Illinois Code § 13.70

§ 13.70.

Transacting business without authority. (a) No foreign corporation transacting business in this State without authority to do so is permitted to maintain a civil action in any court of this State, until the corporation obtains that authority. Nor shall a civil action be maintained in any court of this State by any successor or assignee of the corporation on any right, claim or demand arising out of the transaction of business by the corporation in this State, until authority to transact business in this State is obtained by the corporation or by a corporation that has acquired all or substantially all of its assets. (b) The failure of a foreign corporation to obtain authority to transact business in this State does not impair the validity of any contract or act of the corporation, and does not prevent the corporation from defending any action in any court of this State. (c) A foreign corporation that transacts business in this State without authority is liable to this State, for the years or parts thereof during which it transacted business in this State without authority, in an amount equal to all fees, franchise taxes, penalties and other charges that would have been imposed by this Act upon the corporation had it duly applied for and received authority to transact business in this State as required by this Act, but failed to pay the franchise taxes that would have been computed thereon, and thereafter filed all reports required by this Act; and, if a corporation fails to file an application for authority within 60 days after it commences business in this State, in addition thereto it is liable for a penalty of either 10% of the filing fee, license fee and franchise taxes or $200 plus $5.00 for each month or fraction thereof in which it has continued to transact business in this State without authority therefor, whichever penalty is greater. The Attorney General shall bring proceedings to recover all amounts due this State under this Section. (c-5) A foreign corporation that transacts business in this State without authority is deemed to have consented to general jurisdiction in accordance with subsection (b) of Section 13.20 to the same extent as if it were registered to do business in this State. Consent to such general jurisdiction commences upon committing an act constituting the transaction of business in this State without authority at any time after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly and remains effective for 180 days following the committing of each and every such act. (d) The Attorney General shall bring an action to restrain a foreign corporation from transacting business in this State, if the authority of the foreign corporation to transact business has been revoked under subsection (m) of Section 13.50 of this Act. (Source: P.A. 104-352, eff. 8-15-25.)