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Q&A · Michigan

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Michigan (2026), Answered

The foreign registration services to hire in Michigan in 2026 are Michigan Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and MI Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. The state's registration fee is $50 whoever files, and services total $397 to $497 across three years.
By the LLC Answered editorial team

The brief reply

Short reply
Price to register
$50
Attach a certificate?
Needed (30 day age limit)
Ongoing filing
$25, annual statement
Hire in this order
Michigan Registered Agent.co, Mainstay Filing then MI Registered Agent.org

Who to hire in Michigan

Ranked best first by the tests on our process page.

#1 Our answer: this one

1. Michigan Registered Agent.co: best for one extra state

$199 to register, $99 for the agent after

First place: Michigan Registered Agent.co, where its service fees reach $397 over three years.

Three years cost less here than at Mainstay Filing, and cost counts most.

What is bundled

  • Foreign filing submitted
  • First-year agent

Pluses

  • Agent covered in year one
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Low $99 renewal

Downsides

  • Michigan only; the home state needs its own agent
#2 Works nationwide

2. Mainstay Filing: best for registering in many states

$199 to register, $149 for the agent after

Mainstay Filing is number 2, because $199 on top of the state fee gets you registered, with the resident agent free in year one and $149 a year afterward.

Three years here run $100 above Michigan Registered Agent.co.

From year two, expect $149 a year for the resident agent.

What is bundled

  • Registration filing
  • Fifty states, one fee

Pluses

  • $199 plus state fee
  • One price anywhere

Downsides

  • $50 a year more for the agent
#3 For Michigan

3. MI Registered Agent.org: best for a second in-state filer

$199 to register, $99 for the agent after

MI Registered Agent.org comes next since its service fees reach $397 over three years.

Its prices match Michigan Registered Agent.co exactly, so either works.

What is bundled

  • Foreign filing submitted
  • First-year agent

Pluses

  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Low $99 renewal
  • Agent covered in year one

Downsides

  • Michigan only; the home state needs its own agent

Compared in a table

#WhoYear 1Renews at3-year costWhat is covered
1 Michigan Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397foreign filing submitted; First-year agent Visit Michigan Registered Agent.co site Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $199$149/yr$497registration filing; fifty states, one fee Visit Mainstay Filing site Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 MI Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397foreign filing submitted; First-year agent Visit MI Registered Agent.org site Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Each company's listed prices, November 13, 2026. State fees come on top and do not vary by pick.

The questions, one by one

At what point is registration required?

The sequence is register first, then do business in Michigan.

The cost of not registering includes it loses court access as a plaintiff in the state (MCL 450.5007(1)).

see michigan.gov, as of October 2026, state page

How much is foreign registration?

$50 for the state; hire a service and it adds $199.

State fees reach $100 over three years, counting any recurring report. see legislature.mi.gov, as of October 2026, state page

What is the application called?

One filing, the Application for Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Michigan (for foreign limited liability companies) (Form CSCL/CD 760), goes to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division.

Attach certificate of good standing no older than 30 days.

Is there a recurring filing?

$25 for the annual statement.

The deadline, per the state: February 15.

Why this order?

Michigan Registered Agent.co leads on three-year price, a 36% test.

65% of the score comes from three-year price and paperwork covered.

Three years with Michigan Registered Agent.co cost $397, which is $100 less than Mainstay Filing.

Read the process

Michigan rules at a glance

ItemReplyWhere it is from
State filing fee $50see legislature.mi.gov, as of October 2026, state page
Good standing proof Needed, 30 dayssee michigan.gov, as of October 2026, state page
Annual statement $25see michigan.gov, as of October 2026, state page
Paid to the state by year 3 $100Rows above, added

Every figure above links to its official source; the last line is our own addition of the filing, two reports and any minimum tax, with variable costs such as publication left out.

A few more

Do I need an agent at home too?

Yes: two states, two sets of rules. One-state services stop at the border; Mainstay Filing does not.

How do the three-year totals compare?

$397 for Michigan Registered Agent.co, $497 for Mainstay Filing, $397 for MI Registered Agent.org (services only).

What is behind the figures?

Michigan publications for the state's fees, company price pages for the rest, with dates shown on this page.

Does the law require a service?

You can file yourself if you meet the rules on this page, and the state charges what it charges either way.

Do these companies file it?

Every company on this page handles the filing for you; the state charges the same regardless.

Who ranks first in Michigan?

Michigan Registered Agent.co first: $199 above the state fee at the start, and $99 yearly after that. Mainstay Filing and MI Registered Agent.org follow.

Next stop

Our evidence

  1. michigan.gov | Michigan Department of Licensing and | August 2026
  2. michigan.gov | Michigan Department of Licensing and | August 2026
  3. michigan.gov | Michigan report due date | August 2026
  4. legislature.mi.gov | MCL 450.4202 | August 2026
  5. michigan.gov | Michigan formation fee: Filing fee | September 2026
  6. legislature.mi.gov | Michigan formation fee: Filing fee | September 2026
  7. legislature.mi.gov | Michigan registered agent statute | October 2026
  8. michigan.gov | LARA limited liability company forms | October 2026
  9. legislature.mi.gov | MCL 450.5002, certificate of authority | October 2026
  10. legislature.mi.gov | MCL 450.5008, activities that are | October 2026
  11. legislature.mi.gov | MCL 450.5007, consequences of transacting | October 2026
  12. Prices on the Michigan Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  13. Prices on the Mainstay Filing Michigan service page, read November 13, 2026
  14. Prices on the MI Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026