How to start an LLC in Michigan

From the name check to the first Annual Statement, in the order Michigan expects them.

A Michigan LLC's filings and state fees, in the order they come.
  1. To form it Articles of Organization, $50
  2. Every year Annual Statement, $25, due February 15, starting the year after formation (none the first February 15 if formed after September 30)

A Michigan LLC is formed by filing the Articles of Organization with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, for $50. Keeping it costs $25 a year in state fees after that.

File with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs

Before you file in Michigan

Michigan registers businesses through LARA and calls the registered agent a resident agent. An LLC that misses two annual statements loses good standing and its name becomes available to others.

Forming the LLC, step by step

  1. Check that the name is free

    Start from our Michigan business lookup or go straight to the official Michigan search. Search the name in the MiBusiness Registry Portal; it must be distinguishable from other corporations, LLCs and limited partnerships on record. The Corporations Division publishes name availability guidelines and a restricted word list, and decides when the articles are filed.

    It also needs an LLC ending, such as "LLC". For when two names count as the same, see checking LLC name availability.

  2. Reserve the name, if you want to hold it

    Optional. If you are not ready to file, a reservation costs $25 and holds the name for six months following the month of filing (LLC); corporations pay $10. Source, checked 2026-10-26

  3. Appoint a resident agent

    Michigan calls it the Resident Agent.

    Every Michigan LLC names one in its filing: a person or company with a street address in Michigan who accepts legal papers for it. You can be your own agent, but your address then goes on the public record. More in what a registered agent does.

  4. File the Articles of Organization

    File the Articles of Organization (Form CSCL/CD-700) with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. The state fee is $50. Source, checked 2026-10-26

  5. Get an EIN from the IRS, free

    Once Michigan approves the LLC, apply for an Employer Identification Number on the IRS EIN page. It is free and issued online as soon as the application is approved; a site that charges for it is selling a service, not the number.

  6. Write an operating agreement

    Michigan does not collect it, but write one anyway, even for a one-person LLC: it settles ownership, decisions and exits on your terms instead of the state's default rules. What goes in an operating agreement.

  7. Keep it in good standing

    Annual Statement: $25, every year, due February 15, starting the year after formation (none the first February 15 if formed after September 30). Source, checked 2026-10-26

    Keep the resident agent and the addresses on file up to date too: a state can dissolve an LLC that misses its filings or loses its agent.

What a Michigan LLC costs

To form $50
  • Articles of Organization Source, checked 2026-10-26 $50
Every year to keep it $25 a year
  • Annual Statement Source, checked 2026-10-26 $25 a year

Annual Statement: due February 15, starting the year after formation (none the first February 15 if formed after September 30).

State fees only, as each state publishes them, checked on the date beside each line. Not legal or tax advice.

These are the state's fees. A commercial agent and local licenses, if you need them, are extra.

Look up any Michigan company, yours included once it is filed, in our Michigan business lookup. For a bank account, licenses and permits, see how to start an LLC.

General information, not legal or tax advice. Facts checked 2026-10-26 against the official sources linked above; confirm with the state or the IRS before you file. How we check our facts · Report an error