The ordered tally
Figures come from each company's own pricing. Add the $50 state fee to any row.
1. Michigan Registered Agent.co: best for a budget registration
Best value
$199 to register, $99 a year after
- First year
- $199
- Later years
- $99/yr
- Three-year tally
- $397
Michigan Registered Agent.co leads the Michigan ledger. The entries: $199 over the state fee, agent covered in year one, then $99/yr.
A smaller three-year total than Mainstay Filing wins the first row, because cost is the heaviest column.
Included lines
- Registration, filed
- Agent service, year one
Gains
- A service fee of $199
- Then $99 annually
- Agent included for the first year
Minus column
- Covers Michigan alone, so the home state needs its own agent
2
2. MI Registered Agent.org: best for another in-state filer
One-state plan
$199 to register, $99 a year after
- First year
- $199
- Later years
- $99/yr
- Three-year tally
- $397
MI Registered Agent.org is second: $199 over the state fee, agent covered in year one, then $99/yr.
Its published prices equal Michigan Registered Agent.co's.
Included lines
- Registration, filed
- Agent service, year one
Gains
- Agent included for the first year
- Then $99 annually
- A service fee of $199
Minus column
- Covers Michigan alone, so the home state needs its own agent
3
3. Mainstay Filing: best for several registrations
All fifty states
$199 to register, $149 a year after
- First year
- $199
- Later years
- $149/yr
- Three-year tally
- $497
Row 3, Mainstay Filing, books this way: the Michigan filing at $199 plus state fees, agent covered in year one.
Three years here come to $100 more than Michigan Registered Agent.co.
Year one carries no agent charge; $149 a year follows.
Included lines
- The registration filing
- Fifty-state coverage
Gains
- $199, with state fees on top
- Ready for the next state you add
Minus column
- Renewal lands $50 over Michigan Registered Agent.co
The tally after 1, 2, 3 and 5 years
Service fees only, from each company's prices read November 13, 2026. No row overtakes another within ten years.
Cost calculator
How long will you keep the company? Pick the years and compare.
Official state fees
The last row is a sum: the filing fee, the reports for years two and three and any yearly minimum tax. Publication and other variable costs are named in the text but not added.
Notes on the order
For Michigan, the column that settled the top row was three-year tally (39% of the sort), where Michigan Registered Agent.co led.
Michigan Registered Agent.co nets $397 after three years, $100 less than Mainstay Filing.
Michigan foreign LLC registration fee and rules (official)
Out-of-state LLCs send the Application for Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Michigan (for foreign limited liability companies) (Form CSCL/CD 760) to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division with a fee of $50. Include certificate of good standing issued within the last 30 days.
Trading while unregistered risks it cannot act as plaintiff (MCL 450.5007(1)).
Source: source michigan.gov, last tallied October 2026 for this entry
If you file it yourself
Zero-service cost: $100 to the state across three years. Service fees of $397 to $497 are what it costs not to file it yourself.
FAQ
What does Michigan charge to register an LLC formed elsewhere?
$50 for the filing itself, plus a service fee of $199.
What do three years of service add up to?
$397 to $497 in service fees, not counting state fees.
Which form registers the LLC?
The registration is Application for Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Michigan (for foreign limited liability companies) (Form CSCL/CD 760), submitted to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division.
Does Michigan want a document from the home state?
Yes, and it must be dated within 30 days: certificate of good standing.
What recurring filing follows the registration?
The annual statement costs $25.
When does one service turn into the lower total?
They never cross in ten years, so the year-one order holds.
Which foreign registration service is the best value for Michigan?
The first line belongs to Michigan Registered Agent.co, the second to MI Registered Agent.org and the third to Mainstay Filing.
Source ledger
- Michigan Department of Licensing and (michigan.gov), tallied August 2026
- Michigan Department of Licensing and (michigan.gov), tallied August 2026
- Michigan report due date (michigan.gov), tallied August 2026
- MCL 450.4202 (legislature.mi.gov), tallied August 2026
- Michigan formation fee: Filing fee (michigan.gov), tallied September 2026
- Michigan formation fee: Filing fee (legislature.mi.gov), tallied September 2026
- Michigan registered agent statute (legislature.mi.gov), tallied October 2026
- LARA limited liability company forms (michigan.gov), tallied October 2026
- MCL 450.5002, certificate of authority (legislature.mi.gov), tallied October 2026
- MCL 450.5008, activities that are (legislature.mi.gov), tallied October 2026
- MCL 450.5007, consequences of transacting (legislature.mi.gov), tallied October 2026
- Michigan Registered Agent.co pricing page, prices entered November 13, 2026
- MI Registered Agent.org pricing page, prices entered November 13, 2026
- Mainstay Filing Michigan service page, prices entered November 13, 2026