State Business Entity Search

Michigan business entity search

Michigan moved its business filings and its Business Entity Search into the MiBusiness Registry Portal, which went live on June 23, 2025.

Check a name against Michigan's naming rules

Example: a check of "Blue Heron Bakery LLC" against Michigan's rules.

  • Ends with "L.L.C.", an ending Michigan lists for an LLC.
  • No ending from Michigan's list for a corporation was found at the end of this name.

Get the matching domain name

Type a business name to check its .com, .net, .org and .us.

"Not registered" is the registry's answer at this moment. It is not a promise that the name can be bought at the standard price, since some unregistered names are reserved or sold at a premium. The buttons open Spaceship, a domain registrar, where the price is shown.

This checks the ending and the restricted words Michigan publishes. It does not tell you whether another company already holds the name. Only the state's own search can show that.

A private website, not a government site. Every state entry links to that state's official search.

Michigan's own search

Run by
Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
Called
Business Entity Search
Open Michigan's official search

The state's search is the record that counts. State Business Entity Search is not a government site.

The Corporations Division of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) keeps the register behind it.

  • LLC filing fee $50
  • Register kept by Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs

By the State Business Entity Search team. Fees, endings and rules come from 8 official Michigan sources, retrieved on November 13, 2026. Last updated November 13, 2026. How these facts are gathered.

Michigan filing fees for a new business name

FilingState feeDetails
Form an LLC in Michigan $50 Form 700, Articles of Organization. Source: Michigan LARA, Corporations Division filing fees.
Reserve a name in Michigan $25 Source: Michigan LARA, Corporations Division filing fees.
Certificate of Assumed Name, in Michigan $25 Source: Michigan LARA, Corporations Division filing fees.

Name endings Michigan accepts

For an LLC (Michigan Compiled Laws 450.4204 (Michigan Limited Liability Company Act, 1993 PA 23, section 204))

  • limited liability company
  • L.L.C.
  • L.C.
  • (with or without periods or other punctuation)
  • low-profit LLC: low-profit limited liability company, L.3.C. or l.3.c.

For a corporation (Michigan Compiled Laws 450.1211 (Business Corporation Act, 1972 PA 284, section 211))

  • corporation
  • company
  • incorporated
  • limited
  • corp.
  • co.
  • inc.
  • ltd.
  • (with or without periods)

The Business Entity Search in the MiBusiness Registry Portal

LARA's Corporations Division lists "Business Entity Search" among its search links, and the portal replaced the older filing system in June 2025. Certificate and copy orders now go through the portal only.

Opening an account matters for filing. LARA's FAQ says you log in with a MiLogin for Business account, and the User ID is not an email address.

What LARA says about checking a name

LARA's name reservation guidance says a preliminary search of the Business Entity Search database may check name availability. The word "may" is the state's own, and the statutes explain why.

Section 450.4204 of the Limited Liability Company Act says a name that complies with the section creates no substantive rights to use the name. For a corporation, section 450.1212 carries the same sentence.

The same section requires an LLC name to be distinguishable from other names in the administrator's records. Those include names reserved, registered or assumed under the LLC, business corporation and nonprofit corporation acts.

Words an LLC name cannot carry

An LLC name may not contain "corporation", "incorporated", "corp." or "inc." Professional service LLCs use "Professional Limited Liability Company", P.L.L.C. or PLLC. Section 450.4204 also bars any word that another Michigan statute restricts, and the pages read give no word list.

Reserving a Michigan name

LARA's fee table lists Form 540, the Application for Reservation of Name, at $25 for an LLC and $10 for a corporation. An LLC reservation runs to the end of the sixth full calendar month after the month of filing, under section 450.4205.

When it expires, the name can be reserved again with another application and fee. The name endings each state accepts show which ending to attach before you reserve.

What Michigan charges after formation

The filing fee table lists Form 700, Articles of Organization, at $50, and the annual statement at $25 for an LLC. LARA says an LLC formed after September 30 skips the first February 15 statement.

Falling behind costs more. LARA's FAQ puts restoration at $50 plus $25 for each missing year. The LLC cost calculator adds the recurring fee to the formation fee.

A Certificate of Assumed Name is Form 541 and costs $25 for an LLC or $10 for a corporation. The guide to fictitious business names explains where a DBA fits.

For speed, the fee table adds $50 for 24-hour handling of formation documents.

Checking and claiming a name in Michigan

  1. Search the name here for a first look at similar entities.
  2. Repeat the search in LARA's Business Entity Search, since that is the state record.
  3. Confirm the name ends with an LLC or corporation ending Michigan lists.
  4. File Form 540 if you want the name held, or file Form 700 directly.

Michigan name search questions

Where do I run the LARA business entity search in Michigan?

The LARA Corporations Division lists "Business Entity Search" among its search links, and the search sits inside the MiBusiness Registry Portal. Filing documents through the portal needs a MiLogin for Business account.

Does a Michigan name that passes the search belong to me?

No. Michigan Compiled Laws section 450.4204 says an LLC name that complies with the naming section creates no substantive rights to use it. Section 450.1212 says the same for corporate names.

How long does a Michigan name reservation last?

Michigan Compiled Laws section 450.4205 sets the period at the end of the sixth full calendar month after the month the application was filed. LARA says the name may be reserved again with another application and fee.

How often does a Michigan LLC file with LARA?

Every year. LARA says each LLC files an annual statement starting the year after formation, and the filing fee table lists it at $25 for an LLC.

Can I file Michigan business papers in person?

Yes, by appointment only, at 2407 N. Grand River Ave. in Lansing. Orders for certificates and copies go through the online portal, and telephone orders are no longer taken.

After the Michigan name check

8 official Michigan sources
  1. Michigan LARA, Corporations Division, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  2. Michigan LARA, MiBusiness Registry Portal, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  3. Michigan LARA, Corporations Division frequently asked questions, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  4. Michigan LARA, Name Reservations guidance, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  5. Michigan LARA, Corporations Division filing fees, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  6. Michigan Compiled Laws 450.4204, limited liability company names, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  7. Michigan Compiled Laws 450.4205, reservation of an LLC name, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  8. Michigan Compiled Laws 450.1212, corporate names, retrieved November 13, 2026.