Michigan Foreign Qualification

A Certificate of Good Standing, sometimes called a Certificate of Existence, is an official document from your business’s home state that proves your company is legally formed and compliant. 

Note: To be accepted by the state, the Certificate of Good Standing must be dated within 30 days of the date on which you submit your Foreign Qualification.

Before you can register, your company’s legal name must be unique and available for use in Michigan. If another registered business is already using your name, you will need to operate under an “Assumed Name” (also known as a DBA).

IncNow’s team will conduct a name availability search with the Michigan Secretary of State. If your company’s name is taken, we will immediately notify you and assist with registering an Assumed Name.

Michigan law requires you to appoint a Registered Agent with a physical street address in the state to receive official legal and tax documents.

If you live in Michigan, you can serve as your own Registered Agent. You can also hire a commercial registered agent to represent you.

This is the official form that registers your out-of-state business in Michigan. It must be filed with the Secretary of State and requires precise details about your company, the nature of the business, and your appointed Registered Agent.

The application requires the following details:

• Your company’s exact legal name.
• The state where the company was originally formed. 
• The date when the company was formed. 
• The company’s principal office address.
• The name and address of the company’s Registered Agent in Michigan.
• A description of the type of business the company will be doing in Michigan.
• A signature from an Authorized Person.

You need to pay a filing fee in order to submit the Michigan Certificate of Authority. The filing fee in Massachusetts is $50 for foreign LLCs and $60 for foreign corporations. State filing fees are included in the price of IncNow’s Foreign Qualification Service.

How IncNow Can Help

IncNow’s team prepares and files your company’s Certificate of Authority in Michigan. We ensure all of your information is accurate to prevent rejections.

After registering in Michigan, you will need to keep up with ongoing compliance requirements in the state. The Michigan Secretary of State will send official notices regarding these requirements to your Registered Agent in Michigan.

Please Note: IncNow’s service covers the successful initial filing of your foreign qualification. Ongoing compliance management is not included for Michigan.