Foreign registration ratings · Michigan
3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Michigan (2026)
1. Michigan Registered Agent.co: best for adding Michigan and nothing else
Service fee $199, state fee on top; agent $99 a year after that
Michigan Registered Agent.co is rated first: the Michigan registration at $199, first agent year included, then $99 yearly.
The plan lists an in-state street address as the registered office and scans papers served there into your account.
On three-year sums it comes out ahead of Mainstay Filing.
What you get
- Foreign registration done for you
- The first year as your resident agent
Pros
- $199 to register, state fee on top
- Resident agent service for year one is included
- Year-two agent amount: $99
Trade-offs
- Michigan only; your home state needs its own agent
- EIN application billed at $99
2. Mainstay Filing: best for companies registered in more than one state
$199 plus the state fee ($249 due at checkout), then the agent at $149 a year after year one
Mainstay Filing is rated second: $199 plus state fees in any state, first-year resident agent service included.
Year one of agent service costs nothing, and afterward the agent is $149 a year in whichever state.
Michigan Registered Agent.co is $100 cheaper on the three-year sum, and that lowers Mainstay Filing's cost rating.
What you get
- The registration, prepared and filed for you
- Same-business-day scan and upload for any service of process, no fee
Pros
- $199 service fee, state fee separate
- The same amount in all fifty states
- Same-business-day scans of service of process, no fee
Trade-offs
- Agent renewal of $149 is $50 over Michigan Registered Agent.co
3. MI Registered Agent.org: best for Michigan registrations only
Service fee $199, state fee on top; agent $99 a year after that
MI Registered Agent.org is rated third: the Michigan registration at $199, first agent year included, then $99 yearly.
The plan lists an in-state street address as the registered office and scans papers served there into your account.
On amounts and features alone, Michigan Registered Agent.co and MI Registered Agent.org are the same, which makes the order between them a close call.
What you get
- Foreign registration done for you
- First-year resident agent service
Pros
- $99 a year for the agent after year one
- A year of resident agent service is in the price
- Registration line of $199, plus the state's fee
Trade-offs
- Michigan only; your home state needs its own agent
- EIN application billed at $99
The 3 ratings summarized
| Line | Service | Rating | Service fee | Year two | Best for | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan Registered Agent.co | 9.3 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal we rank here | Visit Michigan Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | Mainstay Filing | 9.1 | $199 | $149/yr | Companies that register in several states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | MI Registered Agent.org | 8.8 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal we rank here | Visit MI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
Michigan foreign registration service amounts for 2026: year one, renewal and three-year sum
| Service | Year one | Year two | Year three | Three-year sum | Agent paid for year one |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149 | $149 | $497 | Not stated |
| MI Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
Why the order looks like this
Formation Rated puts 27% on cost over years one to three, 27% on inclusions per price and the other 46% on renewal price and terms, fit with state rules and price clarity. In Michigan the order came down to cost over years one to three.
Michigan Registered Agent.co sums to $397 across three years, $100 below Mainstay Filing. Both services include year one of agent service, so the renewal amount decided the order.
Each criterion and its weight is listed on How we rank.
Michigan foreign LLC registration: amount, form and office
A company from another state registers by lodging the Application for Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Michigan (for foreign limited liability companies) (Form CSCL/CD 760) with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division; the state amount is $50. Michigan also needs certificate of good standing, issued inside 30 days of the filing.
Registration adds one recurring line: the annual statement ($25), due February 15.
Have these ready
- Certificate of good standing, issued within 30 days before the filing.
- Home-state legal name, spelled exactly, and the formation date.
- An in-state resident agent; every service rated here can fill the role.
- $50 to the state, paid with the filing.
- The date of the annual statement and its $25 fee on your calendar.
What skipping Michigan registration costs
An unregistered outside LLC may not sue in Michigan courts until it registers (MCL 450.5007(1)). Contracts it signs remain valid (MCL 450.5007(3)).
Michigan foreign registration service: your questions
Is registration compulsory for an outside LLC doing business in Michigan?
Yes, once it does business there. An unregistered company cannot bring suit in the state's courts.
What are the costs of foreign registration in Michigan?
$50 to the state plus $199 to the service.
What form does Michigan use to register a foreign LLC?
the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division handles it; the form's exact title is on the facts line above.
Must the filing include a home-state certificate for Michigan?
Yes: certificate of good standing, with an issue date within 30 days.
Must a resident agent stay on file after registering?
Yes. A resident agent with a street address in the state stays on record.
Which foreign registration service holds the top rating in Michigan?
Michigan Registered Agent.co, as $199 on top of the state fee to register in Michigan, agent at $99 afterward.
Source lines
- Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau, Corporations Division (ledger date August 2026)
- Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau, Corporations Division (ledger date August 2026)
- Michigan report due date (ledger date August 2026)
- MCL 450.4202 (ledger date August 2026)
- Michigan formation fee: Filing fee, official source (ledger date September 2026)
- Michigan formation fee: Filing fee, official source (ledger date September 2026)
- Michigan registered agent statute (ledger date October 2026)
- LARA limited liability company forms (ledger date October 2026)
- MCL 450.5002, certificate of authority (ledger date October 2026)
- MCL 450.5008, activities that are not transacting business (ledger date October 2026)
- MCL 450.5007, consequences of transacting business without a certificate (ledger date October 2026)
- Michigan Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages: amounts read November 12, 2026
- Mainstay Filing, Michigan service page: amounts read November 12, 2026
- MI Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages: amounts read November 12, 2026