[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.