How to Register a Business in Michigan: Foreign Registration Guide (2026)
If your company was formed in another state and now has employees, an office or regular business in Michigan, you register with Michigan's Corporations Division, part of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), by filing an Application for Certificate of Authority. Here is what it costs, what you need, and what comes after.
Michigan at a glance
Item | Michigan |
|---|---|
Filing | Application for Certificate of Authority to Transact Business |
Where | MiBusiness Registry online, by mail or in person (LARA Corporations Division) |
State fee | $60 for corporations, $50 for LLCs |
Typical processing | 1–2 weeks; 24-hour expedite available for $50 |
You'll need | A certificate of good standing from your home state (for LLCs, dated within 30 days of filing) |
Registered agent | Required (Michigan calls it a resident agent), with a Michigan street address |
Ongoing filing | Corporations: annual report by May 15 ($25). LLCs: annual statement by February 15 ($25) |
Do you need to register in Michigan?
You generally need to register if your company is "doing business" in Michigan, for example if you:
Have an office, store or warehouse in Michigan
Employ people who live and work in Michigan
Regularly sell to, or provide services for, Michigan customers
Activities that usually don't count on their own include holding a bank account in Michigan, holding internal meetings there, and isolated one-off transactions. If you're unsure, check with your attorney or book a call with us.
Hiring a remote employee in Michigan always means opening Michigan payroll tax accounts, even when Secretary of State registration isn't required. See the payroll section below.
How to register, step by step
Get a certificate of good standing from your home state. For LLCs, Michigan won't accept one dated more than 30 days before it receives your filing.
Choose a Michigan resident agent. See the rules below.
File the Application for Certificate of Authority. File online through the MiBusiness Registry, by mail to the Corporations Division, P.O. Box 30054, Lansing, MI 48909, or in person in Lansing. Corporations pay $60; LLCs pay $50. If you're in a hurry, 24-hour service costs an extra $50.
Save your approval and Michigan ID number. You'll need them for payroll and tax registrations.
Registered agent rules in Michigan
Michigan calls the registered agent a resident agent. Every registered business must name one with a registered office at a Michigan street address. If you don't keep an agent, the state itself becomes your agent for lawsuits, which means you can be sued without knowing it.
Using an employee as your agent is allowed, but it means legal papers go to one person's home, and they're lost if that person leaves. A commercial registered agent avoids that. Every AbstractOps plan includes registered agent service.
Annual reports and statements
Michigan has different annual filings for corporations and LLCs. Corporations file an annual report every year by May 15, starting the year after they register; the fee is $25, with a $10 penalty for each month it is late. Out-of-state corporations can owe more if the share of their business attributed to Michigan grows.
LLCs file an annual statement by February 15 every year, also $25. An LLC that registers after September 30 can skip the first February 15 statement. Both are filed online through the MiBusiness Registry.
Michigan payroll accounts
If you have employees in Michigan, you'll also need:
A withholding account with the Michigan Department of Treasury.
An unemployment insurance account with the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency.
City income tax, where it applies. Detroit and a number of other Michigan cities levy their own income tax, so check where each employee lives and works.
Our Michigan payroll tax registration guide walks through the details.
Michigan registration FAQ
How much does it cost to register a foreign LLC or corporation in Michigan?
$50 for an LLC or $60 for a corporation, plus the cost of your home state's certificate of good standing.
How long does Michigan take?
Typically 1–2 weeks. 24-hour expedited service costs an extra $50.
Do Michigan LLCs file an annual report?
Yes. LLCs file an annual statement by February 15 each year ($25). Corporations file an annual report by May 15 ($25).
What is a resident agent in Michigan?
Michigan's name for a registered agent: the person or company at a Michigan street address that receives legal papers for your business.
Let us handle Michigan for you
AbstractOps files your Michigan registration, acts as your registered agent, opens your payroll accounts and tracks your annual filings, from $250 per state per year. Start a 7-day free trial or book a 15-minute call.
This guide is for general information and isn't tax or legal advice. Fees and rules change; confirm current requirements with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division.