Business formation paperwork on a desk, Michigan Business Search

Michigan Business Search: How to Look Up Any LLC or Corporation on the LARA Site

Michigan Business Search: How to Look Up Any LLC or Corporation on the LARA Site

If you need to know whether a Michigan LLC or corporation exists, who its resident agent is, or whether it is current with the state, the answer is in one place: the business entity search run by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). This guide covers how to run a Michigan business search, how to read the record, and what the search can and cannot tell you.

This article is informational, not legal or tax advice. For decisions about a specific business, a contract or a dispute, talk with a qualified attorney or CPA.

Where Michigan business records are kept

Michigan has no Secretary of State office that files business entities. The work is done by LARA's Corporations Division, part of the Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau. The division receives, reviews and files the documents that form and maintain LLCs, corporations and other entities. Two tools matter to anyone looking up a company:

Keep the two roles straight. The search is a public lookup of what has been filed. The portal is where you file. Registering an entity is a filing, not a license. A record in the search tells you the entity was formed and has filed with LARA. It does not tell you the business holds any permit to operate.

Match the question to the right lookup

Most confusion comes from using one tool for every question. This table sorts the common ones.

What you want to knowWhere to look
Does this LLC or corporation exist, and is it current with LARA?LARA business entity search
Who is the resident agent, and where is the registered office?The entity record in the same search
Is a name free for my new LLC or corporation?LARA Corporations Division (ask about name availability before you file)
Does this business hold a license for its trade or profession?LARA State License Search
Is this business registered for sales or withholding tax?Michigan Department of Treasury
Is a sole proprietor's or general partnership's trade name registered?The county clerk where the business operates

Running a search, step by step

  1. Open the search page. Go to the business search. Do not start from a general web search for the Secretary of State, which leads to the wrong agency (more on that below).
  2. Enter the name as the company gives it. Start with the core name. If nothing matches, try it with and without "LLC" or "Inc.," and with punctuation removed. Company names are often written differently on invoices, websites and signs than on the state file.
  3. Check the entity type in the results. An LLC and a corporation can share a name root. Open the record that matches the type you are checking.
  4. Read the full record, including the list of filed documents. Do not stop at the first screen.
  5. Save or print a dated copy if the lookup matters for a contract, a payment or a dispute. Records change as new filings come in.

How to read a Michigan entity record

A record shows the core facts LARA holds on the entity. The fields you will use most are these:

  • Entity status. Whether the entity is listed as active or has been dissolved, cancelled or otherwise closed. This is the first thing to read, but it is not the whole answer (see the next section).
  • Resident agent and registered office. Michigan uses the term resident agent. The resident agent must be a Michigan resident, a Michigan corporation, a foreign corporation with a certificate of authority to transact business in Michigan, a Michigan LLC, or a foreign LLC authorized to transact business in Michigan. The registered office is the agent's physical location. A P.O. box alone is not enough.
  • Formation date. The date the entity was formed. For an LLC, the first filing is the Articles of Organization (Form CSCL/CD-700). For a corporation, it is the Articles of Incorporation for Profit Corporation (Form CSCL/CD-500).
  • Filed documents and annual history. The list of documents on file, including each annual statement or annual report. This is the best evidence of how current the entity has kept its filings.

Entity status is not the same as good standing

People often read "active" as "in good standing." They are different checks. A status line tells you whether the entity has been dissolved or closed. Good standing depends on the entity's annual filings being current with LARA. The status line alone does not settle that.

The annual filings are:

  • LLCs: an Annual Statement (Form CSCL/CD-2700), due February 15 each year, beginning the year after formation. The fee is $25. An LLC formed or qualified after September 30 does not owe a statement on the February 15 immediately following. Professional LLCs pay $75 and incur a $50 late fee after February 15.
  • Corporations: an Annual Report (Form CSCL/CD-2500), due May 15 each year, beginning the year after incorporation. The fee is $25. If the report is late, the total due rises on a published schedule, from $35 for May 16 to May 31 up to a $75 maximum on or after September 1.

Read the history with those dates in mind. An LLC that goes two years without filing its annual statement or paying the fee is no longer in good standing, and its name becomes available to others. A gap in the annual history on an LLC record is a reason to ask questions before you sign with that business or pay it. The record shows the gap. It does not show the reason, so ask the owner or check with an attorney.

Finding the owner or agent

The entity search does not work like a phone book of owners. Here is how to get to a person or a contact point:

  • Start with the resident agent. The agent named on the record is the official contact on file and the place where legal papers can be delivered. The agent may be an attorney, a registered agent service or an individual, and is not always an owner.
  • Use the physical address. The registered office must be a physical location. It is the address to use for formal notices. It is not necessarily where the business operates.
  • Check the filed documents. The Articles and annual filings may name the people who organized the entity and list contact details. Read each document that is available before drawing a conclusion.
  • Check for changes. A new resident agent is filed on Form CSCL/CD-520. If the agent on the record looks unfamiliar, look for the most recent filing to confirm the current one.

If you need to reach an owner for a dispute or to serve papers, the record is only a starting point. A lawyer should advise on how to proceed.

Searching for a name you want to use

Whether a name is available for a new filing is a different question from whether a company is on file. The entity search only shows what is already filed. Ask the LARA Corporations Division about name availability before you spend money on formation.

  • LLC names must contain the words Limited Liability Company or the abbreviation L.L.C. or L.C., with or without periods. Form CSCL/CD-700 sets this out.
  • To hold a name while you prepare your filing, use Form CSCL/CD-540. The fee is $25, and the reservation lasts six months following the month of filing.
  • A clear search is not a trademark search. Being able to file a name does not stop another business from having rights in a similar name. Ask an attorney about that question if the brand matters.

What the business search will not show

The entity search covers LLCs, corporations, limited partnerships and similar filed entities. It does not cover the following:

  • Licenses. Michigan has no general statewide business license. Licensing is by trade or activity, through LARA's Bureau of Professional Licensing, the Bureau of Construction Codes, MDARD, the Michigan Liquor Control Commission, the Cannabis Regulatory Agency, LARA child care licensing and others. To check a license, use the LARA State License Search.
  • Tax accounts. For sales tax, withholding and other tax accounts, use the Michigan Department of Treasury. A retailer's sales tax registration is a free tax registration, not a license.
  • Sole proprietorships and general partnerships. These file an assumed name certificate with the county clerk in each county where they do business, under MCL 445.1. A LARA search will not find them.
  • Local approvals. Zoning, certificates of occupancy and health approvals are handled locally. Michigan has 83 counties, roughly 275 to 280 cities, roughly 255 to 258 villages and 1,240 townships, and requirements vary among them. Only 24 cities levy a city income tax, so check whether the business's city is one of them.

The common mistake: searching the Secretary of State site

Many people search for a Michigan Secretary of State business search and land on the wrong agency. The Michigan Secretary of State handles vehicle registration, titles and driver licenses. It is not the office for business entities in Michigan. Business entities are filed and searched through LARA's Corporations Division. If a search result takes you to a page about vehicles or driver licenses, you are on the wrong site. Go to the LARA business search instead.

When to get outside help

A business search answers the public facts. It does not tell you whether a business is a good partner, whether its owners are liable for a specific debt, or how a deal should be structured. For those questions, talk with a qualified attorney or CPA. For general planning help, the Michigan Small Business Development Center is a useful starting point for small business owners.

Sources and next steps

Fees and deadlines in this guide can change. Confirm current fees, including any certified copy charges, on the LARA Corporations Division page before you pay.

This article is informational only and is not legal or tax advice. Consult a qualified attorney or CPA for your specific situation.

Keep exploring: related Michigan guides