No.1
Our top pick
1. Mainstay Filing: best for businesses active in several states
Service charge $199, with the state fee separate ($249 due at checkout in all); the agent costs $149 a year from the second year
Score9.1out of 10
First place: Mainstay Filing. $199 covers the Michigan registration and the resident agent role is free the first year, then $149 annually.
After the free first year, the agent is $149 annually, whichever state the company chooses.
Its three-year total exceeds Michigan Registered Agent.co's by $100; the broader coverage outweighs that difference in our scoring.
In the price
- Registration paperwork handled for you
- Same-business-day scanning of legal papers served, free of charge
Why pick it
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
- One price in each of the fifty states
- A $199 service charge, with the state's fee added
Weak spots
- The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 more than Michigan Registered Agent.co
No.2
Best for a Michigan-only company
2. Michigan Registered Agent.co: best for companies that only add Michigan
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one
Score8.7out of 10
Second place: Michigan Registered Agent.co. The Michigan registration costs $199 with the first agent year included, and $99 a year follows.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
In the price
- The registration filing
- The first year of resident agent service
Why pick it
- Registration at $199, with the state fee extra
- The first year as resident agent is free
- Afterward, $99 a year keeps the agent
Weak spots
- Serves Michigan only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
No.3
Best for a Michigan-only company
3. MI Registered Agent.org: best for Michigan registrations only
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one
Score8.5out of 10
Third place: MI Registered Agent.org. The Michigan registration costs $199 with the first agent year included, and $99 a year follows.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The published prices and features of Michigan Registered Agent.co and MI Registered Agent.org are identical, which makes the order between them close.
In the price
- The registration filing
- One year of resident agent service at the start
Why pick it
- Twelve months as your resident agent come with it
- Agent charge of $99 a year after the first
- $199 to register, state fee on top
Weak spots
- Serves Michigan only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Service charge | Year two | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.1 | $199 | $149/yr | Businesses spread over several states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 2 | Michigan Registered Agent.co | 8.7 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit Michigan Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 3 | MI Registered Agent.org | 8.5 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit MI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
The Startup Judge assigns each score out of 10 itself, applying the criteria on
How we rank; no customer ratings are used.
Michigan foreign registration service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Agent covered in year one |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149 | $149 | $497 | Not stated |
|---|
| Michigan Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
| MI Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Michigan's $50 registration fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.
The reasoning for the order
The Startup Judge weighs charge over three years at 31% and work taken off the founder at 31%; renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight divide the remaining 38%. In Michigan, work taken off the founder was the criterion that tipped it.
A second-state registration involves two jurisdictions. One provider at one price in both earned the higher coverage score, ahead of Michigan Registered Agent.co.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
Foreign LLC registration in Michigan: the form, the office and the fee
Registration is lodged with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division using the Application for Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Michigan (for foreign limited liability companies) (Form CSCL/CD 760). The state fee is $50. Michigan also requires certificate of good standing, issued no more than 30 days before the filing.
Once registered, the company's recurring filing is the annual statement, priced at $25, with a due date of February 15.
Items to gather before filing
- Certificate of good standing, no older than 30 days at filing.
- The exact legal name registered in the home state, along with the date it was formed.
- A resident agent whose street address is in the state. Any provider on this page can fill the role.
- The $50 state fee, remitted with the application.
- A date in your calendar for the annual statement, which carries a $25 fee.
Consequences of operating in Michigan unregistered
Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC may not sue in Michigan courts (MCL 450.5007(1)). The contracts it makes stay enforceable (MCL 450.5007(3)).
Questions on Michigan foreign registration services
Is an out-of-state LLC required to register in Michigan?
Yes, as soon as it conducts business there. Until it registers, it has no standing to sue in that state's courts.
What will foreign registration in Michigan run in total?
The state fee is $50; service charges run $199.
What does Michigan call its foreign registration form?
The Application for Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Michigan (for foreign limited liability companies) (Form CSCL/CD 760), lodged with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division.
Must the home state vouch for the company before Michigan accepts it?
It must. Certificate of good standing, issued no more than 30 days before filing accompanies the application.
Is a resident agent still needed after the company is registered?
Yes. A resident agent with a street address in the state stays on file for as long as the registration lasts.
Which foreign registration service does the record favor in Michigan?
Mainstay Filing, since $199 is added to the state fee in any state, and the first year as resident agent is included.
The record
- Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau, Corporations Division, on the record as of August 2026
- Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau, Corporations Division, on the record as of August 2026
- Michigan report due date, on the record as of August 2026
- MCL 450.4202, on the record as of August 2026
- Michigan formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of September 2026
- Michigan formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of September 2026
- Michigan registered agent statute, on the record as of October 2026
- LARA limited liability company forms, on the record as of October 2026
- MCL 450.5002, certificate of authority, on the record as of October 2026
- MCL 450.5008, activities that are not transacting business, on the record as of October 2026
- MCL 450.5007, consequences of transacting business without a certificate, on the record as of October 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Michigan service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Michigan Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: MI Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026