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Filing Verdict

Rankings of registered agents, LLC formation and foreign registration services in all 50 states.

Foreign registration verdict · Michigan

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Michigan (2026)

Filing Verdict's 2026 verdict on foreign registration services in Michigan: MI Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Michigan Registered Agent.co ($199), in that order. MI Registered Agent.org takes first place: the Michigan registration for $199 with the first agent year included, then $99 a year.
The Filing Verdict editorial team
Our top pick
Spot 1

1. MI Registered Agent.org: best for companies adding only Michigan

Service fee $199, state fee extra; agent $99 yearly after year one

9.1Editorial score
out of 10

MI Registered Agent.org wins here: $199 over the state fee to register in Michigan, with the agent renewing at $99.

The plan gives the company an in-state street address as its registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned to your online account.

Three-year cost is where it pulls ahead of Mainstay Filing.

What you get

  • Filing with the state
  • Year-one resident agent service

What we like

  • $199 to register, plus the state's fee
  • $99 a year for the agent from year two
  • A year of resident agent service is part of the price

Cons

  • Covers Michigan only; your home state needs its own agent
  • The EIN application is billed separately ($99)
Visit MI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full MI Registered Agent.org verdict
Best for expanding companies
Spot 2

2. Mainstay Filing: best for companies working in several states

$199 on top of the state fee ($249 due at checkout); the agent is $149 a year from year two

8.8Editorial score
out of 10

Second place goes to Mainstay Filing: $199 plus the state's own fee, with the resident agent free for the first year and one price in every state.

The agent renews at $149 a year after the free first year, in this state or any other.

Over three years MI Registered Agent.org is $100 cheaper, which puts Mainstay Filing behind it on cost.

What you get

  • The registration, prepared and submitted for you
  • Service of process scanned and uploaded on the day it arrives, at no cost

What we like

  • One price in all fifty states
  • Same-business-day scans of served papers, free
  • Service fee of $199, plus the state's fee

Cons

  • After year one its agent runs $149 a year, $50 above MI Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full Mainstay Filing verdict
Low renewal
Spot 3

3. Michigan Registered Agent.co: best for Michigan registrations only

Service fee $199, state fee extra; agent $99 yearly after year one

8.7Editorial score
out of 10

Third place goes to Michigan Registered Agent.co: $199 over the state fee to register in Michigan, with the agent renewing at $99.

The plan gives the company an in-state street address as its registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned to your online account.

On price and features MI Registered Agent.org and Michigan Registered Agent.co match line for line, which makes this a close call between safe choices.

What you get

  • Filing with the state
  • A year of resident agent service up front

What we like

  • Service fee $199, state fee extra
  • Then $99 a year for agent service
  • The first resident agent year is included

Cons

  • Covers Michigan only; your home state needs its own agent
  • The EIN application is billed separately ($99)
Visit Michigan Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full Michigan Registered Agent.co verdict

The 3 verdicts at a glance

No.ServiceVerdict scoreService feeYear twoBest forVisit
1MI Registered Agent.org9.1$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal here Visit MI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing8.8$199$149/yrCompanies registered in several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Michigan Registered Agent.co8.7$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal here Visit Michigan Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
The marks out of 10 are editorial: Filing Verdict sets them from the criteria on How we rank, and customers do not rate anything here.

Michigan foreign registration service prices for 2026: year one, renewals and three years

ServiceYear 1Year 2Year 3Total, 3 yearsAgent covered in year one
MI Registered Agent.org$199$99$99$397Included
Mainstay Filing$199$149$149$497Not stated
Michigan Registered Agent.co$199$99$99$397Included
Prices were read from each company's own pages on November 12, 2026. Michigan's $50 registration fee goes on top of every row and is not counted in these totals.

What settled the order

Filing Verdict gives total over three years and paperwork the price handles 35% each, and renewal behavior, match to the state and up-front pricing split the rest. In Michigan the order was settled by total over three years.

MI Registered Agent.org totals $397 over three years, $100 under Mainstay Filing. Year one is covered by both services, so the renewal price decided the order.

The full list of criteria and weights is on How we rank.

Michigan foreign LLC registration: the fee, the form and the filing office

The company registers with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division by filing 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 asks for certificate of good standing, issued within 30 days of filing.

Afterwards the company files the annual statement ($25), due February 15.

Before you file: a checklist

  • Certificate of good standing, issued within 30 days before you file.
  • The exact legal name from the home state, and the date the company was formed there.
  • A resident agent with a street address in the state; each service on this page can act in that role.
  • The $50 state fee, paid with the filing.
  • A calendar entry for the annual statement and its $25 fee.

What skipping Michigan registration can cost

Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC cannot bring suit in Michigan courts (MCL 450.5007(1)). Contracts it signs stay valid (MCL 450.5007(3)).

Michigan foreign registration service: questions answered

Does Michigan require an out-of-state LLC to register?

Yes, once it transacts business there. Until it registers, it cannot bring suit in the state's courts.

What does foreign registration cost in Michigan?

The state fee is $50, and the service fee is $199.

Which form does Michigan use for foreign registration?

Use the Application for Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Michigan (for foreign limited liability companies) (Form CSCL/CD 760), filed with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division.

Does Michigan want a certificate from my home state?

Yes. It asks for certificate of good standing, issued within 30 days of filing.

Is a resident agent required once I have registered?

Yes. The company still needs a resident agent here, with a street address in the state.

Which foreign registration service is the best pick in Michigan?

MI Registered Agent.org, because $199 plus the state fee, with a year of resident agent service included, then $99 a year for the agent.

Keep reading

Sources and dates

  1. Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau, Corporations Division, confirmed August 2026
  2. Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau, Corporations Division, confirmed August 2026
  3. Michigan report due date, confirmed August 2026
  4. MCL 450.4202, confirmed August 2026
  5. Michigan formation fee: Filing fee, official source, confirmed September 2026
  6. Michigan formation fee: Filing fee, official source, confirmed September 2026
  7. Michigan registered agent statute, confirmed October 2026
  8. LARA limited liability company forms, confirmed October 2026
  9. MCL 450.5002, certificate of authority, confirmed October 2026
  10. MCL 450.5008, activities that are not transacting business, confirmed October 2026
  11. MCL 450.5007, consequences of transacting business without a certificate, confirmed October 2026
  12. Checked November 12, 2026: MI Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages
  13. Checked November 12, 2026: Mainstay Filing, Michigan service page
  14. Checked November 12, 2026: Michigan Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages