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LLC SchoolhousePlain LLC lessons, one state at a time.

Session 1 · Michigan

How to Start an LLC in Michigan (2026): a 7-Step Lesson and the 3 Best LLC Services

Here is who we would send a new founder to for setting up an LLC in Michigan in 2026: Michigan Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and MI Registered Agent.org ($199), in grade order. The lesson below has 7 steps, beginning with the $50 state filing fee and ending with the annual statement.

Taught by the LLC Schoolhouse editors

This lesson at a glance

Fee to file$50Look it up at legislature.mi.gov; last checked September 2026
Annual statement$25 a yearMark your calendar: February 15
State fees over three years$100Service fees not included
Lesson steps7From start to finish

What you will learn

  • Where to file in Michigan and what the fee is
  • How to meet the resident agent rule
  • How to stay in good standing
  • Who we would hire to file

If you would like help with the filing

Five weighted criteria from how we grade set the order, and three-year cost and steps handled count most.
Top of the class

1. Michigan Registered Agent.co: best for a small first bill

$199 plus fees, $99 yearly after

Michigan Registered Agent.co earns the highest mark because $199 on top of the state fee, with the first year of agent service thrown in, then $99 yearly.

A lower three-year cost than Mainstay Filing earns it first place; cost counts for 32% of the grade.

The annual statement remains on your to-do list every year.

What the price covers

  • Formation prepared and filed
  • The first year of agent service

Marks in its favor

  • No agent fee in year one
  • Then $99 a year
  • $199 to form

Where it loses points

  • There is no annual statement service
  • It charges $99 for the EIN step
All fifty states

2. Mainstay Filing: best for new founders who want it handled

Annual price $199, renewal price $199, state fee extra

Mainstay Filing lands in second place, and the reason is clear: you pay $199 each year and the formation, the resident agent service and the annual statement all get done.

Michigan Registered Agent.co is $200 lower across three years, which keeps this one out of first.

That includes the annual statement, with the state's $25 billed at cost.

What the price covers

  • The filing is done for you
  • Resident agent for twelve months
  • Annual statement prepared and filed
  • The EIN application
  • No markup on the state fee

Marks in its favor

  • The EIN application is included
  • Renewal stays at $199
  • $199 per year for the whole bundle

Where it loses points

  • $100 a year more than Michigan Registered Agent.co's renewal
In-state service

3. MI Registered Agent.org: best for a low agent renewal

$199 plus fees, $99 yearly after

MI Registered Agent.org is a sound third choice because $199 on top of the state fee, with the first year of agent service thrown in, then $99 yearly.

The annual statement remains on your to-do list every year.

It posts the same prices as Michigan Registered Agent.co.

What the price covers

  • Formation prepared and filed
  • The first year of agent service

Marks in its favor

  • No agent fee in year one
  • Then $99 a year
  • $199 to form

Where it loses points

  • There is no annual statement service
  • It charges $99 for the EIN step

Our Michigan picks side by side

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Michigan Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Michigan Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3MI Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit MI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices come from each company's own site, read November 13, 2026. The state fee ($50) is not counted.

Starting an LLC in Michigan, one step at a time

  1. Step
    1

    Settle on a name

    Your first task is a name search in the records kept by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), because a taken name in Michigan can get your filing returned.

    A backup name helps if the first one is taken.

  2. Step
    2

    Decide who your resident agent will be

    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.

    All of our picks fill the resident agent role.

    Where this comes from: Look it up at legislature.mi.gov; last checked October 2026

  3. Step
    3

    Choose between DIY and a service

    Either way the state keeps $50. A filing service adds $199, and our grades show which one is worth it.

  4. Step
    4

    Prepare and file the Articles of Organization

    Here is the filing that creates the company: the Articles of Organization (Form CSCL/CD-700), which you deliver to the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) with a $50 fee, under MCL 450.4202. The state says it processes filings in Up to 10 business days for non-expedited.

    Where this comes from: Look it up at legislature.mi.gov; last checked September 2026

  5. Step
    5

    Obtain an EIN

    Wait for the state to approve the LLC, then request the EIN from the IRS. If you hire Mainstay Filing, it files the EIN application for you.

  6. Step
    6

    Write an operating agreement

    Think of the operating agreement as the LLC's rulebook: who owns what, kept by you and not sent to the state.

  7. Step
    7

    Look ahead to year two

    What recurs is the annual statement ($25, every year, by February 15). Filing late adds $10.

    Where this comes from: Look it up at michigan.gov; last checked August 2026

Michigan costs by step

StepGoes toPrice
Filing the LLCTo the state$50
Annual statementTo the state$25 every year
Late feeTo the state$10
Filing service (optional)The provider$199 to start
State total over three yearsTo the state$100
State fees come from the official sources listed in the references. For three years we count the filing, two years of reports and the minimum tax where it applies.

How we graded the Michigan picks

What settled it was tuition over three years, worth 32% of the grade.

Paying Michigan Registered Agent.co for three years adds up to $397, which is $200 below the Mainstay Filing total.

Common questions

What does it cost to form an LLC in Michigan?

Filing costs $50. Service fees among our picks run $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

The LLC comes into being when the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) accepts the Articles of Organization (Form CSCL/CD-700).

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?

Processing takes Up to 10 business days for non-expedited.

What does Michigan require each year?

Expect to file the annual statement every year, paying $25 by the deadline: February 15.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Yes, you may. Pay the state $50 when you file, and remember that the LLC still needs a resident agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

By grade: Michigan Registered Agent.co, Mainstay Filing and MI Registered Agent.org. Michigan Registered Agent.co is first because it forms the Michigan LLC for $199 and covers the agent for year one, after which the agent renews at $99.

Related lessons

Class references

  1. Source for Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations: michigan.gov, confirmed in August 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  2. Source for Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations: michigan.gov, confirmed in August 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  3. Source for Michigan report due date: michigan.gov, confirmed in August 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  4. Source for MCL 450.4202: legislature.mi.gov, confirmed in August 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  5. Source for Michigan formation fee: Filing fee, official source: michigan.gov, confirmed in September 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  6. Source for Michigan formation fee: Filing fee, official source: legislature.mi.gov, confirmed in September 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  7. Source for Michigan registered agent statute: legislature.mi.gov, confirmed in October 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  8. Source for Processing time, official source: michigan.gov, confirmed in September 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  9. Michigan Registered Agent.co pricing page: opened and read on November 13, 2026
  10. Mainstay Filing Michigan service page: opened and read on November 13, 2026
  11. MI Registered Agent.org pricing page: opened and read on November 13, 2026