Register Your Michigan Foreign Corporation
A Michigan foreign corporation is a corporation that is registered to do business both in the state it was originally formed in and Michigan. In order to register in Michigan as a foreign corporation, you'll need to file an Application for Certificate of Authority to Transact Business or Conduct Affairs in Michigan with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. This costs $60 to file. You'll also need to attach the certificate of good standing from your home state.
You can follow our comprehensive guide below to register as a foreign corporation on your own. If you’d rather skip the headache, we can handle the paperwork for you.
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GET STARTEDHow to Register as a Foreign Corporation in Michigan
To legally register as a foreign corporation in Michigan, your business must go through a process called foreign qualification. This tells the state of Michigan that you are legally operating within its borders.
Foreign qualification is not the same as starting a new business in Michigan. Your business itself is the same, but your business range expands to a new jurisdiction. Some of the steps are similar to registering a new business, but there are less of them. For instance, you don’t have to create bylaws.
Below you’ll find the steps for registering as a foreign corporation in Michigan.
1. Name Your Michigan Corporation
You need to register your business name in Michigan. Having it registered in your home state is great, but it doesn’t mean it’s available for use in Michigan. Conduct a free business name search to make sure your corporation’s name is available. If someone else in Michigan is already using it, you’ll have to come up with a new name that is available but easily connected to your current name.
If you’re not quite ready to register as a foreign business, that’s fine. You can reserve your business name in Michigan for $10.
Want to make sure your business name is used only by you? Consider getting a federal trademark to secure the name in your industry.
2. Designate a Registered Agent
A Michigan registered agent is someone who accepts legal mail on your company’s behalf. Since the registered agent must be located within the state to receive legal mail, including lawsuits, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to act as your own registered agent in this case.
However, at Northwest, we offer comprehensive registered agent services for every state. You can simplify things by using a single registered agent.
3. Start Your Business Identity
Once your business is legal in the new state, you’ll want to be ready to make sales. Forming your business identity, or the way you present yourself to your potential clients, can prepare customers for your upcoming products and services.
Maybe you’ve never started getting your business out there. Now’s a great chance to start a business website or get a custom business email address.
Maybe you already have a digital presence, but now you want to make it easier for out-of-state people to find you, and start building awareness and a trustworthy reputation in your new territory. Consider getting a phone service that has the local area code or a local business address to use on documents where possible. Either way, make sure your business has a way to market itself in the new state, especially if you are not opening a physical location.
4. Get certificate of good standing
A certificate of good standing shows that your corporation is in compliance with its home state and has no outstanding taxes due. The process for receiving a certificate of good standing depends on your home state. The one you submit to Michigan must be dated within 30 days of registering.
5. Submit Application for Certificate of Authority to Transact Business or Conduct Affairs in Michigan
The certificate of good standing or existence must be submitted with your Application for Certificate of Authority to Transact Business or Conduct Affairs in Michigan form. It costs $60 to file.
Your form should include:
- Corporation name
- Assumed name, if applicable
- Date and state of original incorporation
- Main business address
- Registered agent name and street address
- Nature of the business
- Total authorized shares of the corporation, if it’s for-profit
- Authorized officer or agent signature
You can submit by mail or in-person.
For mailed submissions, it takes about 2 weeks for Michigan to process after the office receives them.
Michigan typically processes hand-delivered applications within 10 days of receipt.
By mail:
Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA)
Bureau of Commercial Services
Corporation Division
P.O. Box 30054
Lansing, MI 48909
In person:
2407 N. Grand River Ave
Lansing MI 48906
Phone: 517-241-6470
Yes. You can pay $50 for your filing to be processed within 24 hours, or $100 to receive same-day service if your documents are submitted by 1 p.m.
If you’re really in a hurry, two-hour processing is available for $500, and one-hour processing is available for $1,000. In both those cases, the filing must be received by 4 p.m.
6. File Michigan Reports and Taxes
Your foreign corporation will now have taxes and reports to file independent of the ones filed in your home state.
Annual Report: Your Michigan annual report is due on May 15 starting the year after your foreign corporation is registered. It costs $25.
Corporate Taxes: The Michigan corporate net income tax rate is a flat 6%.
Northwest Can Register Your Michigan Foreign Corporation
If doing things on your own sounds overwhelming, boring, or generally like not a good use of your time, we’re ready to help. Our foreign qualification package is $225 + state fees. This includes:
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Registering your business as a Michigan Foreign Corporation. We’ll file your paperwork and let you know when it’s approved.
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Serving as your business’ Michigan Registered Agent. We can be your RA in as many states as you want to expand into.
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Launching your business identity. We’ll get you a digital presence, including a business email address, phone service, and mail forwarding. Plus, we’ll put together a custom website with a domain, web hosting, and security in place. These will all be free for 90 days. After that, most services are $9/month.
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Sending reminders for your Michigan annual report. We can even file this for you. We’ll send you a reminder about the report 90 days before they’re due, and you can either have us file for you or opt out of the service.
Michigan Foreign Corporation FAQs
You’ll need to submit an Amended Application for Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Michigan. This costs $10. Note that there are different forms for nonprofit and for-profit corporations.
There is no hard-and-fast rule about what counts as doing business in Michigan. That said, generally if you are providing services or products in exchange for money, that is conducting business.
No.
An authorized officer or agent of the corporation must sign the form.
County filing or publication is not necessary for foreign corporations, unless specifically required by the county in which your registered agent resides.
We sure can. Our foreign qualification package is $225 + state fees. You can also add additional services, like premium mail forwarding and a custom website our experts can help you make, for a free trial.