A Michigan business entity search confirms name availability and shows the public record of any LLC or corporation registered in the state. It is free and runs on the LARA business registry.
Michigan is one of the cheapest states to form in at $50, with a low $25 annual statement. The detail to note is the deadline: 15 February, a fixed date rather than your anniversary.
Where the official Michigan business search lives
https://mibusinessregistry.lara.state.mi.us/search/business
Run by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division. Free, no login. Search by entity name, ID number or individual name.
What the official search will not tell you
- Who owns the company. Michigan does not publish LLC members in the entity search.
- Trademark clearance. Separate from state distinguishability.
- Tax standing. Michigan Department of Treasury standing is tracked separately.
- Local licensing. City and county requirements do not appear here.
Key Michigan business search terms
| Term | What it means in Michigan |
|---|---|
| Active | Registered and current on the annual statement. |
| Not in Good Standing | The annual statement is overdue. |
| Automatically Dissolved | Michigan dissolves an LLC after two consecutive years of missed annual statements. |
| ID Number | Michigan's entity identifier. Not an EIN. |
| Resident Agent | Michigan's term for the registered agent. Requires a Michigan street address. |
| Articles of Organization | The document that forms a Michigan LLC. $50. |
| Annual Statement | $25 per year, due by 15 February. |
| Certificate of Good Standing | Official confirmation the entity is active and current. |
Step by step
Step 1. Open the LARA business registry
Go to mibusinessregistry.lara.state.mi.us/search/business. No account is needed.
Step 2. Search by entity name or ID number
For a name check, search the distinctive words rather than the full legal string.
Step 3. Try variants
Singular, plural and alternative spellings. Michigan blocks names that are not distinguishable.
Step 4. Read the status
Watch for "Not in Good Standing", which means overdue annual statements rather than closure.
Step 5. Open the entity detail
The detail view shows the ID number, formation date, resident agent, registered office address and filing history.
Michigan entity status decoder
- Active. Registered and current on the annual statement.
- Not in Good Standing. The annual statement is overdue. The entity still exists.
- Automatically Dissolved. Michigan dissolves an LLC after two consecutive missed annual statements. Restoration is possible, generally within five years, by filing the missed statements plus a fee.
- Withdrawn. A foreign entity that ended its Michigan registration.
The two-year window is more forgiving than Wyoming's roughly 60 days, but the outcome is the same if ignored.
Michigan costs
| Michigan | Wyoming | Ohio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filing fee | $50 | $100 | $99 |
| Annual fee | $25 | $60 | $0 |
| Deadline | 15 February, fixed | Anniversary month | No filing |
| 5-year state cost | about $175 | about $340 | $99 |
Michigan is among the cheapest states to both form in and maintain. As always, that only helps if you are not also registering in a home state.
If the name is available, or taken
Available. Reserve it for six months, or file and secure it at registration.
Taken. Check whether the existing entity is Automatically Dissolved. Otherwise change a distinctive word.
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Michigan business entity search for non-US founders
The registry is public and free worldwide, and non-residents can form and own a Michigan LLC without visiting the US.
Michigan's low cost makes it worth considering, though Wyoming remains the more common recommendation for two reasons: stronger owner privacy, and far greater familiarity among banks and payment processors reviewing non-resident applications.
You need a resident agent with a Michigan street address either way.
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Next steps
Forming a new company:
- Confirm the name on the LARA registry.
- Appoint a resident agent with a Michigan street address.
- File the Articles of Organization, $50.
- Get your EIN from the IRS.
- File the $25 annual statement by 15 February each year.
Researching an existing business:
- Confirm status is Active.
- Note the ID number and resident agent.
- Review the filing history.
- Order a Certificate of Good Standing if you need official proof.