Foreign Corporations Doing Business in Illinois Now Subject to General Jurisdiction in State Courts

By Eric Geringswald | CSC 

Illinois lawmakers approved changes to the state’s statutes governing qualification regarding general jurisdiction. With these changes, an out-of-state corporation that obtains or continues to maintain the right to transact business in Illinois consents to the exercise of general jurisdiction by Illinois courts. General jurisdiction only ends if the entity formally withdraws from doing business in Illinois.

A related amendment imposes the same general jurisdiction on out-of-state corporations doing business in the state without authority.  According to the statute, consent to general jurisdiction begins the moment the entity commences doing business in Illinois.  

These changes come in the wake of Mallory v. Norfolk Southern Railway. In June 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states can require corporations to agree to the jurisdiction of their courts as a condition of doing business there. A number of states have moved ahead to incorporate statutes addressing jurisdiction, and the trend continues.

These and other changes to Illinois business entity law are captured in the 2026 Edition of Illinois Laws Governing Business Entities Annotated. Published by CSC in collaboration with legal publisher LexisNexis^®, this resource is a comprehensive collection of Illinois business entity statutes legal practitioners rely on to effectively conduct research, counsel clients, and complete transactions.

The 2026 Edition is current through P.A. 104-459 of the 2025 Regular Session of the 104th General Assembly, featuring 20 added or amended sections since the 2025 Edition. Amended and added statutes are listed in the Table of Sections Affected, and our legislative analysis provides an overview of how the law has changed. Statutes are annotated with the latest case notes showing how courts have interpreted the law.

The book also includes online access to more than 100 Illinois business forms for incorporation, formation, qualification, mergers, dissolution, and name reservation for all entity types. A list of forms and contact information for the Illinois Secretary of State are included in the forms appendix. For convenience, an up-to-date Fee Schedule lists the Secretary of State’s required fees for business filings.

Illinois Laws Governing Business Entities Annotated is available as a softbound book or as an eBook, compatible with dedicated eReader devices, computers, tablets, and smartphones that use eReader software or applications. It's also available on the LexisNexis^® Digital Library.

To learn more about the 2026 Edition of Illinois Laws Governing Business Entities Annotated, call 1.800.533.1637 or visit us online at www.lexisnexis.com/csc.