How to Start an LLC in Michigan (2026)

Full transcript

0:00 The short answer

Dan To start an LLC in Michigan, you file Articles of Organization, Form 700, with the Corporations Division of LARA, the state's licensing department, and pay the $50 filing fee.

Maya Fifty dollars. Is that all the state wants?

Dan For forming, yes. After that, you file an annual statement by February 15 every year, and that one is $25.

Maya This is The Business Formation Podcast. Today, Michigan for 2026, step by step, with the real costs and the three best ways to have it filed for you. What comes first?

0:34 Step 1: Choose a name

Dan Michigan wants limited liability company, L.L.C., or L.C. in the name. It also has to be distinguishable from names already on record.

Maya Can I put Inc. on the end?

Dan No. Words like corporation or inc aren't allowed in an LLC's name.

Maya How do I check what's available?

Dan Run a search in the free Business Entity Search. To hold a name before you file, you can reserve it for 180 days for $25.

1:03 Step 2: Name a resident agent

Maya And Michigan's registered agent?

Dan It's called a resident agent. You list a Michigan resident, or a business authorized in Michigan, at a Michigan street address, in Article 4 of your Articles.

Maya Could my LLC be its own agent?

Dan No. The company can't serve as its own agent.

Maya Does the agent's name become public?

Dan Yes, it goes on the public record, which is why many owners use a commercial agent. To change agents later, you file Form 520 for $5.

1:33 Step 3: File Articles of Organization

Maya Where do I send the form?

Dan Online, through the MiBusiness Registry portal, or by mail. You file Form 700 and pay $50.

Maya What does the online route look like?

Dan You sign in with a MiLogin for Business account and pay by card. The form itself is short. The name, the resident agent and registered office, and whether managers will run the company.

Maya I'm Maya, by the way, here with Dan.

Dan Great to be here with you, Maya. Now, timing. A review can take up to 10 business days.

Maya Can that be sped up?

Dan Yes. Expedite is $50 for 24 hours and $100 for same day. There are quicker options for two hours or one hour, and those cost more.

2:17 Step 4: Write an operating agreement

Maya Do I send my operating agreement to LARA?

Dan No. You keep it with your own records, and there's no state fee.

Maya What if I skip it?

Dan Michigan's default LLC rules then decide things like how profits are split. So write yours down. Who owns what, who makes decisions, and what happens if a member leaves.

2:39 Step 5: Get a free EIN

Maya Next, the federal tax number.

Dan Apply for your EIN free with the IRS at IRS.gov, once LARA has filed your Articles.

Maya Is it quick?

Dan If the online application is approved, the number is issued right away. Have the Social Security number or ITIN of the person in charge on hand.

Maya And the beneficial ownership report?

Dan Skip it. FinCEN no longer requires one from U.S. companies.

3:08 Step 6: File the annual statement by February 15

Maya What do I owe every year?

Dan An annual statement, filed online with LARA by February 15. The fee is $25.

Maya Can I mail it in?

Dan Not anymore. Paper statements are no longer accepted.

Maya What if my LLC is brand new?

Dan If you formed after September 30, you skip the very next February.

Maya And if I forget?

Dan Miss two years in a row, and after a notice your LLC loses its good standing. Its name also becomes available to others. Restoring it costs $50, plus $25 for each statement you missed.

3:45 What it costs

Maya What's the do-it-yourself total?

Dan $50 to form, then $25 every year. The EIN is free.

Maya And if I reserve a name first?

Dan That's $25 more, so $75 to reserve and form.

Maya So for most people it's $50.

Dan Yes. Add the $25 annual statement from the following year, and your first two years of state fees are as simple as that.

4:12 A calendar for year one

Maya Walk me through the order of things.

Dan Start with the name search and, if you like, the reservation. Then line up your resident agent, because Article 4 needs one before you can file.

Maya Then the filing?

Dan Yes. File Form 700 through the portal, and wait for LARA's review, which can take up to 10 business days if you don't expedite.

Maya And the EIN?

Dan Right after the Articles are filed. Then write the operating agreement.

Maya When does the first annual statement come due?

Dan By February 15. But if you formed after September 30, you skip the very next one, so your first statement lands a year later than you might think.

Maya Can I file it early?

Dan The deadline is what the state publishes, so plan around February 15 and set a reminder for January.

4:58 What good standing means

Maya You keep saying good standing. What is that, practically?

Dan It means the state sees your LLC as current on its filings. In Michigan, that comes down to the annual statement.

Maya And losing it is serious?

Dan It can be. After two missed years and a notice, the LLC loses its good standing, and its name becomes available to others.

Maya So the name you worked on could go to someone else.

Dan Yes. And restoring costs $50, plus $25 for each statement you missed. Filing on time costs $25.

Maya That math is easy.

Dan It is. Two missed years would mean $50 plus $50 to restore, which is $100, compared with $50 for two statements filed on time.

5:46 Why the resident agent matters

Maya Why spend time on the agent when the form is short?

Dan Because it's the part that touches you every year. Legal papers for your company go to that agent's address.

Maya So reliability counts.

Dan It does. You want someone staffed at a Michigan street address, not someone who might be out of town.

Maya And if I use my own address?

Dan You can, if you're a Michigan resident. Just know it goes on the public record.

6:11 The 3 best ways to file in Michigan

Maya Suppose I want this handled for me.

Dan Here are the three best ways to file in Michigan. Number one, our pick, is Mainstay Filing, $199 a year plus the state fee. With the $50 state fee, checkout comes to $249.

Maya What's inside that price?

Dan Your Articles filed, your EIN application, and your resident agent every year. It renews at the same $199.

Maya And the annual statement?

Dan In Michigan, Mainstay prepares and files it by February 15 every year. You pay only the $25 state fee.

Maya Who's second?

Dan MI Registered Agent.org. It prepares and files your Articles for $199 plus the state fee, with your first year of registered agent service free, then $99 a year.

Maya Third?

Dan Michigan Registered Agent.co. Same deal: $199 plus the state fee, a free first year of agent service, then $99 a year.

Maya How do I decide?

Dan If you'll file your own annual statement each February, numbers two and three cost less from year two, at $99 a year for the agent alone. The $25 state fee is the same either way. If you want the agent and the statement handled together, that's Mainstay.

7:35 Three years of service fees

Maya Give me the three-year view.

Dan Mainstay is $199 a year, so $597. The other two are $199 in year one, then $99 in each of the next two years, for $397.

Maya So $200 apart.

Dan Right. And in Michigan, that gap pays for the annual statement being filed for you.

8:00 Recap

Maya Can you run the whole thing one more time?

Dan Choose a name with LLC in it, name a resident agent at a Michigan street address, file Form 700 for $50, write an operating agreement, get your free EIN, and file your $25 annual statement by February 15 every year.

Maya The links to all three services and every official source are in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast, and good luck with your new Michigan LLC.