Michigan LARA Corporations Division — contact & fees
Updated August 2026
Quick Answer
Michigan's Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing (CSCL) Bureau within the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) is the state agency that registers business entities — not the Michigan Secretary of State, which handles elections and vehicle licensing. The CSCL Corporations Division registers all entity types, processes annual statements, issues certificates, and administers the MiBusiness Registry portal launched June 23, 2025.
Open Official Michigan Corporations Division (LARA) Portal ↗LARA Corporations Division contact
- Street address
- 2407 N. Grand River Ave., Lansing, MI 48906
- Mailing address
- Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing — Corporations Division, PO Box 30018, Lansing, MI 48909
- Phone
- (517) 241-6470
- corpsmail@michigan.gov
- Office hours
- Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- In-person visits
- Appointment required; a public terminal is available on-site for free record viewing without appointment
- MiBusiness Registry portal
- mibusinessregistry.lara.state.mi.us
- Corporations Division homepage
- michigan.gov — Corporations Division
Entity formation and filing fees
Fees below are from the LARA Corporations Division's official filing fee schedule (PDF, michigan.gov). Corporation formation fees scale by authorized shares — the amounts below reflect the minimum-share-count tier (1–60,000 shares). Verify current amounts at michigan.gov before filing.
Domestic LLC — Articles of Organization
- Fee
- $50
Foreign LLC — Certificate of Authority to Transact Business
- Fee
- $50
Domestic LLC — Annual Statement
- Fee
- $25
Professional LLC (PLLC) — Annual Statement and Report
- Fee
- $75 ($50 late fee if received after February 15)
Domestic LLP — Application to Register
- Fee
- $100
Domestic Profit Corp — Articles of Incorporation (up to 60,000 shares)
- Fee
- $60 (includes $10 filing + $50 organization fee)
Foreign Profit Corp — Application for Certificate of Authority
- Fee
- $60 (includes $10 filing + $50 initial franchise fee)
Domestic Profit Corp — Annual Report
- Fee
- $25 on time; $35–$75 if late, scaling monthly May–September
Domestic Nonprofit Corp — Articles of Incorporation
- Fee
- $20
Foreign Nonprofit Corp — Application for Certificate of Authority
- Fee
- $20
Domestic Nonprofit Corp — Annual Report
- Fee
- $20
Certificate of Restoration of Good Standing (Domestic LLC)
- Fee
- $50
Name Reservation — LLC
- Fee
- $25
Name Reservation — Corporation or LP
- Fee
- $10
Certificate of Good Standing
- Fee
- $10 (expedited: $12.50)
24-hour expedited service — formation/qualification documents
- Fee
- +$50
24-hour expedited service — documents on an existing entity
- Fee
- +$100
Same-day expedited service — formation/qualification documents
- Fee
- +$100
Same-day expedited service — documents on an existing entity
- Fee
- +$200
2-hour expedited service (received by 3 p.m.)
- Fee
- +$500
1-hour expedited service (received by 4 p.m.)
- Fee
- +$1,000
Expedited-service fees above are added on top of the underlying document's filing fee. Certified copies of documents cost a $16 minimum for the first six pages plus $1 per additional page (uncertified: $6 minimum plus $1 per page); a 25% surcharge applies for expedited copy or certificate service.
Annual reports and statements must now be filed online
As of the MiBusiness Registry Portal launch on June 23, 2025, LARA no longer accepts paper filings for any annual report or annual statement — profit corporations, nonprofit corporations, LLCs, and PLLCs must all file these online through the portal. Other document types can still be filed by mail, fax, or in person.
UCC filing, notary, and apostille services
LARA handles UCC filings, but notary commissions and document authentication run through the separate Michigan Department of State, not LARA:
- UCC search and filing — through LARA: $15 per filing for UCC1 and UCC3 statements, including terminations.
- Notary public commissions — a $10 state fee plus a $10 county filing fee, through the Department of State (a separate office from LARA), plus a separately purchased $10,000 surety bond.
- Apostilles and authentications — $1 per document, through the Department of State's Office of the Great Seal.
Source: Michigan LARA UCC page (michigan.gov/lara) and Michigan Department of State notary/authentication pages (michigan.gov/sos).
Key Michigan state licensing agencies
Michigan Department of Treasury
- What it covers
- State tax registration, sales and use tax, withholding tax, Michigan Business Tax accounts
- Website
- michigan.gov/taxes
Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA)
- What it covers
- Employer unemployment insurance registration, MiWAM online employer portal
- Website
- michigan.gov/uia
Michigan LARA — Bureau of Professional Licensing (BPL)
- What it covers
- Professional and occupational licenses for 200+ license types: contractors, healthcare, real estate, cosmetology
- Website
- michigan.gov/lara/bpl
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still file a Michigan annual report on paper?
No. As of the MiBusiness Registry Portal launch on June 23, 2025, LARA no longer accepts paper filings for any annual report or annual statement — profit corporations, nonprofit corporations, LLCs, and PLLCs must all file these online. Other document types can still be filed by mail, fax, or in person.
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Michigan?
A Michigan domestic LLC's Articles of Organization cost $50, with a $25 annual statement fee — among the lower formation costs nationally.
How much does 1-hour expedited processing cost in Michigan?
Michigan offers tiered expedited service: 24-hour service adds $50–$100, same-day adds $100–$200, 2-hour service (received by 3 p.m.) costs an additional $500, and 1-hour service (received by 4 p.m.) costs an additional $1,000, on top of the underlying filing fee.