Forming an LLC in Michigan: Complete Walkthrough
$199 covers our filing service for your Michigan Articles of Organization, on top of the state's $50 fee. Every Michigan LLC also needs a resident agent on file — that's $99/year, billed as its own line item, not folded into the $199.
Launching an LLC in Michigan involves a single state filing, an ongoing appointed agent, and a short list of compliance items each year. A wrinkle worth knowing up front: the filing does not go to a Secretary of State. Michigan runs entity filings through the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). Expect $50 for the formation filing, roughly a week of processing, and a few fees that recur annually. Keep reading for each step, the all-in numbers, and how our service handles the paperwork side.
Build Your Michigan LLC — $199
$199 covers preparation and submission of your Articles of Organization to LARA. Most filings come back approved in roughly a week.
What an LLC Does for You in Michigan
A limited-liability company sits between a sole proprietorship and a corporation: liability protection like a corporation, taxes like a sole prop. Small businesses across Michigan default to the LLC structure for liability protection that doesn't come with corporate-level formality.
Michigan LLC Filing Fee ($50) and Ongoing Amounts
The state's filing fee for Articles of Organization is $50, collected by LARA at submission. Here is the whole budget, line by line:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Our LLC formation service | $199, one time |
| Michigan filing fee (collected by LARA) | $50, one time |
| Registered agent, continuous requirement | $99 per year |
| Annual Statement (state fee) | $25 per year |
$199 is the filing service. The $50 state fee goes to LARA. The appointed agent runs $99/year on its own line.
Heads up on the yearly filing: Michigan calls it the Annual Statement, it lands every February 15 at $25, and filing late stacks a $10-per-month penalty that tops out at $50.
The Articles of Organization: Michigan Form CSCL/CD-700
Michigan's formation document is the Articles of Organization, Form CSCL/CD-700, filed under MCL 450.4202 of the state LLC Act. The fee is a flat $50, confirmed on LARA's official filing fee schedule. Professional LLCs file their own version, Form CSCL/CD-701, also $50.
Filing works online through the state's business registry, and LARA publishes the paper form for mail submission. In a hurry? The state sells speed: expedited tiers climb from 24-hour review to a one-hour turnaround at $1,000, with two-hour service at $500, all stacked on the base fee.
The Steps to Form a Michigan LLC
- Name your Michigan LLC. An LLC indicator (LLC, L.L.C., Limited Liability Company) plus distinguishability from every other registered entity. The state's entity database tells you immediately whether a name is open. Skip restricted words like 'bank,' 'insurance,' or anything implying a government tie unless you hold the license.
- Designate a registered agent. Michigan requires one at formation and forever after; the statutes call the role a resident agent. The agent needs a physical Michigan address and workday availability, and whatever address goes in that box becomes publicly searchable. Our agent service at $99/year keeps your home address out of the record.
- Submit the Articles to LARA. File Form CSCL/CD-700 with the $50 fee. The form wants the entity's legal name, principal location, agent identity and address, manager- or member-managed designation, and organizer information.
- Put together an operating agreement. Michigan doesn't make you file one, but you'll need it nearly every time the LLC deals with a bank or a courtroom. It defines ownership, distributions, management authority, voting rules, and exit procedures. Skip it and Michigan's generic default rules apply.
- Get a federal tax ID (EIN). The IRS hands these out free through a quick online application; a bank account, payroll, and federal returns all hinge on having one. Paid EIN services add nothing.
- Manage the recurring obligations. Keep a current agent on file without any lapse, file the Annual Statement by each February 15, keep LLC finances walled off from personal ones, and hit federal and Michigan tax deadlines.
Blow off the Annual Statement two years running and the state can pull your good standing and administratively dissolve the LLC. Reinstatement is possible, but prevention is cheaper.
Done with paperwork? Pay $199 and our team handles the Michigan formation filing.
The Registered Agent Requirement
Michigan law makes the agent a requirement for every LLC, with no exemption available. An agent in Michigan must:
- Hold a brick-and-mortar address in Michigan (P.O. Boxes don't count on their own)
- Be reachable throughout the workday to take legal correspondence and lawsuits
- Relay all received mail and notices without delay so the LLC has time to react
Whatever name and address sit in the agent field are public: anyone running a Michigan entity search can pull them up. Our agent product runs $99 per year in Michigan. The agent on the public record is us, not you.
Common Michigan LLC Questions
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Michigan?
The state's filing fee is $50. Budget another $25 per year for the Annual Statement once you're up and running.
How long does it take to form an LLC in Michigan?
State approval normally arrives in about a week, and LARA offers paid expedited tiers if you need it sooner.
Does Michigan require an annual report?
Yes, though the state's name for it is the Annual Statement. It's due February 15 every year and the fee is $25.
Do I need a registered agent for my Michigan LLC?
Yes. Michigan LLCs are required to have an agent at all times, and the rule applies continuously from formation forward.
Can I form an LLC in Michigan if I live in another state?
Yes. An in-state agent is the one requirement. Our $99/year plan handles it. Non-residents can form Michigan LLCs without any extra steps.
Get Your Michigan LLC Filed
Filing directly with LARA is fully available through the state's online system. The $50 fee is due at submission, and the agent obligation stands no matter how you file.
Our registered agent service is what you list on the formation paperwork. Pricing: $99 annually — you get our address on the filing, scans the day mail arrives, and a heads-up before every state deadline.
Looking for the registered agent on its own? Our agent-only service runs $99 a year.
Curious about other parts of Michigan LLC formation or about the agent service? Check the FAQ or contact us any weekday.
Ready to get started?
One yearly price covers everything we provide as your agent — office address, scans, deadline alerts.
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