Who Enforces What: Business Law Agency Directory

A notice, charge or filing goes to a particular desk, and the wrong desk costs time. Use the Which-Desk-First Lookup: find the law, find its desk, then check the deadline on the law's page. Some Illinois laws have no agency.

Federal laws

Law	Agency	Enforces	Complaint or filing goes to
FLSA	Labor Department, Wage and Hour Division	Minimum wage, overtime, records	The division, or a lawsuit
Title VII	EEOC; Justice Department for governments	Job discrimination	An EEOC charge, by portal, in person, mail or state agency
ADA	EEOC for jobs; Justice Department for public access	Disability discrimination, access	EEOC charge; Justice Department or lawsuit for access
ADEA	EEOC	Age discrimination, 40 and up	An EEOC charge
OSHA	OSHA, a Labor Department agency	Safety standards, injury records	OSHA, including its area offices; one is in Naperville
Internal Revenue Code	IRS	Income tax, information returns	The IRS
FICA	IRS; Social Security Administration	Payroll tax	IRS for Form 941; SSA for Forms W-2 and W-3
Corporate Transparency Act	FinCEN, a Treasury bureau	Ownership reports	FinCEN, not the IRS
Bank Secrecy Act and FBAR	FinCEN; IRS; Justice Department for crimes	Foreign accounts, cash over $10,000	FinCEN for the FBAR; Form 8300 online to FinCEN or on paper to the IRS
FTC Act	Federal Trade Commission	Deception, fake reviews, subscriptions	The FTC
Sherman and Clayton Acts	Justice Department and FTC; state attorneys general	Price fixing, bid rigging, mergers	Those agencies, or a private suit
Clean Air and Clean Water Acts	EPA; Illinois EPA for state permits	Air, refrigerant, stormwater, wastewater	EPA or Illinois EPA
GLBA and HIPAA	FTC; HHS Office for Civil Rights	Customer data security, health privacy	The FTC breach form; HHS for HIPAA breaches
CAN-SPAM	FTC; state attorneys general may also sue	Commercial email	The FTC

Illinois laws

Law	Agency	Enforces	Complaint or filing goes to
LLC Act	Secretary of State	Articles, annual reports	Secretary of State
Business Corporation Act	Secretary of State	Articles, reports, franchise tax	Secretary of State
Uniform Partnership Act	None for general partnerships	LLP statements, name certificates	Secretary of State for LLPs; county clerk for names
Medical Corporation Act	IDFPR	Registration certificate	IDFPR
Professional Service Corporation Act	The profession's regulating authority	Registration, discipline	That authority; Supreme Court for lawyers
UCC	No regulator; courts	Sales, secured loans, bank items	Secretary of State for UCC-1 filings; courts for claims
Automatic Contract Renewal Act	Attorney General or State's Attorney	Renewal disclosures	Attorney General's consumer complaint page
Contractor Prompt Payment Act	None named	Payment timing, interest	A court, or the contract
Wage Payment and Collection Act	Illinois Department of Labor	Pay timing, deductions	An IDOL claim within 1 year after the wages were due, or a lawsuit
Human Rights Act	Illinois Department of Human Rights; Human Rights Commission	Employment discrimination	An IDHR charge within 2 years; an EEOC charge within 300 days also counts
Occupational Safety and Health	Federal OSHA; IL OSHA for public employers	Safety standards	OSHA for private employers; IL OSHA for government
Restrictive Covenants	Attorney General for pattern-or-practice cases; courts	Non-compete limits	A court; the Attorney General in pattern-or-practice cases
Private Business and Vocational Schools Act	Illinois Board of Higher Education	School permits	The Board's private schools division
Consumer Fraud Act	Attorney General; State's Attorneys	Deceptive practices	Attorney General's complaint page, or a lawsuit
Deceptive Trade Practices Act	None named; courts	Passing off, false claims	A court injunction suit
Personal Information Protection Act	Attorney General	Breach notices, security	Attorney General's breach portal
Income Tax Act	Department of Revenue; Independent Tax Tribunal	Income and withholding tax	Revenue Department; 60 days to protest a notice of deficiency
Retailers' Occupation and Use Tax	Department of Revenue; Independent Tax Tribunal	Sales and use tax	Revenue Department's MyTax Illinois

Cook County laws

Law	Agency	Enforces	Complaint or filing goes to
Paid Leave Ordinance	Commission on Human Rights	Paid leave	The Commission, or a court
Minimum Wage Ordinance	The same Commission	Minimum wage, tips	The Commission
Unincorporated Business Licensing	County Department of Revenue	General business license	The Department's license portal
Human Rights Ordinance	The same Commission	Discrimination	The Commission, within 180 days

Chicago businesses use the city's own offices. For paid leave, that is Chicago's Office of Labor Standards.

Frequently asked questions

Which agency handles a job discrimination charge in Illinois?

The EEOC handles Title VII, ADA and ADEA charges, and the Illinois Department of Human Rights handles Human Rights Act charges. An EEOC charge filed within 300 days also counts as filed with the state agency, and the IDHR deadline is 2 years for most claims.

Does Illinois OSHA inspect private businesses?

No. Federal OSHA covers private employers in Illinois. IL OSHA covers state and local government workplaces.

Where is a data breach reported in Illinois?

If one breach requires notice to more than 500 Illinois residents, the statute also requires notice to the Attorney General, no later than the residents. The Attorney General runs an online breach notice system. Some businesses owe separate federal notices too.

Official sources

This page is a plain-language summary. The official source controls if there is any difference.

Please read: general information only

This page gives general information and education about a law that may affect businesses. It is not legal, tax, accounting or other professional advice and it is not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney or CPA who knows your facts. Reading it does not create an attorney-client, CPA-client or any other professional relationship with CPA Tax Payroll and Accounting Corp. CPA Tax Payroll and Accounting Corp is a CPA firm, not a law firm: it does not give legal advice or represent anyone in legal matters.

Laws, thresholds, rates and penalties change often, and courts and agencies change how they apply them. We checked the figures against the official source on the date shown (last reviewed October 29, 2026), but we do not promise that this page is complete, current or free of errors, and we do not update it the moment a law changes. Whether a law applies to you depends on facts we do not have. Examples are invented and for illustration only.

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