If you operate an LLC or corporation in Michigan, you need to designate a resident agent (known as a “registered agent” in most other states) to accept document deliveries from the state. You have a few options regarding who should provide this vital service, our favorite of which is hiring a resident agent service.
These companies will serve as your resident agent in exchange for an annual fee, keeping your business in compliance with state law by receiving documents like service of process, tax documents, reminders when your annual statement is coming due, and more.
In Michigan, there are quite a few reputable companies offering resident agent service, which can make it difficult to determine which company is your best choice. That’s why we took a deep dive into all of your options to create this list of the best Michigan resident agent services. Which one should you use?
At ZenBusiness, we pride ourselves on providing convenient, easy-to-leverage business services that leave you more time to actually run your business. When it comes to ongoing resident agent service, ZenBusiness has a great $99 rate for the first year and a competitive $199 rate for subsequent years.
If you haven’t yet formed your LLC or corporation, we offer an outstanding bargain. We will form your new business for free — all you have to do is cover the required state filing fee.
Let’s take a look at some of our advantages and disadvantages compared to our top competitors.
Pros:
- Low $99 price point for the first year
- Great customer feedback
- Strong customer service
- Gives back to socially disadvantaged entrepreneurs
Cons:
- Not the absolute cheapest option available
There are more than 10,000 reviews of ZenBusiness online, and nearly all of them are positive, giving us one of the best customer satisfaction reputations in the industry. We also have a helpful and knowledgeable customer support department that can answer your tough questions.
Next up is Northwest Registered Agent, a company that offers personalized customer support. Northwest no longer provides free mail forwarding service with its resident agent offering, which used to be a cornerstone of its service. However, it still has plenty of advantages.
How does Northwest Registered Agent stack up to the competition?
Pros:
- Personalized customer support
- Volume discounts available
- Free resident agent service with business formation
Cons:
- Expensive business formation service
- Not many other services offered
Northwest Registered Agent’s calling card is its personalized customer support. Instead of outsourcing its support network to a generic call center with questionably trained representatives, Northwest keeps its support team in-house. Everyone who answers the phone for Northwest is a professional who knows their stuff.
Northwest offers a year of resident agent service in Michigan with any business formation service purchase. However, at $225, the price point for this package is higher than most competitors.
We appreciate Northwest’s volume discounts for resident agent service, as they’ll slash your rate from $125 to $100 annually if you require service in at least five states. In addition, they receive strong customer reviews and offer free ongoing compliance reminders.
Overall, if you prioritize personalized customer support, Northwest’s advantages likely outweigh its disadvantages.
Like ZenBusiness, IncFile offers a free business formation service. With IncFile, this includes a year of resident agent service as well. As a standalone service, IncFile provides resident agent service at an annual rate of $119, which is a solidly competitive price point.
Pros:
- Free business formation service with resident agent service
- Good customer feedback
Cons:
- Lots of upsells
With more than 30,000 reviews available online, IncFile maintains high average rating scores, making them an impressive pick for resident agent service in Michigan.
However, one drawback of using IncFile is how they can be rather relentless with upsell attempts. IncFile has plenty of add-on features available, and it will certainly remind you of that fact several times as you work your way through their order form. It can also take IncFile a while to respond to customer support messages, especially via email.
Overall, IncFile is a rock-solid option for resident agent service, albeit without some of the bells and whistles you’ll find with some competitors.
Rocket Lawyer is one of the industry’s biggest names, with millions of customers served and a robust advertising budget that gets its name out. Rocket Lawyer’s pricing is a bit high, but if you’re looking for an experienced option, look no further.
Pros:
- Tons of experience
- Solid customer satisfaction reputation
- Strong customer support
Cons:
- Somewhat high price points
- Very few features
Rocket Lawyer has a few thousand reviews available, with mostly positive scores. While its resident agent pricing doesn’t jump off the page, subscribers to Rocket Lawyer’s $39.99/month legal services program receive 25% off resident agent service, free business formation service for new members, and more.
We are always impressed with Rocket Lawyer’s support network, as its representatives are responsive and helpful. Rocket Lawyer offers extended support availability from 9 am to 9 pm every weekday. If you’re willing to spend a bit more in exchange for a company with tons of experience, or if you’re interested in Rocket Lawyer’s legal services subscription, give them a look.
LegalZoom is similar to Rocket Lawyer in that it’s a company with millions of customers served and offers advanced legal services. However, LegalZoom has an unfortunately high price point for Michigan resident agent service. You can get your first year for $249 if you add it to a business formation package, but even that isn’t a great deal.
Pros:
- Millions of customers served
- Industry’s longest support hours
- 100% satisfaction guaranteed
Cons:
- High prices
- Few features in formation packages
We are impressed by LegalZoom’s 100% satisfaction guarantee, which is nearly identical to the ZenBusiness refund policy. Also, they have the longest customer support hours in this industry, with 14 hours per day of weekday availability and nine hours on weekends too.
That said, LegalZoom’s high price tag for resident agent service is a problem. Seeing as this company also excludes valuable features from its business formation packages, the other options in this guide all have better value propositions than LegalZoom.
What Is a Michigan Resident Agent?
Every business entity in the state of Michigan is required to have a resident agent. In fact, you will not be allowed to finish the formation process for your company until you designate your resident agent.
The most important aspect of this role is receiving document deliveries from the state government, then alerting your business of the delivery before forwarding the documents to you. The role of the resident agent is so important because it establishes a point of contact for your business with the state so that they have a reliable place to get in touch with an official representative of your company at any time.
Unlike some states, Michigan does not maintain a comprehensive (or even partial) list of resident agents serving local businesses. You’ll have to do your own research to find the right one for your business. That’s where this guide comes in.
What Does Michigan Law Say About Resident Agents?
Each state has its own rules and regulations surrounding resident agents. For the most part, these laws are fairly similar, but it’s always worth taking a look to see what Michigan requires.
In Michigan, we’ll need to take a look at The Michigan Business Corporations Act, which says:
- Every entity that files with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (both domestic and foreign) must appoint a resident agent
- The agent must be an individual resident of Michigan or a business entity with the authority to operate in the state
- An agent must be continuously maintained
All of the companies we’re about to discuss meet these regulations and are great options for Michigan resident agent service. When you’ve made your choice, you can indicate your resident agent’s name and address on your Articles of Organization.
What About Small, Michigan-only Resident Agent Services?
As you’ve probably noticed, the resident agent services we’ve listed here serve businesses across the country. But if you Google “Michigan Resident Agent,” you’ll probably see results for local services, too. These can be local entrepreneurs with a knack for clerical tasks, offices dedicated to serving businesses in their counties, or statewide companies.
On one hand, using a local service can have its advantages. Some will be cheaper than nationwide firms (but not always!). And each state has its own nuances for business compliance requirements, Michigan included. A resident agent service that services Michigan alone will have detailed knowledge about those requirements. Granted, most national services do a good job of understanding local requirements. But they probably won’t give you the same “homegrown Michigan” feeling as a local agent service.
That said, national businesses like Northwest Registered Agent and ZenBusiness give you streamlined solutions. Let’s say you’re using a local Michigan-only resident agent service, but it’s time to add locations in Ohio. You could search for an additional agent that services Ohio businesses. But that’s going to require a lot of additional paperwork, including new receipts, new automatic payments, more emails…you get the idea. But if you’re using a national service, you can cut down the “new” paperwork and focus on what really matters: growing your business.
Ultimately, the choice is up to you, and there’s no “wrong” answer. The most important thing is that you appoint one so you can run a compliant Michigan business.
Conclusion
The role of a Michigan resident agent is critical to your company’s compliance and legal standing. This position requires dealing with seemingly simple tasks, yet if they’re handled incorrectly, they could cost you a considerable amount of money in fines and could even potentially see the state dissolve your business.
While you can always change your resident agent down the line, we think it’s essential to pick the right resident agent for your business starting at the formation phase. You should also keep an eye on your compliance standing to ensure nothing goes awry along the way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can serve as a resident agent in Michigan?
In Michigan, there aren’t many complicated requirements for resident agent eligibility. Any individual or business entity located within the state can serve as your company’s resident agent. The only requirements are that they have a permanent address in Michigan and that your company itself can not serve as its own resident agent (although you or one of your co-owners may assume this role individually).
Like most states, Michigan does not have an explicit age requirement (a few states require the appointed agent to be at least 18 years of age). That said, we do recommend that you pick a responsible individual that you trust or one of the services listed above. If the resident agent does not fulfill their duties completely and accurately, it can cause unnecessary hassle for a business. Most responsible adults can fill this role easily, but we do recommend careful consideration while you make this appointment.
Must my resident agent be located in Michigan?
Yes. If your resident agent is an individual, that person must live in Michigan. If your agent is a business entity, that company must either be a domestic Michigan business or one with authority to conduct business in the state.
How can I change my resident agent in Michigan?
Michigan keeps the process of changing your resident agent pretty simple. All you have to do is download the Certificate of Change of Registered Office and/or Change of Resident Agent form, fill it out, and submit it to the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. There is a small filing fee of $5. For more information on how to change your resident agent in Michigan, look here.
How does the Michigan resident agent resignation process work?
If your resident agent chooses to resign and no longer serves as your agent, they will file the Resignation of Resident Agent form (and pay the $5 fee for LLCs; there is no fee for partnerships or corporations). The document becomes effective as soon as your business appoints a successor or 30 days pass from the date it was filed. As a result, you must appoint a new agent within 30 days to avoid a lapse in your resident agent coverage.
How much does it cost to change my Michigan resident agent?
Michigan charges just $5 for the Certificate of Change form, and that’s it. As long as you file the form correctly, that’s all you’ll pay. However, if you happen to appoint a new agent late and there’s a lapse in your resident agent coverage, you may incur additional fees or penalties.
What are my options if I don’t want to hire a Michigan resident agent service?
One common option is to serve as your company’s own resident agent or enlist the assistance of a trusted friend or family member. The other route is to hire an attorney or accountant to handle this role. Maybe you prefer the added professionalism these people can provide, maybe you have an existing relationship with an attorney or accountant you trust, etc.
If you’re interested in hiring an attorney but don’t know where to start, we recommend taking a look on Avvo. We also dug through the top-rated lawyers on Avvo to create our own list of the top five business attorneys you could contact regarding resident agent service:
Where can I find more information on forming an LLC in Michigan?
The best place to learn more about forming a Michigan LLC is our comprehensive step-by-step guide. You might also be interested in checking out our list of the best Michigan LLC formation services.
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We break down the best registered agent services in every state. View all of our guides below.
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