Opening a Business in Illinois just got easier

Illinois to create business licensing website

SPRINGFIELD – A new state law should make it easier to open a business in Illinois. It requires the state to put all permit and license applications on one centralized website.

“As a species, we landed a probe on a comet and flew a rocket past Pluto in 2015,” said Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake), the measure’s chief co-sponsor. “As a state, we can manage to put all of our business applications and permits on one website by 2017. It’s not rocket science.”

Right now, business owners who need more than one license or permit normally have to visit several different state and local government websites to fill out forms, and visit others to see if they qualify for any economic development programs. Many other states already put all of these forms and information in one place.

Illinois’ new business licensing website will be operated by the state’s Department of Commerce and Opportunity and updated annually. Under the current system, potential business owners often struggle with broken links or out-of-date state websites.

The legislation was Senate Bill 659. The new website should be online by July 2017.