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Order $89 to $99 Michigan registered agent service online for immediate access to our Resident Agent address and state forms. No additional charges.
Your business must appoint a Michigan registered agent to receive documents in legal matters, including notice of lawsuit. Our reliable registered agent service fulfills this requirement. You get:
Appointing a registered agent with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) is a necessary step toward meeting the state’s legal requirements and ensuring your organization runs without regulatory setbacks. By receiving and forwarding service of process and other important notices, your agent serves as the first line of defense in case of legal action against your business or nonprofit.
While looking up registered agents in Michigan, you’ll notice there are various options to choose from. This article will help you make the best choice and break down the process of appointing your agent.
You’ll also learn about Harbor Compliance—a trusted registered agent service provider that ensures you never miss official correspondence.
If your organization is involved in litigation, a registered agent—also known as a resident agent in Michigan—accepts legal notices sent by the state through a process server. The same goes for other state correspondence, which the agent has to forward to you so that you can fulfill your obligations promptly.
A registered agent must maintain a physical address in Michigan, formally called a registered office. The office needs to be open during regular business hours, and the agent must be present at the designated location to receive the aforementioned notices.
If your agent fails at their duties, your organization might suffer significant consequences. You could face financial damages due to negligence, and you might fail to appear in court because of a missed notice. As a result, the judge or jury will most likely resort to default judgment and rule in the plaintiff’s favor.
To avoid such worst-case scenarios, be selective and rigorous when choosing your registered agent.
According to Michigan Law ( Section 450.1241 for corporations andSection 450.4207 for LLCs), your registered agent can be any of the following:
In practice, you can appoint any legal adult with a Michigan address—an employee, friend, family member, or even yourself. While appointing individuals is legally possible, it may not be a good idea because they might not have the near-constant availability necessary for performing the duty. They might take personal time off or fall ill, risking being away from the registered office and missing your notice.
Appointing yourself might seem like a shortcut at first glance, but this means you’re tied to a specific physical location during business hours five days a week, limiting your flexibility. On top of that, if you establish your home as the registered office, you can expect to be served lawsuits in front of your family and friends, which can be an uncomfortable experience.
Considering the above, many organization leaders decide to appoint a specialized legal entity, commonly referred to as a commercial registered agent. As opposed to a typical individual, commercial agents have the necessary know-how, experience, and infrastructure to greatly reduce or virtually eliminate the risk of missing your notices.
You appoint your registered agent while completing your formation documents, which depend on your legal entity’s structure:
| Entity Type | Formation Documents |
|---|---|
| Corporation | Articles of Incorporation for profit corporations |
| LLC | Articles of Organization |
| Nonprofit Corporation | Articles of Incorporation for nonprofit corporations |
Domestic corporations also have the option to submit a Certificate of Appointment of Resident Agent if they did not name an agent in their Articles of Incorporation. There are no comparable certificates for LLCs, which implies the agent must be appointed in their Articles of Organization.
Legal entities expanding to Michigan from another state must name a registered agent in their foreign qualification filings, as qualification isn’t possible without one.
According to the aforementioned Section 450.4207 of Michigan Law, LLCs are obligated to file an annual statement containing the name and address of their registered agent. The statement must be filed by February 15 each year, except for LLCs formed after September 30 of the previous year.
If you already have a registered agent but want to partner with a different one, you can change your agent by submitting the Certificate of Change of Registered Office and/or Change of Resident Agent form. Note that you may not need to submit this document if your commercial registered agent changes their address. In such cases, they can update their address on behalf of all represented entities independently.
Harbor Compliance is a reputable Registered Agent Service provider that offers everything you need to stay on top of official government correspondence, most notably:
Our reliable service ensures no important notices pass you by, while our advanced software solution lets you manage them wherever you are.
Besides acting as your registered agent, Harbor Compliance can help you meet all your legal obligations toward the state of Michigan through an array of services:
As mentioned, appointing an individual registered agent comes with significant drawbacks. On the other hand, Harbor Compliance doesn’t expose you to any privacy and reliability issues, and you can enjoy various benefits:
You can partner with Harbor Compliance if you are:
You’ll find instructions for appointing us in each of the three scenarios below.
Our Incorporation, Nonprofit Formation, and LLC Formation services let you take a hands-off approach to registering your new organization. Choose the corresponding service, and we’ll submit all the necessary documents on your behalf, naming Harbor Compliance your agent in the process.
If you want to play a more active role in your organization’s registration, you can appoint us in three easy steps:
If your organization already operates in another state and you wish to expand to Michigan, our Foreign Qualification Service package can help you meet all of the state’s requirements effortlessly.
Once you complete the wizard, we’ll help your organization qualify and obtain your Michigan certificate of authority. We’ll also appoint Harbor Compliance as your registered agent, so you won’t need to do it separately.
If you don’t want to file the Certificate of Change of Registered Office and/or Change of Resident Agent yourself, we can do it for you once you order the Registered Agent Service.
Immediately before checkout, you’ll see the option to add the Change of Agent service. Select it, complete the purchase, and we’ll make the change on your behalf and keep the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs updated.
Located in nearby Okemos, MI!
Appoint us as your Michigan registered agent when you incorporate your business or form your LLC. Sign up for registered agent service and file using the state forms and instructions in your Client Portal. The forms are pre-filled and signed as required by the state.
Appoint us as your agent when you apply for a certificate of authority to transact business in Michigan. Sign up for Michigan registered agent service and file using the forms and instructions in your Client Portal. The forms are pre-filled and signed as required by the state.
Changing your registered agent to us is easy. Sign up for Michigan registered agent service and file using the forms and instructions in your Client Portal. The forms are pre-filled and signed as required by the state.
Harbor Compliance is a provider of nationwide registered agent service. We can help you consolidate your agent representation and achieve cost savings. Our specialists manage the process to change registered agents so that virtually no work is required on your part. We will complete the state filings to appoint us as your registered agent. Additionally, we can extend your subscription term so that you avoid double payment for any portion of your current contract. There’s no reason to wait. Simply contact us for consolidation and we’ll take care of the rest. If you have registered agent appointments spanning multiple states or entities, contact us today.
Below are some of the most frequently asked questions about Michigan registered agents. If you don’t get the answers you are looking for, head to our extensive Information Center.
Like most U.S. states, Michigan requires a registered agent for domestic and foreign organizations—you can’t operate in the state without one.
A registered agent’s primary responsibility is to accept legal and other official state notices and forward them to you. To do so, they must be available at the registered office during regular business hours.
You can be your own registered agent, but only as an individual. Note that this would entail maintaining a constant presence at the designated physical location in Michigan during regular business hours.
You can perform an online entity search on the Departments of Licensing and Foreign Affairs’ website, and the results will reveal the entity’s registered agent.
By engaging with Harbor Compliance, you’ll get a reliable partner to serve as your registered agent in Michigan, enabling you to respond to any legal action swiftly. Sign up for our Registered Agent Service and enjoy the many benefits of working with one of the nation’s leading providers.
We support your organization’s regulatory standing far beyond being your registered agent. If you need additional help, you can do the following:
If you plan on expanding beyond Michigan and want to learn about our registered agent service in other jurisdictions, refer to the following table:
