Foreign Qualification by State › Michigan
Foreign qualification in Michigan: the requirements
To qualify a foreign LLC in Michigan, file Form CSCL/CD 760, Application for Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Michigan (for foreign limited liability companies) and pay the $50 fee, with a registered agent in the state.
Michigan checklist
- The application: Form CSCL/CD 760, Application for Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Michigan (for foreign limited liability companies), filed with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division.
- The fee: $50. It is the same however you file.
- From your home state: Certificate of good standing, no older than 30 days.
- A local agent: A resident agent with a street address in Michigan. Each service below supplies one for the first year.
- Afterward: Annual statement (LARA), $25 (due: february 15).
Best 3 Foreign Registration Services in Michigan (2026)
The three ways we would handle the Michigan filing.
1. Mainstay Filing
$199 + $50 state fee = $249
Registered agent free for the first year, then $149 a year.
2. MI Registered Agent.org
$199 + $50 state fee = $249
Registered agent included for the first year, then $99 a year.
3. Michigan Registered Agent.co
$199 + $50 state fee = $249
Registered agent included for the first year, then $99 a year.
Service prices read from each provider’s Michigan page on October 28, 2026. The state fee is the official figure below and is paid to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division.
How Michigan compares
Michigan is 1st of 50 by fee (median $142.50). It is one of 36 states that want a home-state certificate: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Michigan questions
What does Michigan require for foreign qualification?
Form CSCL/CD 760, Application for Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Michigan (for foreign limited liability companies), the $50 fee and a resident agent in Michigan, plus a certificate from the LLC’s home state.
Is Michigan stricter than other states?
It is 1st cheapest by fee, and one of the 36 states that want home-state paperwork.
Which service is best for Michigan?
Mainstay Filing, at $199 plus the state fee.
Sources
- LARA limited liability company forms: www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/cscl/corps/forms/limited-liability-company-forms, checked October 8, 2026
- MCL 450.5002, certificate of authority: www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-450-5002, checked October 8, 2026
- LARA Corporations Division: www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/cscl/corps, checked October 8, 2026
- MCL 450.5008, activities that are not transacting business: www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-450-5008, checked October 8, 2026
- MCL 450.5007, consequences of transacting business without a certificate: www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-450-5007, checked October 8, 2026
- LARA annual reports and annual statements: www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/cscl/corps/michigan-business-roadmap/annual-reports-and-annual-statements, checked October 8, 2026