Cheapest LLC formation in Michigan

What does Michigan charge to form and keep an LLC?

These are the state's own fees, and no provider can lower them. Package prices on this page are quoted before them.

The formation charge every new Michigan LLC pays is the $50 for the Articles of Organization. The form calls it a $50.00 nonrefundable fee, so if the state rejects a filing, sending it again means paying again.¹

The yearly charge is the Annual Statement. It is due February 15 each year, starting the year after formation, and the fee is $25 through September 30, 2027, dropping to $15.00 if paid after September 30, 2027. An LLC formed/qualified after September 30 doesn't owe a statement on the very next due date, so forming in the autumn pushes the first statement back a full year.^{1, 3, 4}

Two other fees apply only in specific cases, and a new Michigan LLC that files promptly pays neither. Holding a name costs $25 for six months, which helps only if you need to hold the name for a while before you can file. An LLC formed elsewhere that registers in Michigan pays $50 for its certificate of authority instead of the formation fee.^{5, 6}

What pushes a Michigan LLC above the state fee?

Four things raise the bill: paying the state for speed, a paid resident agent, add-ons sold at checkout, and the restoration cost if yearly statements are missed.

State rush fees

Michigan doesn't publish a turnaround for regular filings, which carry no surcharge. Its paid tiers are 24-hour $50, same day $100, 2-hour $500 and 1-hour $1,000, each on top of the filing fee. Paying for a tier mainly helps when a lease, loan or contract needs the LLC to exist by a fixed date. When a package advertises fast filing, ask whether the state's tier is included or added at checkout.⁷

The resident agent

Every Michigan LLC needs a resident agent, and unlike the filing fee it is a cost that comes back each year if you pay for one.

1. Act as your own. Michigan allows an individual resident in this state whose business office or residence is identical with the registered office (MCL 450.4207), so a resident founder pays nothing. Your address then appears on the Articles and each Annual Statement as the registered office.^{3, 8}
2. Take a free or discounted first year with a formation package, then pay the provider's renewal.
3. Buy the agent alone at a standalone price.

If a renewal is higher than you want, moving to a cheaper agent costs $5 on Form CSCL/CD-520. Put the new agent on file before you cancel the old one. The Michigan resident agent guide covers who can serve and how to switch.^{1, 3}

Checkout add-ons

EIN filing, operating agreements, business addresses and compliance plans are the common extras. An EIN can be had from the IRS directly, and a compliance plan in Michigan mostly means someone filing the Annual Statement for you. Compare that plan's yearly price with the state's $25 fee before agreeing to it.³

Missed statements

We couldn't confirm a late fee for Michigan LLCs; the rule we could confirm is that after 2 consecutive missed years and 60 days after the administrator's notice, the LLC is not in good standing. Getting good standing back costs a $50 Certificate of Restoration of Good Standing, plus $25 for each missing annual statement, which is more than the statements would have cost if filed on time. The yearly calendar is on staying compliant in Michigan.^{9, 10}

Which providers have the lowest published prices for a Michigan LLC?

Rows in the table follow our score, highest first, with ties in editorial order, so the table isn't sorted by price.

Below, each provider's cheapest route is set against what it costs from the second year, when the Michigan statement and any agent renewal arrive.

Bizee lists $0 + state fee and includes one year of Registered Agent Service for free with any package, so the first year can come to the state fee alone; confirm the Michigan price at checkout, since Bizee's order page varies by state. From the second year the agent renews at $149/year (ongoing annual fee). Bizee review.¹¹

Tailor Brands starts at $0 plus state fees, and that package names no agent, so the agent is a separate cost: its own service at $199/year, another provider's, or yourself if you qualify. Essential, at $199/yr plus state fees, is a yearly plan that includes report filing. Tailor Brands review.^{12, 13}

ZenBusiness lists Starter at $0 + state fees (does not renew). For the agent, ZenBusiness offers 50% off the first year ($99) when you form an LLC, then renews at $199/yr. Starter also bundles Worry-Free Compliance free for 1 year (then $199/yr), so mark when that free year ends. ZenBusiness review.^{14, 15}

LegalZoom files for $0 + state filing fees. Its agent is $249/year (first-time registered agent customers), and it states: "The renewal rate is subject to change." LegalZoom review.^{16, 17}

Swyft Filings files for $0 + state fees, but its agent bills quarterly, which comes to $596/year. Every package also starts a ComplianceGuard trial (14-day free trial then auto-charged). Swyft Filings review.^{18, 19, 20}

doola charges $297/yr for Starter, a yearly plan that includes the agent, so the whole plan price recurs. doola review.²¹

Northwest charges $39 + State Fees and its agent is $125 per year. Its page says agent customers will "automatically be enrolled in our renewal service" for annual reports, at $100 + state fees, charged at filing, which adds to the Michigan state fee each year unless you opt out. Northwest review.^{22, 23, 24}

Rocket Lawyer ties formation to a yearly membership, from $149/year. The agent, $125 with a Plus or Pro membership, needs Plus at $249/year or higher, so both charges recur. Rocket Lawyer review.^{25, 26}

InCorp prices formation starting at $99 plus state fees, with the agent sold separately at $129 per state per year; its terms renew at the 'then current' fee. InCorp review.^{27, 28, 29}

Harbor Compliance prices formation starting at $99 plus state fees. Its agent moves from $99 first year (new customers) to $159 annually, and stopping renewal needs notice at least 90 days before the end of the current term. Harbor Compliance review.^{30, 31, 32}

Agent prices alone, across all states, are on the cheapest registered agent services page, and formation packages for Michigan are compared in more depth on Michigan LLC formation services.