Michigan DBA: Where an Assumed Name Is Filed, the County Clerk or LARA
Michigan DBA: Where an Assumed Name Is Filed, the County Clerk or LARA
If you sell under a name other than your legal name, or under a name other than your LLC or corporation's registered name, you need an assumed name filing. In Michigan, the office you file with 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 covers which office you use, what each filing costs, how long it lasts, and what a Michigan DBA does not do.
This is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Confirm current fees and procedures with the county clerk or LARA before you file, and talk to a qualified attorney or CPA if your ownership structure or situation is complex.
Quick answer: which office gets your filing
Your entity type decides the office. The table below covers the three most common cases.
| Business type | Where you file | Fee | How long it lasts | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sole proprietor or general partnership | County clerk of each county where you do business | Statutory fee of $6; county clerks post their own fees (Oakland, Macomb and Kent list $10 as of 2026) | 5 years | Statutory renewal fee of $4; confirm the clerk's renewal fee |
| Limited liability company (LLC) | LARA Corporations Division, Certificate of Assumed Name (Form CSCL/CD-541) | $25 | Through December 31 of the fifth full calendar year after the year you file | Form CSCL/CD-542 |
| Corporation or limited partnership | LARA Corporations Division, Certificate of Assumed Name (Form CSCL/CD-541) | $10 | Through December 31 of the fifth full calendar year after the year you file | Form CSCL/CD-542 |
What a Michigan DBA is
An assumed name, often called a DBA (doing business as) name, is any name you use with customers, vendors or the public that differs from the legal name of the owner or entity. If Jane Smith sells landscaping services as Smith Green Works, Smith Green Works is her assumed name. The name is a public-facing label. It is not a new legal entity, and it does not separate your personal finances from your business.
Michigan's assumed name rules for sole proprietors and general partnerships come from Act 101 of 1907 (MCL 445.1). Corporations, LLCs and limited partnerships file through LARA. Each filing goes to the office responsible for the type of business owner that files it, so start by confirming how your business is organized.
Sole proprietors and general partnerships: the county clerk
If you operate as a sole proprietor or general partnership, you file an assumed name certificate with the county clerk of each county where you conduct business. A filing in one county does not cover you in another. A landscaper who works in three counties files three certificates.
Each certificate is filed in duplicate. Here is the general process:
- Choose the name and check it against names already on file. The clerk can reject a name that is likely to mislead the public or that is too close to a name already on file.
- Get the current assumed name certificate form and fee schedule from the county clerk's office or website.
- Complete the certificate in duplicate and file it with the clerk, paying the fee the clerk posts.
- Keep a file-stamped copy. Banks and some vendors ask for proof of the filing when you open an account or sign contracts under the name.
The statute sets the fee at $6 for the certificate and $4 for renewal, and the certificate lasts 5 years. County clerks may post their own fees, and those are what you actually pay. Oakland, Macomb and Kent counties list $10 as of 2026. Wayne County is a charter county with more than 2 million people, and a charter county of that size may set its own fee. Michigan has 83 counties, so confirm the current fee and form with each clerk where you do business before you send money.
LLCs, corporations and limited partnerships: LARA
An LLC, corporation or limited partnership does not file with the county clerk. It files a Certificate of Assumed Name (Form CSCL/CD-541) with the LARA Corporations Division. The fee is $25 for an LLC and $10 for a corporation or limited partnership.
The filing is effective through December 31 of the fifth full calendar year after the year you file. A certificate filed in 2026, for example, runs through December 31, 2031. You renew with Form CSCL/CD-542 before it expires, so put the renewal date on your calendar when you file.
Your entity's legal name is already on file with LARA. An assumed name is a second name your entity uses, not a replacement for the legal name. Keep that in mind when you write contracts, invoices and bank paperwork, because the legal name still controls.
A DBA filing does not replace your annual filings. An LLC still files its Annual Statement (Form CSCL/CD-2700) each year, with the $25 fee due February 15. A corporation still files its Annual Report (Form CSCL/CD-2500) each year, due May 15.
What you do not need to file
Sole proprietors do not register with LARA and do not file an annual report with LARA. Your county certificate is the only assumed name filing you make as a sole proprietor.
No newspaper publication requirement appears in the statute or in LARA's assumed name fee schedule. If someone tells you that you must publish a notice in a newspaper before the filing counts, ask them for the statute or rule they are relying on, and confirm the point with your county clerk or LARA before you spend money on it.
What a DBA does not do
An assumed name filing is useful, but it is narrower than many new owners expect:
- It is not a trademark. A filed assumed name does not protect a brand against others who use a similar name in commerce.
- It gives you no exclusive right to the name. Another business can register or use a similar name, and the clerk's acceptance of your filing does not settle a dispute between you.
- It is not a license. Filing a DBA does not authorize you to perform any regulated trade or activity.
- It does not change how your business is taxed. Your tax treatment depends on your entity type and elections, not on the name you use.
If brand protection matters to you, talk with a trademark attorney about federal and state options. A county certificate or LARA filing will not do that job.
Michigan has no general statewide business license
Michigan does not issue a single license that lets any business operate. LARA's Corporations Division receives, reviews and files the documents that form and maintain business entities. It does not license businesses. Registering an entity through the MiBusiness Registry is a filing, not a license, and a DBA filing is the same kind of document.
Licensing happens by trade or activity. Depending on what you sell or do, you may deal with the LARA Bureau of Professional Licensing, the LARA Bureau of Construction Codes, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC), the Cannabis Regulatory Agency, LARA child care licensing, or other agencies. LARA suggests using its State License Search to check whether your activity needs a license.
Local government adds another layer. Zoning, certificates of occupancy and health approvals come from your city, village, township or county. A home-based business in one township can face rules that a business in the next township does not.
Sales tax registration is separate and free
If you sell taxable goods, you register with the Michigan Department of Treasury for a sales tax license. The registration is free and can arrive in as little as 7 business days. The state sales tax rate is 6%. The registration is a tax filing, not a DBA filing, so you still need the assumed name certificate for the name you sell under.
Local context: counties, cities, villages and townships
Michigan has 83 counties, about 275 to 280 cities, about 255 to 258 villages and 1,240 townships. Local rules differ across that many jurisdictions, so check with the city, village or township where your business is located, and confirm zoning and permit rules for home-based work with the local office.
City income tax applies in only 24 cities in Michigan. If your business operates in one of them, confirm with your city and the Michigan Department of Treasury how it applies to you. Do not assume it does or does not apply based on a neighbor's experience.
Step-by-step: filing your Michigan DBA
- Confirm your entity type. A sole proprietor or general partnership files with the county clerk. An LLC, corporation or limited partnership files with LARA.
- Search the name. Check the MiBusiness Registry business search for entity names, then ask the county clerk whether its records show a conflict if you are a sole proprietor.
- List your counties. If you are a sole proprietor or general partnership, identify every county where you conduct business.
- Get the current form and fee. Use the county clerk's posted fee, or LARA's Form CSCL/CD-541 and its fee schedule.
- File and pay. Keep a file-stamped or confirmed copy for your bank and your records.
- Calendar the expiration. County certificates last 5 years. LARA certificates run through December 31 of the fifth full calendar year after filing.
- Handle the other registrations. Check whether your activity needs a state license, a local permit or a Treasury sales tax registration.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Filing with LARA as a sole proprietor. Sole proprietors file with the county clerk, not LARA.
- Filing in only one county. A sole proprietor who works in several counties needs a certificate in each one.
- Assuming the statutory fee is what you pay. Clerks post their own fees, and some are higher than the $6 statutory figure.
- Letting the certificate expire. An expired certificate can leave you using a name you have not properly filed.
- Treating a DBA as brand protection. It is not a trademark and gives you no exclusive right to the name.
Official resources
- LARA Corporations Division: https://www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/cscl/corps
- MiBusiness Registry business search (check name availability): https://mibusinessregistry.lara.state.mi.us/search/business
- MiBusiness Registry Portal (online filing): https://mibusinessregistry.lara.state.mi.us/
- Certificate of Assumed Name, Form CSCL/CD-541: Form CSCL/CD-541 (PDF)
- Michigan Department of Treasury: https://www.michigan.gov/taxes
- Sales tax registration: Online business registration with Treasury
- Michigan Small Business Development Center: https://michigansbdc.org/
- SBA Michigan district office: https://www.sba.gov/district/michigan
For county clerk contact information and posted fees, use the county's own website. Confirm the fee for each county before you file, because county clerks set their own schedules.
Bottom line
In Michigan, a DBA goes to the county clerk if you are a sole proprietor or general partnership, and to LARA if you run an LLC, corporation or limited partnership. Budget for the actual fee your filing office posts, calendar the expiration, and remember that the filing does not license your business or protect your name as a trademark.
This is informational content, not legal or tax advice. For questions about your specific structure, name conflicts or tax treatment, consult a qualified Michigan attorney or CPA before you file.