3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Michigan (2026)
LLC Review Desk's 2026 picks for foreign registration services in Michigan, favorite first, are Michigan Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and MI Registered Agent.org ($199). Michigan Registered Agent.co is our favorite, because it's $199 plus the state fee, with your first resident agent year included, then $99 a year for the agent.
By the LLC Review Desk editorial team
Position 1
Best here
1. Michigan Registered Agent.co: best for companies adding only Michigan
You pay $199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year for the agent
Our score
9.4out of 10
9.4 out of 10
Our favorite is Michigan Registered Agent.co, because registering in Michigan costs $199 and covers year one as your agent, then $99 a year.
You get a street address in the state for your registered office, and any papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
You pay less over three years than with Mainstay Filing.
In the price
Filing with the state
A year of resident agent service at the outset
What we like
Registers the company for $199, with the state fee on top
Then $99 a year to keep the agent
Year-one resident agent service is covered
Trade-offs
Michigan only; your home state needs its own agent
2. Mainstay Filing: best for owners working in more than one state
$199 for the service, $249 due at checkout with the state fee; the agent is $149 a year from year two
Our score
9.0out of 10
9.0 out of 10
Coming in second is Mainstay Filing, because $199 gets the Michigan registration filed, year one as resident agent costs nothing, and after that it's $149 a year.
Once year one is over, you pay $149 a year for the agent, whichever state you picked.
Michigan Registered Agent.co is $100 cheaper over three years, so Mainstay Filing comes second on cost.
In the price
Your registration filing, taken care of
Papers served on the company are scanned and uploaded the same business day, free
What we like
Same-business-day scans of papers served on the company, no charge
The same price in all fifty states
$199 for the service, plus the state's fee
Trade-offs
After year one the agent is $149 a year, $50 more than Michigan Registered Agent.co
LLC Review Desk gives each score out of 10 itself, based on the criteria on How we rank. No customer ratings are involved.
What Michigan foreign registration services cost in 2026: year one, renewals and three years
Service
First year
Second year
Third year
Three-year total
Agent covered in 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
We took each price from the company's own pages on November 12, 2026. On top of every row, Michigan charges a $50 registration fee, which isn't in these totals.
Why we ordered them this way
Here's how we scored it: three-year cost and filings in the price are worth 29% each, and renewal price, state fit and up-front totals split the other 42%. In Michigan, three-year cost made the difference.
Michigan Registered Agent.co comes to $397 over three years, which is $100 less than Mainstay Filing. Both include the first year, so the renewal price decided it.
You can read every criterion and weight on How we rank.
Registering a foreign LLC in Michigan: fee, form and who to send it to
You register through the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division, using the Application for Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Michigan (for foreign limited liability companies) (Form CSCL/CD 760). The state charges $50. Michigan also wants certificate of good standing that is no more than 30 days old.
After that, plan on the annual statement each cycle ($25) by February 15.
Get these ready first
Certificate of good standing, issued within 30 days of when you file.
Your company's full legal name, exactly as registered at home, and the date it was formed there.
A resident agent with a street address in the state. Any service on this page can do it.
The $50 state fee to pay with the filing.
A reminder for yourself about the annual statement and its $25 fee.
What happens if you skip Michigan registration
Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC can't sue in Michigan courts (MCL 450.5007(1)). Its contracts still stand (MCL 450.5007(3)).
Your questions about Michigan foreign registration services
Do I have to register my out-of-state LLC in Michigan?
If it does business there, yes. Until it registers, it can't sue in the state's courts.
What does registering a foreign LLC in Michigan come to?
The state charges $50, and services charge $199.
What form does Michigan use for foreign LLCs?
The state's form is the Application for Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Michigan (for foreign limited liability companies) (Form CSCL/CD 760), and it goes to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division.
Does Michigan want paperwork from my home state?
It does: certificate of good standing, no more than 30 days old.
Do I still need a resident agent after I register?
Yes. You keep a resident agent with a street address in the state as long as the company stays registered.
Who's the best choice for foreign registration in Michigan?
Michigan Registered Agent.co, because $199 beyond the state fee gets you registered in Michigan, and the agent renews at $99.