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LLC 101 Guide

Unit 1 · Michigan

Starting an LLC in Michigan (2026): 7 Tasks and the 3 Best LLC Services

Our 2026 Michigan picks for setting up an LLC, strongest to weakest, are Mainstay Filing ($199), MI Registered Agent.org ($199) and Michigan Registered Agent.co ($199). Setting up the LLC means 7 tasks and a $50 fee to the state, then the annual statement every year.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Key facts for this unit

State filing fee
$50
Taken from legislature.mi.gov in September 2026
Annual statement
$25 a year
Due date per the state: February 15
State cost, years 1 to 3
$100
Formation, reports and any minimum tax
How many tasks
7
Listed below

By the end you will know

  • What Michigan charges to form an LLC and who takes the filing
  • What the agent rule says
  • How to stay in good standing
  • How the picks stack up

Who we would hire in Michigan

Cost over three years leads, then assignments completed, renewal price, Michigan fit and plain pricing (grading page).

Top of the class

1. Mainstay Filing: best for getting the annual statement done for you

Start with this one$199 a year that renews at $199

In Michigan, Mainstay Filing leads the class: a flat $199 covers formation, the resident agent and the annual statement, and renewal costs $199.

Three years run $200 higher than with MI Registered Agent.org, but it completes more of the assignments, and the grade pays for that.

It also sends in the annual statement, with Michigan's $25 fee billed at cost.

What the price covers

  • Formation filing prepared and sent
  • Resident agent for the whole year
  • Annual statement filed for you on time
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • The official fee, nothing added

What works

  • $199 when you renew
  • $199 per year for the whole package
  • The EIN task is part of the package

What to weigh

  • MI Registered Agent.org renews for $100 less
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. MI Registered Agent.org: best for a small first bill

One-state plan$199 and fees, then $99 each year

Our second choice, MI Registered Agent.org: $199 above the state fee, agent included for year one, then $99 a year.

Set aside time for the annual statement every year; the price does not cover it.

What the price covers

  • Filing made with the state
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • First agent year included
  • The agent renews at $99
  • $199 to form

What to weigh

  • Filing the annual statement is not in the price
  • It bills $99 for the EIN task
Visit MI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. Michigan Registered Agent.co: best for owners who file their own reports

One-state plan$199 and fees, then $99 each year

Our third choice, Michigan Registered Agent.co: $199 above the state fee, agent included for year one, then $99 a year.

Set aside time for the annual statement every year; the price does not cover it.

On price, it is level with MI Registered Agent.org.

What the price covers

  • Filing made with the state
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • First agent year included
  • $199 to form
  • The agent renews at $99

What to weigh

  • Filing the annual statement is not in the price
  • It bills $99 for the EIN task
Visit Michigan Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

All the prices in one table

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2MI Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit MI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Michigan Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Michigan Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Taken from each company's price page on November 13, 2026. Add the $50 state fee to every row.

How a Michigan LLC gets formed

  1. Task 1

    Name the company

    Do the name search at the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) first and the rest of the unit goes smoothly in Michigan.

    Keep a second choice in your pocket.

  2. Task 2

    Get a resident agent in place

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A Michigan resident, or a corporation or LLC formed in Michigan or authorized there, whose business office (or, for a person, residence) is the registered office.

    The address has to be a registered office in Michigan, which does not have to be the place of business. P.O. boxes are not accepted.

    Any of the recommended services can take the resident agent job.

    Source: Taken from legislature.mi.gov in October 2026

  3. Task 3

    Compare doing it alone with paying for help

    Filing on your own costs just the $50 state fee. A service adds $199 and handles the forms; the ranking shows which to choose.

  4. Task 4

    Work through the Articles of Organization

    Once the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) accepts the Articles of Organization (Form CSCL/CD-700) and $50, the LLC exists, as MCL 450.4202 provides. Turnaround, according to the state: Up to 10 business days for non-expedited.

    Source: Taken from legislature.mi.gov in September 2026

  5. Task 5

    Request your EIN

    State approval first, IRS number second. This task is inside the Mainstay Filing package.

  6. Task 6

    Write an operating agreement

    Think of the operating agreement as the owners' rulebook. Keep it with the company records; the state never asks for it.

  7. Task 7

    Keep the LLC active

    To stay active, send the annual statement every year ($25) by February 15. Late filings bring $10.

    Source: Taken from michigan.gov in August 2026

Michigan costs by task

Line itemWho gets paidSum
Formation feeState office$50
Annual statementState office$25 every year
Late filingState office$10
A filing service (optional)The provider$199 at the start
State fees for the first three yearsState office$100
State amounts come from Michigan's official fee schedules (see the sources below); service prices come from each company's site. The three-year state total adds the filing, the reports for years two and three and any minimum tax.

How the grades came out

pulled ahead of on assignments the price completes, a criterion worth 31%.

Doing the annual statement for you outweighed the lower price under our weights.

Michigan questions

What will it cost to register a new LLC with Michigan?

$50, paid to the state. Service fees among our picks go from $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

Task 4 shows how to complete the Articles of Organization (Form CSCL/CD-700) and where to send it: the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA).

Is a resident agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

How long does Michigan take to process the filing?

Plan for Up to 10 business days for non-expedited.

What does Michigan require each year?

Calendar note on the annual statement: $25, filed every year, timing as the state words it: February 15.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

A service is optional. Owners can send the papers in with the $50 fee as long as they appoint a resident agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Mainstay Filing, because one price, $199 a year, pays for the filing, the resident agent and the annual statement, and it stays at $199 when you renew. After it come MI Registered Agent.org and Michigan Registered Agent.co.

Reading list and sources

  1. Reading list entry for Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations: michigan.gov, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  2. Reading list entry for Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations: michigan.gov, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  3. Reading list entry for Michigan report due date: michigan.gov, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  4. Reading list entry for MCL 450.4202: legislature.mi.gov, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  5. Reading list entry for Michigan formation fee: Filing fee, official source: michigan.gov, reread September 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  6. Reading list entry for Michigan formation fee: Filing fee, official source: legislature.mi.gov, reread September 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  7. Reading list entry for Michigan registered agent statute: legislature.mi.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  8. Reading list entry for Processing time, official source: michigan.gov, reread September 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  9. Mainstay Filing Michigan service page, opened November 13, 2026
  10. MI Registered Agent.org pricing page, opened November 13, 2026
  11. Michigan Registered Agent.co pricing page, opened November 13, 2026