Michigan County DBA Fees: Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Kent and Washtenaw Compared
Michigan County DBA Fees: Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Kent and Washtenaw Compared
If you do business in Michigan under a name other than your own legal name or your entity's registered name, you need an assumed name certificate, usually called a DBA. Where you file it depends on how your business is organized. Sole proprietors and general partnerships file with the county clerk. LLCs, corporations and limited partnerships file with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). This guide compares the county fees for five large Michigan counties, with a close look at the Wayne county DBA, and shows what to confirm before you send payment.
This guide is informational only. It is not legal or tax advice. Talk to an attorney or CPA before you make decisions about your entity or your filings.
Who files where
Michigan's assumed name rules come from MCL 445.1, and the filing office depends on your structure:
- Sole proprietorships and general partnerships file an assumed name certificate with the clerk of each county where they conduct business.
- LLCs, corporations and limited partnerships file with LARA's Corporations Division on the LARA Corporations page. The LARA Certificate of Assumed Name (Form CSCL/CD-541) costs $25 for a limited liability company and $10 for a corporation or limited partnership.
A LARA certificate is effective through December 31 of the fifth full calendar year after the year it was filed, and a Certificate of Renewal of Assumed Name (Form CSCL/CD-542 in LARA's fee schedule, at the same fee) extends it. Confirm the current renewal form with LARA. A county certificate authorizes use of the name for 5 years and can be renewed before it expires (MCL 445.1a). Ask your clerk for the renewal form and fee before you file.
A DBA is a name registration, not a license. Michigan has no general statewide business license. LARA files and maintains business entities, and it does not license businesses. Licenses are issued by trade or activity, and counties and cities may add their own permits. Retailers that collect sales tax register with the Michigan Department of Treasury, which is free.
The five-county fee comparison
The table below uses the fees listed on each county's 2026 clerk page. Washtenaw's figure comes from the county's published Certificate of Assumed Name form rather than a fee page, so confirm it with the county before you pay.
| County | Certificate fee | Other fees listed | How you file | Where to confirm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne | $16 | None noted in this comparison | By mail with a notarized original. Certified copies are returned to you. | waynecountymi.gov |
| Oakland | $10 | $10 for a discontinuance or an address change | In person or by mail | oakgov.com |
| Macomb | $10 | None noted in this comparison | All signatures must be notarized. Clerk staff notarize them if you sign at the clerk's office. | macombgov.org |
| Kent | $10, includes two certified copies | $2 for each extra certified copy | Filed with the Kent County Clerk | kentcountymi.gov |
| Washtenaw | $10 on the county's published form (confirm before paying) | $2 consent to service for nonresidents of Michigan | By mail to the Washtenaw County Clerk, with signatures witnessed by a notary (per the county form) | County Clerk or Register of Deeds |
The fees above apply only to county assumed name certificates. An LLC, corporation or limited partnership that files with LARA pays the LARA fee instead, even if it lists the same name in a county office.
Wayne county DBA: what to expect
A Wayne county DBA costs $16, which is the highest certificate fee in this comparison. Wayne files by mail. You send a notarized original, and the clerk returns certified copies to you. State law lists a $6 filing fee in MCL 445.1 and a $10 indexing and filing fee, covering two certified copies, in MCL 445.3, and it lets a charter county with more than 2,000,000 people set a different filing fee by ordinance. Wayne's own page lists $16, which is $6 more than the $10 that Oakland, Macomb and Kent list.
Because the filing goes by mail, plan for the time it takes to get the original notarized, mail the packet with payment, and receive the certified copies back. Keep the certified copies with your business records. Banks, vendors and payment processors often ask for them when you open an account in the assumed name.
Oakland County
Oakland charges $10 for a certificate. The same $10 applies when you file a discontinuance or an address change. You can file in person or by mail. If you move your business or close a name, the address change or discontinuance fee applies, so budget for it before you file.
Macomb County
Macomb charges $10 per certificate. All owners must have their signatures notarized, and if you sign the form in the Clerk's Office, staff will notarize the signatures. Ask the Macomb County Clerk what identification the office requires.
Kent County
Kent charges $10 for a certificate, and that fee includes two certified copies. Each additional certified copy costs $2. If your bank, accountant or licensing office wants several copies, add up the extra copies before you file. A business that needs four certified copies would pay $14 in total: $10 for the certificate and $2 for each of the two extra copies.
Washtenaw County: confirm before you pay
Washtenaw's fee is the one number in this comparison that comes from a form rather than a fee page. The county's published Certificate of Assumed Name form lists a $10.00 filing fee, asks you to mail payment to the Washtenaw County Clerk, and requires a notary to witness the signatures. The form is undated, so check with the Washtenaw County Clerk or Register of Deeds for the current fee and the accepted filing method before you send a check. A short phone call or email can save you a rejected filing and a second trip to the mail.
Budgeting for the filing
For most sole proprietors, the county DBA fee is small compared with other startup costs. Here is what the five counties cost for a single certificate with no extra copies:
- Wayne: $16
- Oakland: $10
- Macomb: $10
- Kent: $10, with two certified copies included
- Washtenaw: $10 on the county's published form, to be confirmed with the county
If you later change your business address, the Oakland fee for an address change is $10. Build a small reserve for that in your records, and keep the filing date and renewal rule for each certificate on the calendar so nothing lapses.
Steps to file a county DBA
- Confirm your entity type. If you are a sole proprietor or general partnership, you file with the county. If you have an LLC, corporation or limited partnership, you file with LARA.
- Pick the county. File in each county where you conduct business. The statute applies to the county where the business operates.
- Check the current fee and method. Use the clerk page for the county, and call Washtenaw before you file there.
- Get the form notarized or handled as the clerk requires. Wayne requires a notarized original. Macomb's clerk staff notarize signatures signed in their office.
- Request the certified copies you need. Kent includes two, and extra copies cost $2 each. Wayne returns certified copies with the filing.
- Keep records and set a reminder. Store the filed certificate with your business records and note the term or renewal date.
Official resources
- MiBusiness Registry Portal (MiBRP): search entity names and file with LARA
- LARA Corporations Division: forms, including the Certificate of Assumed Name (CSCL/CD-541)
- Michigan Department of Treasury: sales tax registration and other business taxes
- Michigan Small Business Development Center: free advising for new owners
When to get professional help
A single-owner business filing one county certificate can usually handle the paperwork itself. Get help from an attorney or CPA if you operate in several counties, if you plan to use a name that another business may already hold, or if you are choosing between a sole proprietorship and an LLC. Those choices affect liability, taxes and filing obligations, and they depend on facts specific to you.
This guide is informational only and is not legal or tax advice. Fees and requirements can change. Confirm every figure with the county clerk or LARA before you file or pay.