Michigan LLC Cost: $50 to File Articles (2026)

Make your Michigan business official. Have your LLC paperwork prepared and filed so you can focus on getting your business off the ground.

• Your business name checked before filing.
• Your formation paperwork prepared and submitted.
• Your formation documents together in an online account.

$0 service fee + $50 state filing fee

Start my Michigan LLC

Filing service by ZenBusiness. Choose Starter for the $0 service fee. State follow-up charges and optional services and renewals are separate.

We may earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no additional cost to you.

Get the paperwork handled and your company underway

With ZenBusiness, you provide the details and its team handles the Michigan formation filing. You get electronic documents and customer support by phone, chat and email.

Use your approved LLC records to open a company bank account, organize your ownership agreement and do business under the company name. The state-specific costs and next steps below help you plan what comes after approval.

What it costs to start a Michigan LLC

A Michigan LLC costs $50 to file Articles of Organization (Form CSCL/CD-700) with LARA’s Corporations Division. Most LLCs then file a $25 Annual Statement by February 15 (with an exception if formed after September 30).

Start with the LARA LLC page and the annual statements guide.

Budget example: $50 to form plus $25 for the first Annual Statement is a lean LARA path before Treasury registration, insurance, or local licenses. No Michigan franchise tax is identified for a standard LLC. Expedited processing is optional. If you need a filed LLC for a lease or bank appointment, confirm current CSCL/CD-272 expedite tiers rather than assuming same-day acceptance on the standard channel.

Michigan’s combination of a $50 formation fee and a $25 Annual Statement is relatively inexpensive among Great Lakes states. The main risk is missing February 15—not a high recurring tax disguised as an SOS fee. Before you open, decide whether you need assumed-name (DBA) filings, professional licensing, or local permits. None of those replace the $50 Articles filing, and none of them are included in the $25 Annual Statement.

Choose the services you want with your filing

Starter’s base formation service does not renew. Registered-agent service, an EIN service, an operating agreement and faster preparation are optional purchases.

The preselected website-builder trial renews at $15/month after 30 days; you can remove it at checkout. Optional Worry-Free Compliance is free for the first year and renews at $199/year. Registered-agent service is listed separately at $199/year; first-year promotions may differ.

Review the services and renewal terms in your order. Provider details checked October 14, 2026 against ZenBusiness’s formation plans.

How to start your Michigan LLC

Use your company details to get the formation paperwork prepared and submitted. Here is how the filing service works:

1. Enter your business details. Choose Michigan, your company name and the information requested for the filing.
2. Review your services and order. Select Starter for the $0 base service fee. ZenBusiness prepares and submits the formation document from your answers.
3. Save your approved company records. Once the filing office accepts the paperwork, use the documents to finish your banking and business setup.

Your Michigan filing checklist and required next steps

1. Check the name in LARA’s business entity search and include a proper LLC designator. Acceptance is not trademark clearance.
2. Appoint a resident agent with a Michigan street address and obtain consent.
3. Decide management (member-managed vs manager-managed) for the Articles.
4. File Articles online at MiBusiness / corpfileonline (CSCL/CD-700) and pay $50.
5. Confirm acceptance and calendar the Annual Statement rules for February 15.

Check your proposed name in the Michigan business search.

How long does approval take?

Online filings are often processed quickly, but the LLC exists only when LARA accepts the Articles. ZenBusiness’s 7–10 business day preparation estimate is separate from state review. Leave buffer for name conflicts. Online filing requires a MiLogin for Business account. Build a few minutes into your plan for account creation before you start Form CSCL/CD-700.

Can I file directly with Michigan?

Yes. You can prepare and submit the filing yourself through the Michigan official LLC filing service. A formation service handles preparation and submission from the information you provide. The government charges and required follow-up steps above still apply.

Choose your Michigan resident agent

You can serve as your own agent if you continuously maintain a Michigan registered-office street address and meet LARA resident-agent rules. A member may serve when those conditions are met.

If you travel or work from customer sites, a commercial agent may be more reliable for service of process. Compare delivery procedures and renewal pricing.

Plan addresses before filing. LARA records are public—enter accurate registered-office and agent information in each field.

LARA uses “resident agent” language. The registered office must be a Michigan street address capable of receiving service of process during ordinary business hours expectations.

Michigan LLC Annual Statement: $25 by February 15

Michigan LLCs file an Annual Statement with LARA. The standard LLC fee is $25, due not later than February 15. If formed after September 30, you generally skip the February 15 immediately succeeding formation, then follow the ordinary cycle.

Professional LLCs use a combined Annual Statement and Report ($75) with a $50 late penalty after February 15 on LARA’s annual page—confirm PLLC rules if you practice a licensed profession.

Example: formed June 2026 → plan for February 15, 2027. Formed October 2026 → generally skip February 15, 2027, then file by February 15, 2028. Verify your portal status.

If you form late in the year (after September 30), do not assume you skip forever—you only skip the February 15 immediately succeeding formation. Mark the following February 15 as soon as Articles are accepted.

Keep the email on file with LARA current; impending dissolution notices and statement reminders go to the registered contact path the bureau uses.

Get your Michigan LLC filing underway

Put the formation paperwork in ZenBusiness’s hands. Starter has a $0 service fee plus the applicable Michigan charges detailed above.

Start my Michigan LLC

Continue to ZenBusiness to enter your details and review your order. Optional services and renewal details.

We may earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no additional cost to you.

Put your approved LLC to work

• Document how the LLC works. An operating agreement can set ownership, contributions, decision-making, distributions, and exit arrangements. Michigan’s filing office generally does not require you to file the agreement with the formation paperwork—keep it with your company records. For multiple owners, resolve disagreements before money or contracts are committed.Use the basic LLC operating agreement tool as a starting point.
• Get an EIN when needed. Form the entity first, then use the free IRS application if eligible. A paid EIN service handles the application for you. Save the confirmation for banking and tax records.
• Open your business bank account. Ask the bank for its document checklist and establish a bookkeeping process. Use the correct legal business name on applications and contracts; keep any trade-name registrations consistent.
• Complete taxes and operating approvals. LLC formation does not itself select S-corporation taxation or issue a professional license. The IRS explains LLC tax classifications. Identify the state and local requirements for your actual work before opening.
• Check the current BOI rule. As of this review, FinCEN exempts entities created in the United States from beneficial-ownership reporting. A newly created domestic LLC generally falls within that exemption. Consult FinCEN directly for the current rule.

After filing, check Michigan Department of Treasury registration needs for sales, withholding, or other accounts that apply to your actual operations.

Insurance guidance for your Michigan business

Match coverage to your services, employees, equipment and client contracts. Start with the relevant guide:

• Michigan cleaning business insurance
• Michigan food truck insurance
• Michigan HVAC insurance
• Michigan landscaping insurance
• Michigan daycare insurance

Continue with the Michigan business guide for the broader startup process.

Annual-statement late penalty

An ordinary Michigan LLC’s annual statement costs $25 and is due February 15, subject to the existing exception for an LLC formed after September 30 of the preceding year. LARA imposes a $50 penalty when the statement is received after February 15; this is not limited to PLLCs. See LARA’s annual reports and statements guidance.

Michigan LLC questions before you start

This guide is for creating a new Michigan LLC. If you already have an LLC formed in another state, check Michigan’s foreign-entity registration requirements before creating a second company.

Page updated October 14, 2026. State-source review: September 14, 2026. ZenBusiness package terms checked October 14, 2026.