a paper application to the Clerk's office. There is a convenience fee for submitting an electronic payment.

If you do not have an eFileIL account, follow these instructions to register:

1. Go to https://illinois.tylertech.cloud/SRL.
2. Click on the “Register” link at the top right corner of the screen to create an account.

If you already have an eFileIL account, there is no need to re-register. Go to https://illinois.tylertech.cloud/SRL and enter your user name and password to log in.

After successfully registering or logging in, begin the renewal application process by clicking on "Start a Legal Filing." On the next screen, select “Corporate Registration Renewal.” Please have available your firm’s renewal slip containing the law firm's certificate registration number, law firm type, state of incorporation, year of incorporation and a list of all shareholders/members/partners before you begin. Also, please ensure the registered user’s e-mail address is current as notices will be sent to that e-mail. Once the renewal has been accepted, the registered user will receive an e-mail attaching a file-stamped copy of the renewal and it may be saved or printed for your records.

Contact the Clerk's office at 217-782-2035 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding state holidays.