Michigan Foreign LLCs (2026): Registration Fees and the 3 Best Services
Almanac pick for foreign LLC registration in Michigan, 2026: Mainstay Filing ($199), Michigan Registered Agent.co ($199) and MI Registered Agent.org ($199), ranked first to last. Michigan's fee for a foreign LLC is $50 plus $25 for each yearly report, which is 5th of 50.
Order from the five weighted criteria on the methodology page: three-year service fees at 32%, filings covered at 28%, then renewal price, fit with Michigan rules and clarity of fees.
1. Mainstay Filing: best for an expanding company
Top entryService $199, renewal $149/yr
Mainstay Filing is where the almanac starts: it files the Michigan registration at $199 beyond the state's fee, with year one of agent service thrown in.
The premium over Michigan Registered Agent.co is $100 across three years, and more of the state's paperwork gets handled for it.
Agent service after the free year: $149 a year in any state.
Out-of-state LLCs use the Application for Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Michigan (for foreign limited liability companies) (Form CSCL/CD 760) and register with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division ($50). The application needs certificate of good standing, issued within 30 days.
Then the company owes the annual statement ($25), February 15.
Filing checklist
Certificate of good standing, no older than 30 days.
Home-state legal name and formation date.
A resident agent based in the state, supplied by every service on this page.
Funds for the $50 official fee.
What skipping registration costs
A suit it tries to bring is blocked until registration is on file (MCL 450.5007(1)). What it signed stays in force (MCL 450.5007(3)).
Reasoning for the order
Of the five criteria, requirements covered (28%) is where Mainstay Filing pulled ahead of Michigan Registered Agent.co in Michigan.
A company registering in Michigan already has a home state; covering both with one provider scored highest.
Quick answers
What does a foreign LLC pay to register in Michigan?
$50 in state fees. A service adds $199.
What is the foreign registration form in Michigan?
Application for Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Michigan (for foreign limited liability companies) (Form CSCL/CD 760), filed with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division.
Is a certificate from the home state required?
Yes, certificate of good standing, dated within 30 days of the filing.
What does a foreign LLC owe each year?
It files the annual statement for $25.
What happens if the LLC operates there unregistered?
A suit it tries to bring is blocked until registration is on file (MCL 450.5007(1)). What it signed stays in force (MCL 450.5007(3)).
Does a foreign LLC need a resident agent in Michigan?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Who should handle the registration?
Mainstay Filing first, because a $199 service fee in any state, first agent year included. After it: Michigan Registered Agent.co and MI Registered Agent.org.