Mainstay Filing takes the top spot because it charges $199 on top of the state fee, serves as resident agent free for year one and prices every state the same.
Past the free first year, agent service runs $149 a year, and that holds in every state.
Its three-year total is $100 above Michigan Registered Agent.co's, and what the price covers justifies that gap for us.
In the price
- Registration paperwork done for you
- Papers served on the company scanned free on the day they arrive
Good
- The same price in each of the fifty states
- Papers served on the company are scanned the same business day at no charge
- $199 service fee, with the state's fee added
Watch for
- The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 above Michigan Registered Agent.co
Michigan Registered Agent.co makes the list at number two because registering costs $199 plus the state fee, with the first resident agent year covered, then $99 a year for the agent.
The registered office is an in-state street address supplied by the plan, and any papers served on the company show up as scans in your online account.
In the price
- Michigan registration filed for you
- The first year as resident agent
Good
- The resident agent role is free for the first year
- $199 for the service, state fee extra
- $99 a year afterward for the agent
Watch for
- Michigan only; your home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application is an extra charge ($99)
MI Registered Agent.org makes the list at number three because registering costs $199 plus the state fee, with the first resident agent year covered, then $99 a year for the agent.
The registered office is an in-state street address supplied by the plan, and any papers served on the company show up as scans in your online account.
The published prices and features of Michigan Registered Agent.co and MI Registered Agent.org are identical, so the order between them is a coin flip between solid options.
In the price
- Michigan registration filed for you
- One year of resident agent service to start
Good
- The agent is $99 a year from year two
- Registration costs $199 before the state fee
- A year as your resident agent comes included
Watch for
- Michigan only; your home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application is an extra charge ($99)
The 3 picks side by side
Filing Shortlist sets each score out of 10 itself, using the criteria on How we rank; no customer ratings feed in.
Michigan foreign registration service pricing in 2026: first year, renewals, three-year total
Every price comes from the company's own pages as of November 12, 2026. The $50 Michigan registration fee comes on top of each row and is left out of the totals.
Why these made the shortlist
On Filing Shortlist's shortlist, three-year price and what the price covers carry 28% each and renewal terms, fit for the state and price clarity share the other 44%. In Michigan, what the price covers made the difference.
Registering in a second state touches two states, and one provider with one price in both scored highest on coverage, ahead of Michigan Registered Agent.co.
Every criterion and weight is set out on How we rank.
Registering a foreign LLC in Michigan: fee, form and office
Registration goes to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division on 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. Along with the form, Michigan expects certificate of good standing, no older than 30 days when you file.
Each year after that, the company files the annual statement for $25, due February 15.
What to have ready before you file
- Certificate of good standing, dated within 30 days of filing.
- The company's exact legal name and its formation date in the home state.
- A resident agent at a street address in the state. Every company on this shortlist can be that agent.
- Payment of the $50 state fee with the filing.
- A reminder in your own calendar for the annual statement and its $25 fee.
The cost of skipping Michigan registration
An unregistered out-of-state LLC cannot sue in Michigan courts (MCL 450.5007(1)). Its contracts remain valid (MCL 450.5007(3)).
Common questions about Michigan foreign registration services
Must an LLC from another state register in Michigan?
It must, once it does business in the state. An unregistered company cannot sue in the state's courts until it does.
What is the full price of a foreign LLC registration in Michigan?
The state fee is $50, and service fees run $199.
What is the Michigan foreign registration form called?
It is the Application for Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Michigan (for foreign limited liability companies) (Form CSCL/CD 760), submitted to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division.
Does Michigan ask for proof of good standing from home?
It does. The state wants certificate of good standing, dated no more than 30 days before the filing.
Does a registered foreign LLC still need a resident agent?
Yes. The company keeps a resident agent in the state, at a street address there, for as long as it stays registered.
Which service leads the Michigan foreign registration shortlist?
Mainstay Filing, because $199 prepares the Michigan registration and the resident agent role costs nothing in year one, then $149 a year.
Where the figures come from
- Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau, Corporations Division (checked again August 2026)
- Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau, Corporations Division (checked again August 2026)
- Michigan report due date (checked again August 2026)
- MCL 450.4202 (checked again August 2026)
- Michigan formation fee: Filing fee, official source (checked again September 2026)
- Michigan formation fee: Filing fee, official source (checked again September 2026)
- Michigan registered agent statute (checked again October 2026)
- LARA limited liability company forms (checked again October 2026)
- MCL 450.5002, certificate of authority (checked again October 2026)
- MCL 450.5008, activities that are not transacting business (checked again October 2026)
- MCL 450.5007, consequences of transacting business without a certificate (checked again October 2026)
- Pulled from Mainstay Filing: Michigan service page, November 12, 2026
- Pulled from Michigan Registered Agent.co: pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Pulled from MI Registered Agent.org: pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026