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LLC UnpackedEvery filing, unpacked: the fee, the form, the catch.

Unpacked · Michigan

3 Best Registered Agents in Michigan (2026): Unpacked

Opened up for 2026, the registered agents in Michigan rank Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Michigan Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and MI Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), best on top. An agent opens at $99 to $149 in the first year and totals $297 to $447 by year three.
Unpacked by the LLC Unpacked editorial team

Four things inside

Must the LLC name an agent?
Yes, by law
Label in the statute
Resident agent
Going price
$99 to $149 per year
Top of the stack
Mainstay Filing, Michigan Registered Agent.co then MI Registered Agent.org

The Michigan stack, best on top

Prices come from each company's own page. See how we open it up.
Ranked first

1. Mainstay Filing: best for one price in every state

Year one $149, later years $149

Mainstay Filing is first, and its price is $149 a year here and identical in every other state.

Is it the smallest bill? No. Michigan Registered Agent.co costs $150 less over three years, but only in Michigan.

Inside the price

  • An in-state address on file
  • Scans of three government mailings a year at no charge
  • Reaches beyond LLCs: corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits

Inside, the good

  • One price in all fifty states
  • $149 a year, flat at renewal

Inside, the catch

  • A yearly bill $50 higher
  • Nothing inside beyond the agent role
Michigan only

2. Michigan Registered Agent.co: best for one-state businesses

Year one $99, later years $99

Michigan Registered Agent.co sits second because inside the price is an agent in the state for $99 a year.

Inside the price

  • An in-state street address
  • Legal papers scanned to your account

Inside, the good

  • Just $99 a year
  • Costs less a year than Mainstay Filing

Inside, the catch

  • Nothing for other states
  • The annual statement sits outside the box
Michigan only

3. MI Registered Agent.org: best for another in-state option

Year one $99, later years $99

MI Registered Agent.org sits third because inside the price is an agent in the state for $99 a year.

Its prices match Michigan Registered Agent.co exactly, so the order between them is close.

Inside the price

  • An in-state street address
  • Legal papers scanned to your account

Inside, the good

  • Costs less a year than Mainstay Filing
  • Just $99 a year

Inside, the catch

  • Nothing for other states
  • The annual statement sits outside the box

Side by side

#PickYear oneEach year afterThree-year totalCovers
1Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447An in-state address on file; scans of three government mailings a year at no charge; Reaches beyond LLCs: corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofitsOpen Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Michigan Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297An in-state street address; legal papers scanned to your accountOpen Michigan Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3MI Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297An in-state street address; legal papers scanned to your accountOpen MI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices as of November 13, 2026. The state's own fees are in the checklist below.

Opened up, question by question

Must the LLC name a resident agent?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Statute: MCL 450.4207. peek at legislature.mi.gov, confirmed October 2026

Who qualifies?

A Michigan resident, or a corporation or LLC formed in Michigan or authorized there, whose business office (or, for a person, residence) is the registered office.

Meet the rule and the role costs nothing.

How much does an agent cost?

Services we rank charge $99 to $149 each year, which adds up to $297 to $447 over three.

No state fee depends on the agent you name.

What does an agent handle for the LLC?

Court papers and state notices for the company land at the agent's Michigan address first.

Ask how quickly the agent tells you when something arrives, so no deadline slips by. What is service of process?

What does the LLC owe the state each year?

Underneath it all, one filing repeats: the annual statement, every year, at $25 each time. The state phrases its deadline like this: February 15.

peek at michigan.gov, confirmed August 2026

Why is the stack in this order?

Mainstay Filing wins the what is inside the price layer, which counts 29%.

Two layers carry most of the weight, total across three years (34%) and what is inside the price (29%).

Reach decided it: fifty states against one.

The five layers

What Michigan requires of an agent

PartWhat is insidePeek at source
LLC filing fee$50peek at legislature.mi.gov, confirmed September 2026
Resident agentYes, by lawpeek at legislature.mi.gov, confirmed October 2026
Annual statement$25 every yearpeek at michigan.gov, confirmed August 2026
State fees, years one to three$100The rows above, stacked
The last row stacks the filing fee, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax. A cost with no fixed amount, such as a newspaper notice, is explained above and kept out of the sum.

Also worth asking

Can I be my own agent?

Usually. Check who qualifies and which address counts, and if you fit, you can.

What address does an agent need?

The address has to be a registered office in Michigan, which does not have to be the place of business. P.O. boxes are not accepted.

How do the three-year totals compare?

Mainstay Filing stacks up to $447, Michigan Registered Agent.co stacks up to $297, MI Registered Agent.org stacks up to $297

What do these numbers rest on?

Official Michigan paperwork stands behind every state fee here, and every service price traces back to the company's own pricing.

Does the law require one?

No law requires a service. It is a paid convenience.

Who tops the stack in Michigan?

Mainstay Filing is on top: nothing inside changes by state: $149 a year, $149 at renewal. Under it sit Michigan Registered Agent.co and MI Registered Agent.org.

Originals behind this page

  1. Under Michigan Department of Licensing and sits michigan.gov, dated August 2026, as the original document
  2. Under Michigan Department of Licensing and sits michigan.gov, dated August 2026, as the original document
  3. Under Michigan report due date sits michigan.gov, dated August 2026, as the original document
  4. Under MCL 450.4202 sits legislature.mi.gov, dated August 2026, as the original document
  5. Under Michigan formation fee: Filing fee sits michigan.gov, dated September 2026, as the original document
  6. Under Michigan formation fee: Filing fee sits legislature.mi.gov, dated September 2026, as the original document
  7. Under Michigan registered agent statute sits legislature.mi.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  8. The Mainstay Filing Michigan service page, opened November 13, 2026
  9. The Michigan Registered Agent.co pricing page, opened November 13, 2026
  10. The MI Registered Agent.org pricing page, opened November 13, 2026