You need to check whether a Michigan business name is free, or confirm a company is real before you sign a contract. Michigan’s official search does both, and it costs nothing. The catch is finding it, because the tool is poorly signposted and half the guides online send you to the wrong agency.
Michigan business records are run by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), not the Secretary of State. The free Michigan business entity search now lives inside LARA’s MiBusiness Registry Portal, which replaced the old Corporations Online Filing System (COFS) in June 2025.
What Is the Michigan Business Entity Search?
The Michigan business entity search is a free online lookup of every business registered in the state. LARA’s Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing (CSCL) Bureau, Corporations Division, runs it through the MiBusiness Registry Portal. The Secretary of State does not run it. In Michigan, the Secretary of State handles vehicles and elections, while LARA handles corporate filings.
This split trips up most people, and the correction matters. Michigan’s Business Corporation Act (MCL 450.1105) names the “Administrator” of corporate filings as the head of the department authorized to run the act, which is LARA’s director, per the state’s compiled law. If a guide tells you to visit the Secretary of State for a business filing, it is wrong.
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Operating agency | LARA CSCL Bureau, Corporations Division | LARA CSCL |
| Search URL | michigan.gov/corpentitysearch | LARA |
| Cost | Free public search, no login | LARA |
| Current platform | MiBusiness Registry Portal, live June 23, 2025 | LARA press release |
| Legacy system | COFS retired June 23, 2025 at 8:00 a.m. ET | LARA press release |
The MiBusiness Registry Portal launched June 23, 2025, and permanently retired COFS, including the old Business Entity Search at cofs.lara.state.mi.us, per LARA’s launch release. LARA Director Marlon I. Brown said the system “offers an improved experience for our business customers.” Searching is free with no login. A MiLogin for Business account is required only to file or to order certificates.
How Do You Do a Business Entity Search in Michigan? (Step by Step)
Go to the search, pick a search type, enter your term, and review the results. The process takes under a minute and needs no account. Click any result to open its full record. The steps below use LARA’s current MiBusiness Registry Portal, not the retired COFS system.
- Open the search at michigan.gov/corpentitysearch.
- Choose a search type: entity name, individual name, ID number, or filing/document number.
- Pick a match option: Begins With, Exact Match, Keyword, or Soundex.
- Enter your term and review the results list.
- Click an entity to open its full record, including status, resident agent, and filing history.
What Can You Search By in the MiBusiness Registry Portal?
The MiBusiness Registry Portal lets you search four ways: by entity name, by individual name, by ID number, or by filing/document number. Each search offers Begins With, Exact Match, Keyword, and Soundex matching. To find an owner, use the individual search. Know that Michigan does not list LLC members publicly, so the resident agent is the realistic path.
| Search type | Use it to |
|---|---|
| Entity name | Check name availability or find a company |
| Individual name | Find a resident agent or officer |
| ID number | Pull a specific entity by its state ID |
| Filing/document number | Locate one filing |
Source: LARA MiBusiness Registry Portal business search.
What Do the Search Results Show?
A record shows the entity name, state-assigned ID number, entity type, status and good-standing indication, formation date, jurisdiction (domestic or foreign), resident agent and registered office, and full filing history. You can also order documents from the record. The table below maps each field to what it tells you.
| Field | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Entity name | The legal registered name |
| Entity ID | The state-assigned identifier |
| Entity type | LLC, corporation, LP, LLP, or nonprofit |
| Status and good standing | Whether the entity is current on filings and fees |
| Formation date | When the entity registered |
| Jurisdiction | Domestic Michigan or foreign |
| Resident agent and office | Who receives legal service, and where |
| Filing history | Every document filed over time |
Source: LARA MiBusiness Registry Portal.
What Do the Downloadable Documents Reveal?
Articles of Organization or Incorporation show how and when the entity formed. Annual statements and reports show ongoing compliance and changes over time. The filing history exposes amendments, dissolutions, and compliance gaps. A Certificate of Good Standing confirms current compliance, covered in its own section below.
How Do You Check If a Business Name Is Taken in Michigan?
Search the exact name plus close variants in the MiBusiness Registry Portal. Michigan requires every new name to be distinguishable from every entity already on record. If the search returns an identical or near-identical name, yours is unavailable. LARA confirms final availability at filing, so treat a clean search as a strong signal, not a guarantee.
Michigan naming rules go beyond distinguishability. LLC names must include “Limited Liability Company,” “LLC,” or “L.L.C.” Corporation names must include “Corporation,” “Incorporated,” “Company,” “Limited,” or an abbreviation. Words like “bank” and “insurance” are restricted and need approval. A name may not imply a government connection. Michigan also lets you reserve an available name for a fee before you file. Run your shortlist through Commenda’s company name checker before you commit.
How Do You Verify a Business Is Registered and in Good Standing in Michigan?
Run the free search and read the status field. “Active” and in good standing means the entity is current on its annual statements and fees. A Certificate of Good Standing proves that status in writing. The search itself is free. The certificate is a paid document ordered through the MiBusiness Registry Portal, and banks, lenders, and other states often require it.
When do you need the certificate rather than a screenshot of the record? Opening a business bank account, applying for a loan, or foreign-qualifying in another state. LARA shows the current certificate fee at checkout in the portal. A missed annual filing drops the entity out of good standing, so the status field is a live compliance signal, not just a label.
How Do You Use the Search for Due Diligence on a Partner or Vendor?
Before you sign with a Michigan company, pull its record in the MiBusiness Registry Portal and check four things: status, formation date, filing history, and resident agent. A current, active record signals a real, compliant counterparty. A dissolved status or missed annual statements is a red flag worth raising before money moves.
Work through a short checklist. Confirm the status is active. Confirm the legal name matches the one on the contract. Scan the filing history for dissolutions or reinstatements. Order the Articles or the latest annual statement if the size of the deal warrants a closer look.
What Business Structures Can You Register in Michigan?
LLCs, corporations (profit and professional), limited partnerships (LPs), limited liability partnerships (LLPs), and nonprofits all register with LARA and appear in the search. Sole proprietorships and assumed names (DBAs) do not. Those file with the county clerk, not LARA, which is why they never show up in the state search.
- LLC: pass-through taxation, limited liability, few formalities. Most popular for startups.
- Corporation: separate legal entity, limited liability, built for raising capital through stock.
- LP: general partners manage, limited partners invest.
- LLP: partnership structure with liability protection for partners.
- Nonprofit: board-governed, formed for a charitable purpose, can seek tax-exempt status.
How Do You Register an LLC in Michigan Step by Step?
File Articles of Organization with LARA through the MiBusiness Registry Portal, then appoint a resident agent with a Michigan street address. After the state approves your filing, get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS, then handle licenses and state taxes. Current filing fees are listed on LARA’s Corporations Division page.
These are the summary steps. For the full walkthrough, see Commenda’s guide on how to register a business in Michigan.
- Choose a distinguishable name and search it.
- File Articles of Organization with LARA.
- Appoint a resident agent with a Michigan address.
- Get an EIN from the IRS.
- Register for the licenses and taxes your industry requires.
What Are Michigan’s Annual Filing Requirements?
Michigan LLCs file an annual statement due February 15 each year, and profit corporations file an annual report due May 15, per LARA’s annual reports and statements page. Both cost $25 when filed on time. Miss the deadline and you lose good standing, which is the status buyers see in your search record.
| Entity type | Filing | Due date | On-time fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LLC / PLLC | Annual statement | February 15 | $25, drops to $15 after Sept 30, 2027 under 2023 Public Act 133; $50 late penalty | LARA annual reports page |
| Profit corporation | Annual report | May 15 | $25 | LARA annual reports page |
Corporation late fees escalate month by month, per LARA:
| Filing date | Corporation annual report fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| On time (by May 15) | $25 | LARA |
| May 16 to 31 | $35 | LARA |
| June | $45 | LARA |
| July | $55 | LARA |
| August | $65 | LARA |
| September or later | $75 | LARA |
Since June 23, 2025, all annual reports and statements must be filed online through the MiBusiness Registry Portal, because paper forms are no longer accepted, per LARA. Track every deadline with Commenda’s compliance calendar.
How Do Foreign Founders Search and Register a Michigan Entity?
Non-US founders and out-of-state companies use the same free search, with no US credentials or account needed. To operate, you either form a domestic Michigan entity or foreign-qualify an existing one by filing an Application for Certificate of Authority with LARA. There is no residency requirement, but a Michigan resident agent is mandatory.
To foreign-qualify, LARA typically requires a Certificate of Good Standing from your home jurisdiction. Common pitfalls for foreign founders include registered-agent scams, confusing the Secretary of State with LARA, and assuming a DBA will appear in the state search. It will not.
How Do You Spot LARA Impersonation Scams?
LARA never asks for credit card numbers or personal information by phone, text, email, or letter, per LARA’s identity-protection guidance. Treat any message that does as a scam. LARA warned businesses in June 2025 about fake annual-statement mailers from a non-governmental entity called “New Business Filing LLC” and about a phishing email with the subject line “Action Required” that references a fake “LARA Enforcement Notice #83700.”
The real LLC annual statement fee is $25, so any mailer demanding far more is a fraud signal. Report suspected fraud, then verify or file only through LARA’s own portal. Details are on LARA’s scam alert and fraudulent-email pages.
| Report to | Contact | Source |
|---|---|---|
| LARA fraud mailbox | LARA-Safety@michigan.gov | LARA fraudulent-email page |
| LARA verification line | 517-241-6470 | LARA scam alert |
| U.S. Postal Inspection Service | 1-877-876-2455 | LARA scam alert |
| Michigan Attorney General | 877-765-8388 | LARA scam alert |
The LARA-Safety mailbox is only for LARA-related fraud. Complaints, license-status questions, payment issues, and fraud involving other departments get no response there, per LARA.
How Commenda Helps You Form and Manage a Michigan Entity
The search tells you what already exists. Commenda handles what comes next. Commenda incorporation forms your Michigan LLC or corporation, files the Articles with LARA, and appoints a resident agent with a Michigan address, so every step of formation follows one standardized workflow with no surprises.
Commenda entity management then tracks your February 15 annual statement, your May 15 corporate report, and your good-standing status across every state you operate in, so nothing lapses into “not in good standing.” Check names first with our company name checker, and see every deadline in one view with our compliance calendar. Expanding nearby? See our Indiana and Ohio entity search guides. Book a demo to see every Michigan filing deadline tracked in one place.
