Overview
Michigan business registration runs through the Corporations Division of LARA (the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs). The Division keeps the public record of entities formed or registered to do business in the state. Since 23 June 2025, all filings, searches, and certificate orders go through the new MiBusiness Registry Portal, which replaced the prior system.
Corporations (for-profit and nonprofit), LLCs, PLLCs, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, and foreign entities with a certificate of authority all register with the Division. Sole proprietorships and general partnerships don't. Tax accounts are a separate matter, handled by the Michigan Department of Treasury.
Michigan has no state-level beneficial ownership register. At the federal level, the Corporate Transparency Act (2021) created a BOI registry run by FinCEN, but a March 2025 interim final rule lifted the obligation for all U.S. companies and U.S. persons. Only foreign reporting companies remain subject to it.
For KYB and AML work, the free public register gives you an entity's identity, type, standing, and resident agent. For corporations, it also lists the most recently reported officers and directors.
Official Registers
LARA Corporations Division (MiBusiness Registry Portal)
The Corporations Division is Michigan's official commercial register. It records domestic and foreign corporations (for-profit and nonprofit), LLCs, PLLCs, limited partnerships, and limited liability partnerships.
Search and access. The Business Entity Search is free and needs no account. Search by name or by the nine-digit Identification Number. Each record shows the legal name and any prior names, entity type, jurisdiction of formation, status, annual-report standing, registered office, and resident agent. Corporation records also include the most recently reported officers and directors.
Filings. Formation documents go in online: Articles of Incorporation for corporations, Articles of Organization for LLCs, and the equivalent for other entity types. Since 23 June 2025, annual reports and annual statements are online-only. The Division no longer accepts paper for those.
Certificates. Good Standing certificates and certified document copies are available through the portal for a fee. Telephone orders are no longer accepted.
Updates. A filing goes live on the public record once the Division processes it. The Division is required by law to keep that record current.
Michigan Department of Treasury
The Michigan Department of Treasury, not LARA, handles the Corporate Income Tax, sales tax, and withholding accounts. Businesses register those accounts separately from the Corporations Division filing.
Registration and Publication Requirements
Corporations, LLCs, and PLLCs
All corporations, LLCs, and PLLCs must register with the Corporations Division. Each entity is required to keep a registered office and a resident agent in Michigan. The agent goes on the public record, and an entity cannot name itself as its own resident agent.
Annual filings. LLCs and PLLCs file an Annual Statement by February 15, at $25. Veteran-owned LLCs and PLLCs can file free by submitting an Affidavit of Veteran Ownership with proof of status. For-profit corporations file an Annual Report by May 15 ($25). Nonprofits file by October 1 ($20). Each filing keeps the registered office, resident agent, and, for corporations, officer and director details up to date. One timing note: an LLC or PLLC formed after September 30 doesn't owe a statement on the very next February 15. Limited partnerships and LLPs have no annual filing obligation.
Loss of good standing. An entity that misses its filing deadline gets a two-year grace period (one year for foreign corporations) before it's dissolved, its authority is revoked, and its name becomes available to others. Getting reinstated requires a Certificate of Restoration of Good Standing plus all past-due filings and fees.
Financial statements. Michigan has no public financial disclosure requirement. Annual reports and statements collect administrative details only.
Beneficial ownership. The Division keeps no ownership register, and Michigan has no state-level UBO filing requirement. Following the March 2025 FinCEN interim final rule, domestic companies are also exempt from federal BOI reporting.
Sole proprietors and general partnerships
Sole proprietorships and general partnerships don't register with the Corporations Division and have no annual filing obligation. A business trading under an assumed name registers it with the county clerk where it operates, not with the state.
Nonprofit corporations
Nonprofits file Articles of Incorporation with the Division like any other entity. Their Annual Report is due October 1 at $20. Federal 501(c) status comes from the IRS; the state filing doesn't grant it.
Summary table
| Entity type | Register with Corporations Division | Annual filing | Financial statements public |
|---|---|---|---|
For-profit corporation | Yes | Annual Report ($25, by May 15) | No |
LLC / PLLC | Yes | Annual Statement ($25, by February 15; free for veteran-owned LLCs/PLLCs) | No |
Nonprofit corporation | Yes | Annual Report ($20, by October 1) | No |
LP / LLP | Yes (formation only) | None | No |
Sole proprietor / general partnership | No | None | No |
Foreign entity (certificate of authority) | Yes | Per entity type | No |
With Topograph
Topograph queries the Michigan LARA MiBusiness Registry to return structured company data for entities registered in the state.
Available Data
Company Profile
- Nine-digit Identification Number
- Legal name and prior names
- Entity type and jurisdiction of formation
- Status and annual-report standing
- Registered office address
Officers and Resident Agent
- President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Directors, as most recently reported (for corporations)
- Resident agent name and address
Available Documents
| Document type | Comment |
|---|---|
Trade Register Extract | A Topograph-generated extract of the entity's MiBusiness Registry record: Identification Number, legal name, prior names, jurisdiction, entity type, status and annual-report standing, resident agent, registered office, and the most recently reported President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Directors. |
Officer rosters are public for corporations. For LLCs and limited partnerships, member and officer details aren't part of the public record. The register doesn't collect shareholder, beneficial owner, or activity code data. Certified copies and Certificates of Good Standing are paid documents through LARA. Domestic companies are also exempt from federal BOI reporting following the March 2025 FinCEN rule.
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