The official search
The registry is run by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division, part of the Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau.
- Search page: https://www.michigan.gov/corpentitysearch
- Cost: Free
- Login: None required to search (an account is needed to file documents)
Michigan surprises people here: in most states the Secretary of State keeps business records, but in Michigan that office handles elections and vehicles. Business filings belong to LARA. The current search lives in the MiBusiness Registry Portal, which replaced the old Corporations Online Filing System (COFS) on June 23, 2025. Old COFS bookmarks no longer work, and old COFS logins did not carry over.
The database covers corporations, nonprofit corporations, LLCs, professional LLCs, limited partnerships, and LLPs registered with the Corporations Division. Sole proprietorships and general partnerships do not appear — they register assumed names with their county clerk.
There is no separate tool that answers "is this name available, yes or no." You judge availability from the search results, and LARA makes the final distinguishability decision when your Articles of Organization or name reservation is reviewed.
A record shows the entity name, ID number, entity type, status (such as active and in good standing, not in good standing, or dissolved), formation date, registered office address, and the name and address of the resident agent — Michigan's term for a registered agent. Filing history is also shown. Because Michigan's Articles of Organization do not require member or manager names, the public record does not publish who owns an LLC.
Step by step
- Open the Business Entity Search from LARA's Corporations Division page, or via michigan.gov/corpentitysearch. Choose the entity name search.
- Enter your name without "LLC." The designator does not distinguish one name from another, so leaving it off shows you every close match, including corporations and partnerships.
- Try the match modes. Run a "begins with" search on your full name, then a keyword search on the most distinctive word in it. Shorten the name and search again — a shorter search catches conflicts a long one can hide.
- Check every result, whatever its type. Michigan tests your name against corporations, nonprofits, limited partnerships, and reserved and assumed names, not just other LLCs. Open any close match and check its status.
- Watch dissolved and delinquent names. Distinguishability is measured against LLCs in good standing and other entities on record, but do not assume a messy or inactive record is free to take — LARA decides at filing.
- If nothing conflicting appears, the name is probably available — but only LARA's review of your actual filing is definitive.
Michigan's name rules
The rules are in MCL 450.4204 of the Michigan Limited Liability Company Act.
Designator. The name must contain "limited liability company" or the abbreviation "L.L.C." or "L.C." (with or without periods, so "LLC" and "LC" are fine). Michigan is one of the few states that expressly allows the short "LC" form. One exception: a low-profit LLC uses "low-profit limited liability company" or "L.3.C." instead.
Distinguishable. The name must distinguish itself in LARA's records from:
- Every domestic LLC, and every foreign LLC authorized to do business in Michigan, that is in good standing
- Every business corporation and nonprofit corporation
- Every name reserved, registered, or assumed under the LLC, corporation, or nonprofit acts
- Every domestic and foreign limited partnership name on file, reserved, or assumed
Prohibited terms. An LLC name may not contain "corporation," "incorporated," "corp.," or "inc." It also may not contain wording that indicates or implies the company is organized for a purpose it is not actually authorized to pursue.
No rights from a compliant name. The statute says plainly that a name complying with these rules creates no substantive rights to use it — passing the state check is not trademark protection.
Reserving a name. If you are not ready to file, you can reserve a name with an Application for Reservation of Name (Form CSCL/CD-540): $25 for an LLC. The reservation runs through the last day of the sixth full calendar month after the month you file — roughly six months. A reservation is optional in Michigan; it does not establish an LLC.
What the search can't tell you
- County-level businesses. Sole proprietors and partnerships file assumed names with the county clerk, not LARA, so a local business using your name may never appear here.
- A final verdict. The search gives no availability ruling. Approval happens when LARA reviews your filing or reservation.
- Trademarks and domains. The search says nothing about federal trademark rights or .com availability.
- Who owns a company. Articles of Organization do not list members or managers, so the record shows the resident agent, not the owners.
If the name looks available
File Articles of Organization (Form CSCL/CD-700) with LARA's Corporations Division, online through the MiBusiness Registry Portal or by mail.
- Cost: $50. (A professional service LLC files Form 701, also $50.)
- Processing: Standard processing times vary; LARA sells optional expedited service for formation documents — 24-hour service adds $50 and same-day service adds $100, with faster tiers above that. Check the current fee schedule if speed matters.
Ongoing: the annual statement.
- Fee: $25 per year (professional LLCs pay $75 for their combined annual statement and report).
- Due date: February 15 every year — the same date for every Michigan LLC, whatever month you formed in. One exception: if you form after September 30, you skip the February 15 that immediately follows; your first statement is due the February 15 after that.
- Late filing: Professional LLCs face a $50 late fee for a statement received after February 15. For an ordinary LLC the bigger risk is structural, not a fine: if you fail to file for two consecutive years and still have not filed 60 days after LARA notifies you, your LLC is no longer in good standing — and your name becomes available for another business to use.
- Restoring good standing costs $50 for a Certificate of Restoration of Good Standing (Form CSCL/CD-770), plus $25 for each missed annual statement.
FAQ
Is the Michigan LLC name search free? Yes. LARA's Business Entity Search is free and requires no login. You only need an account when you file documents or order certificates.
Why can't I find the search on the Secretary of State's website? Because Michigan doesn't run business filings through the Secretary of State. The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division, keeps the records.
Can I use "LC" instead of "LLC" in Michigan? Yes. MCL 450.4204 allows "limited liability company," "L.L.C.," or "L.C.," with or without periods.
How much does it cost to form a Michigan LLC? The Articles of Organization (Form CSCL/CD-700) filing fee is $50. An optional name reservation costs $25 and holds the name for about six months.
When is the Michigan LLC annual statement due? February 15 every year, for $25. If you formed after September 30, your first statement is due on the second February 15 after formation, not the first.
Sources
- Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs — Corporations Division: https://www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/cscl/corps
- Michigan Business Entity Search (official short link to the MiBusiness Registry Portal): https://www.michigan.gov/corpentitysearch
- MCL 450.4204 (LLC name rules): https://law.justia.com/codes/michigan/2022/chapter-450/statute-act-23-of-1993/article-2/section-450-4204/
- Michigan LARA — Corporations Division filing fee schedule: https://www.michigan.gov/-/media/Project/Websites/lara/cscl/Folder6/Filing_Fees.pdf