Best Registered Agent Services in Michigan

Michigan has a very attractive business climate and is one of the top 10 U.S. states to start a new business. The state government provides a high level of business support and has introduced a simple taxation system, loyal to entrepreneurs. As a result, by 2022, Michigan is consistently ranked among the top ten states for the number of newly created and expanding corporate entities.

Starting an LLC in Michigan can be fairly quick and easy. However, there are some nuances to consider. For example, just like in any other state, you will require registered agent services in Michigan. Moreover, you want to choose an agent before filing all the necessary registration documents to open a new LLC or corporation. Otherwise, your business will not be able to get approval from the state and start functioning.

Best Registered Agent Service in Michigan

In the state of Michigan, a registered agent (AKA resident agent or statutory agent) must be included in the Articles of Organization already at the time of registration of the company. For an LLC, the name and address of the agent at the registered office are listed in Article IV of the Articles of Organization for use by local limited liability companies. If you form a corporation, all the details about your registered agent are also listed in Article IV of the document.

It is the statutory agent's responsibility to receive all correspondence primarily from the state on behalf of your company and serve as an agent for service of process to receive lawsuits and other related documents.

Who can be a registered agent for an LLC in Michigan? 

• Any 18-year-old individual who is a Michigan resident;
• A Michigan corporation or an LLC;
• A foreign corporation or limited liability company with a certificate of authority to do business in Michigan. Every business in the state must register with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.

An important requirement for your own registered agent is to have a physical address in the state of Michigan. This can be your home address or an office. A postbox alone will not be enough - your registered agent must be always available at the office during normal business hours (9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday) to receive legal paperwork from the state in person and forward them to you.

To choose the best registered agent service in Michigan, you need to consider every legal requirement of the state as well as carefully study the RA services that we recommend in this article.

Registered agent in Lansing, Michigan

Lansing is the capital of Michigan, which is why many entrepreneurs think that a registered agent with an office in this city has certain advantages. On the one hand, almost all interaction with the state government is possible through the Internet. On the other, Lansing is where the Secretary of State’s office is located. Thus, a registered agent here can quickly visit the state department in person if needed. Also, the documents received in person come very quickly.
If it's important to you that your agent's office is located in the capital city, you want to conduct your Michigan registered agent search operation by visiting the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). For this, go to michigan.gov and use the Business Entity Search section.

Registered Agent in Detroit, Michigan

Detroit is considered the largest city in the state, and this is where the offices of many large corporations are located. Often businesses prefer that registered agent services in Michigan and, for example, legal support is provided by the same company. In this case, it's often convenient to have your agent and lawyers located in the same city as your company's office.

To find a registered agent in Detroit, Michigan, it's also quite convenient to use the Secretary of State's website. The same goes for searching for the right agent in any other city of Michigan, e.g. Grand Rapids, Warren, Flint, Sterling Heights, or Ann Arbor.

Local Companies or National Registered Agents

Local Michigan companies often offer their services at very affordable prices, starting at $49 per year. However, not all of them provide a full range of their services in the cheapest packages. Consequently, the actual cost of services turns out to be higher. Additionally, you need to pay attention to the experience of the company as well as its reliability and speed of response. That's why you need to first carefully study Michigan registered agent reviews of those companies that interest you.

If through the fault of your agent you will not get the necessary documents in time, you can lose in court, get a large fine/penalty from the state government, and damage your reputation. Therefore, you need to choose the most responsible approach.

A major national registered agent is almost always a high degree of reliability and quality of service. However, not all such service providers have professional representatives in the state of Michigan. You want to consult companies who deeply know and understand the laws of the state and will be able to help you with everything, not only with filing procedures. On the other hand, if you are planning to do your business in several states at the same time, cooperation with a national registered agent will be the most convenient option.

We have studied more than 60 companies that provide RA services to businesses across the US so that you are able to choose the best registered agent service in Michigan. Read on to find out about the most reliable registered agent companies.

Northwest Registered Agent

Northwest Registered Agent offers its basic services for $125 per year. You can, of course, find cheaper options on the market, however, when it comes to the benefit-cost ratio (BCR), Northwest seems to have the most reasonable offers.

Thus, Northwest is the only service that will scan and store all your business documents in secure cloud storage. You will also get personalized support here, the quality of which is exceptionally admirable. Northwest's Corporate Guides help you set up your business right. They will accept legal documents, send timely annual reports, franchise tax notifications, deadline notices, etc.

All in all, they will accept any other important documents from the state government on your behalf and forward them to you so that your business remains in good standing with Michigan. One thing that caught our attention was that Northwest's consultants answered all our questions in a truly professional manner.

Northwest Pros

• Great pricing model. Considering the quality and list of services, Northwest's prices are more than favorable;
• Same-day scans and fast notifications. The company will receive and scan your business documents at its local office in Michigan on the same day. Northwest's representatives will also get back to you in case your important mail goes unread;
• The first year of service is free if you order any of the business creation packages. That said, the company's plans start at $39 for help in setting up an LLC, which is a very good deal.
• Privacy by Default. Northwest has strict privacy policies and automatically minimizes access to your personal information. If it can, the company will always put its address instead of yours in any legal documents. The same goes for your personal data. They will also never sell your information to anyone;
• More than 20 years on the market. The company combines extensive experience with the professionalism of each employee. Former lawyers, accountants, and entrepreneurs, who know all the peculiarities of Michigan laws, work for the company;
• Free limited mail forwarding. 5 documents per year for free (additional mail at a per document rate of $15);
• Personalized customer support. Each client is provided with a dedicated professional Corporate Guide, who is always ready to help with a wide range of the toughest business questions by phone and email support.

Northwest Cons

• You can find cheaper deals online. If you need the minimum required by law without any extras, you can surely find lower prices;
• Support can be overly detailed at times. It's hard to call this a negative aspect, however, it sometimes annoys certain customers. Corporate Guides tend to answer any question in as much detail as possible, even when the person needs a brief answer.

Northwest Overall Opinion

We think that Northwest Registered Agent is the best solution available on the market right now. At a bargain price, you get all the services required by law, along with fast scanning, forwarding, or reliable storage of your documents, timely notifications, filing assistance, and all necessary pffers to successfully open and grow your business.

ZenBusiness Registered agent

ZenBusiness is one of the most popular services that will help you properly open an LLC or corporation and avoid problems with the state. ZB provides professional Michigan registered agent service for only $99 per year. This is where you'll get professional help with business formation, DBA registration, access to a user-friendly and simple website, as well as many useful programs and templates.

However, if you need more than just a basic version of a registered agent service, say, if you need help with your deadlines for submitting important forms and documents, you will have to pay an additional $50 per year.

ZenBusiness Pros

• A huge number of positive reviews. Zen Business has collected over 4,700 reviews over the years, with only a few negative ones. Clients of the service provider massively note professionalism, favorable prices, convenient cooperation, and other benefits of the company;
• Advantageous rates for creating an LLC or a corporation. In the business formation industry, Zen Business offers some of the most favorable rates, which include many useful additional services;
• The first year of the service is free, as long as you use any of the available business formation packages;
• High level of customer support. There are no individual guides, but, in general, ZenBusiness's support service is highly professional, has extended hours of operation, and the quality of assistance is mentioned in many positive reviews as the major advantage of the company;
• Some of the lowest prices for a Michigan registered agent for service of process  ($99 per year).

ZenBusiness Cons

Considering all the advantages of Zen Business, this company is primarily about business formation, which means that their registered agent service is a non-core solution - the quality of the service itself is not that impressive, even though it's still high.

The basic package does not include a wide variety of services but “the most necessary minimums.” That said, if you need, say, Annual Report filing ($100), Business Website ($129), Worry-Free Compliance ($199/year), Banking Resolution Template ($30), or any other business formation services, which many competitors include in their packages for free, you will have to pay from $10 to $200 for each separate service.

ZenBusiness: Overall Thoughts

If you need help in creating and registering a new business, but you're on a tough budget, Zen Business is the best solution. All packages of the company include numerous useful add-ons, and the prices are quite favorable, let alone the impeccable quality of professional assistance. However, it's still difficult to call ZenBusiness the best Michigan registered agent service. Despite the favorable pricing, the overall value of the service leaves something to be desired.

On the other hand, if you need a reliable Michigan registered agent who will perform only those functions that are required by law, this company can be your perfect choice.

Incfile Registered Agent

Incfile is another well-known provider that offers its resident agent and LLC formation services to businesses. The price of the RA service here starts at $119 per year. At the same time, Incfile offers a unique free LLC creation service (excluding state fees), which also includes a free Registered Agent service for one year.

Incfile Pros

• Free help in starting a business. Incfile is the company that offers a completely free plan - you only pay your state fees required by the state of Michigan, and Incfile experts will take care of the rest;
• Thousands of positive customer reviews. Incfile has collected a lot of customer reviews, with only a few negative comments. The customer satisfaction rating is 4.8/5, and the total number of reviews exceeds 13.5 thousand;
• Incfile's registered agent service is free for the first year in all business formation plans. In short, if you choose the cheapest plan to incorporate a business in the state of Michigan, you will only need to pay $50 (the state fee).

Incfile Cons

Incfile's business creation services are really impressive, whereas the registered agent service is clearly an afterthought. There are no extras included in the service package, and even though the price of $119 per year is quite reasonable, it's clearly not the best value on the market.

Incfile: Overall Thoughts

We recommend Incfile as a professional LLC registration assistant, especially if you're a first-time business owner and need help with the state requirements. Incfile can be really beneficial - even if you choose one of the extended paid plans, the set of services in each one is well thought out and has good value.

However, after the first year of service, you may want to decide to "update" your registered agent in Michigan, as other companies offer similar services at cheaper prices or include additional options in their packages.

LegalZoom Registered Agent

LegalZoom is a well-known US formation company, which, among other things, offers Michigan registered agent services. The company provides premium business services, which means that you will find a full range of necessary solutions for your business, including professional consultations, staying up-to-date with state requirements, notifications about deadlines or annual tax reports, document filings, and much more. 

Truth is, LegalZoom's registered agent service itself is not their core service. Therefore, the basic service package of the company includes the same set of services as the previous companies above, but the price is twice as high ($299 per year).

LegalZoom Pros

• LegalZoom is one of the oldest US companies in the industry. LegalZoom is a widely known company with an outstanding reputation. Thus, you can count on professional help and successful cooperation with a guaranteed positive impact on your business;
• Reliable data protection. LegalZoom sticks to the highest standards when it comes to customer privacy. Thus, all your business documents and personal data will remain confidential, backed up by $1,000,000 insurance;
• Great experience and a huge number of clients. Few business formation companies can boast of serving millions of clients over 20+ years, and LegalZoom has every right to do so. Huge experience provides a significant advantage to the company over its competitors;
• LegalZoom's basic business formation package will cost you $79 + state fees, which, in this case, is more than a reasonable price;
• Legal assistance. LegalZoom offers a very wide range of services for both businesses and individuals. It can be your regular go-to resource for legal consulting and help with personal matters, e.g. powers of attorney or wills. A wide range of services for businesses is also available.

LegalZoom Cons

• Average reviews. On the one hand, there are a lot of reviews about LegalZoom, but on the other, it's almost the same number of positive and negative ones. Even though many of such reviews are not related to the business service, there are still competitors with clearly prevailing positive customer feedback, which can't be said about LegalZoom;
• High prices. LegalZoom's registered agent service will cost you $299, which is a very high price for this kind of service. Most companies provide the exact same assistance for at least half the price;
• At LegalZoom, registered agent services arenot part of any business creation package. Unlike many other companies, LegalZoom offers a separate registered agent fee, including for the first year of business.

LegalZoom: Overall Thoughts

LegalZoom is a well-known and reputable service provider in the United States, which allows the company to charge more for its services than they actually cost. However, if you're looking for the highest quality, you may be interested in LegalZoom's services. Besides, it's convenient to cooperate with the company if you regularly need the help of a lawyer and want to pay for as many services as you need in one place.

Rocket Lawyer Registered Agent

Rocket Lawyer is a company that is similar to LegalZoom in many ways but is not so popular and charges less for its services. The price for their registered agent service for one year is $149.99, which is, of course, not the lowest on the market, but still quite reasonable. The company also provides LLC registration services, corporate formation assistance, and many other legal services.

The company has been on the market for legal and business services in the United States since 2008. Over the years, Rocket Lawyer has helped more than 800,000 companies. Rocket Lawyer will not only help you start any type of business but also prepare Michigan Articles of Organization or an Operating Agreement, file all required business documents, and get the necessary licenses and permits, in accordance with Michigan laws. You will know exactly which state requirements to follow and pay special attention to. However, generally, Rocket Lawyer's main area is legal services.

Rocket Lawyer Pros

• High credibility ratings and a large number of positive reviews;
• Professionalism. Professional help awaits you! At Rocket Lawyer, you can consult real experts who deeply study the laws of the state and constantly put that knowledge into practice. They are always ready to answer your toughest questions;
• Quality business registration assistance across the United States;
• A great number of legal services fit a variety of business needs.

Rocket Lawyer Cons

• The registered agent fee is $149.99 per year, which is the average price, and additional services are not included;
• A free year of registered agent service is only available in the Premium Business Formation plan.

Rocket Lawyer: Overall Thoughts

Rocket Lawyer can hardly be called the most beneficial service provider, as you can surely find cheaper services on the market, without sacrificing quality. Nevertheless, the company is 100% reliable, has experienced consultants, and has a very good reputation.

Also, cooperation with Rocket Lawyer will be interesting for those who need legal services. Especially, on a permanent basis. You can get everything you need here and pay for all the services in one place.

When it comes to the legal services industry, Rocket Lawyer may not be as well-known as LegalZoom. But it's surely more beneficial in terms of pricing and interesting comprehensive solutions. If you sign up for any of Rocket Lawyer's legal service packages, you will be given a discount. For example, if you order a Premium package for legal support, a Michigan registered agent will cost you 25% less. That's when the offer becomes really beneficial.

Unlike LegalZoom, Rocket Lawyer does not provide protection and privacy insurance by default. However, even if you ordered this service separately, you’d still have to pay less, compared to LegalZoom's registered agent service.

Registered Agent Review: General Conclusions

If you are planning to establish a business in the state of Michigan, one of the first things to do is Michigan registered agent search. You can choose any individual or entity in the United States. In this article, we have described the best services available on the market that may interest you.

When you know you are ready to file your documents with the state, you should already have a registered agent consent form in Michigan so you can safely specify the chosen company in your Articles of Organization. Only then will your documents be processed, and you can start your business in Michigan.

When analyzing various proposals, we have chosen Northwest Registered Agent as the best service provider on the market. The company offers the best value for money, and an outstanding example of quality, offering a wide range of useful services to businesses. This is where all your documents are scanned the same day and then mailed to you within 24 hours (if required) or uploaded for storage at no extra charge.

Northwest will make sure you are always aware of all important events related to your business, starting from service of process and ending with timely annual reports. Moreover, Northwest's professional Corporate Guides will also make sure that your report is prepared correctly.

On the other hand, every company has different business requirements. If you need the minimum required by law at a reasonable price, you'll probably choose ZenBusiness. There are, of course, other companies that offer their services for $99 (and sometimes even cheaper). However, they were not included in our ranking for a variety of reasons:

• Poor reputation;
• Short company hours;
• Hidden fees;
• Long customer service response time, etc. 

We are not saying that these companies are not worthy of attention, we have simply chosen the best options for this review.

For the same reason, we have included companies that do not offer the cheapest price but are, however, quite reputable, providing high-quality legal services. Practice shows that this aspect always plays a crucial role among most customers.

Benefits of Using a Michigan Registered Agent Service

In Michigan, a registered agent can be any natural or legal person who has a real physical address in the state, not just a P.O. box. However, if you live in Michigan permanently, you can become your own registered agent. Such a decision is often made by first-time business owners to save money at the initial stage.

In this situation, we recommend choosing a reliable service that will help you open an LLC at minimal cost, or even for free (excluding state fees). Incfile can be a great example of such a service provider. Make sure that your chosen package includes a year of free registered agent service.

Why you should cooperate only with professionals:

• Privacy. The address and name of your company's registered agent will appear in the public domain in the Business Entity Search section on michigan.gov (the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs). If otherwise, it's your home address, anyone will be able to see it, which is, obviously, a bad perspective;
• No spam. A large volume of advertising and other junk mail is sent to any public address. If you are going to receive all this mail by yourself, you'll have to spend some time studying it to not miss an important email;
• Reliable service and personal freedom. Your registered agent is required to be constantly available at the office during normal business hours to accept legal and tax documents from the state. If it will be an individual, such as you or your employee, you will have to forget about unscheduled days off, business trips, vacations, and even lunch breaks. That said, if your RA takes an emergency trip somewhere out of the state, you won't be able to receive an important document from the state, which puts your business reputation at risk;
• Working in peace. A professional registered agent will keep track of possible changes in state laws, remind you about the necessity to send annual reports, update licenses, pay taxes, etc. Thus, you will be able to focus on your growing business without worrying about missing anything important.

Best Registered Agent Review: How We Choose Service Providers

For our in-depth Michigan registered agent search, we scanned different resources, including social media ads, Google search results, reputable review sites, and even ratings from our peers. As a result, a collection of more than 60 companies, offering their registered agent services in Michigan, has been created.

At the same time, we wanted to include only those companies that have been in the business for over 5 years in our list. Basically, in our search, we focused on firms that have their own user-friendly website, outstanding online reviews, and high-quality registered agent services.

Following are the aspects that we paid special attention to during our analysis:

• Pricing policy. From our point of view, it's important that the pricing point and the value of company services are in line with each other. Hidden fees or deception of clients in any form is unacceptable;

However, we did once come across an advertisement that quoted a “fake” price of $49. After getting on the website of the company, we found out that this price is "no longer current" or does not include some of the mandatory services. The service provider offered to pay for document scanning, forwarding, notification about service of process, etc., separately. As a result, the cost of the service would be $100 or more. We consider the very fact of misinformation to be unacceptable.

• Website quality. Today a website is an important part of any company's image. If it's uncomfortable in any way, i.e. slow or lacks important information, then it's a significant disadvantage;
• Client feedback. We study only independent reviews on specialized sites and social networks, paying attention not only to the average rating but also to the content of the reviews. We estimate the ratio of positive to negative reviews and check for any unresolved complaints;
• Personal communication. All companies that have passed the preselection stage, are then assessed by us individually. We send our requests, talk to company consultants, evaluate the competence of employees, speed of their response, and overall convenience.

Why You Can Trust Our Choice

We are a team of business experts and passionate enthusiasts who study business formation services in the United States. We collect and analyze information and check the quality of work in practice, mainly focusing on LLC formation and registered agent services.

We carefully study the laws of different U.S. states and constantly monitor the emergence of new players on the market, as well as follow the latest changes, e.g. those in pricing policies of the most required service providers. That's why our reviews are the result of hard work.

How We Choose the Best Registered Agent

After analyzing numerous offers from registered agent companies in Michigan, we have our top 5 providers. Northwest turned out to be the undoubted leader due to the best quality-price ratio. We were impressed with the professionalism and attentiveness of Corporate Guides and the speed of document processing. Also, Northwest's website and customer service were excellent.

However, since we understand how different the requirements of businesses can be to registered agent service providers, we also selected some of the best deals based on different priorities:

• Cheapest Price;
• The best value proposition for setting up a business;
• Highly reputable and premium services;
• Availability of legal and other useful services.

Choose the best solution for you. And if it's hard to decide, we invite you to learn more about our number one service, i.e. Northwest Registered Agent.

Conclusion

Now you have a list of the best registered agents in the state of Michigan. The companies above are 100% worthy of your attention. We hope that you know now why you shouldn’t be your own registered agent in Michigan and that this article helps you get answers to all your questions about registered agent services.

FAQ