Is the Michigan business entity search free?

Yes. LARA's Business Entity Search at https://www.michigan.gov/corpentitysearch is free and unlimited. You do not need an account, and you can search by business name, ID number, or filing number.

How do I check if an LLC name is available in Michigan?

Search LARA's database for your exact name plus shortened and sound-alike variations. If no active entity has the same or a confusingly similar name, it is probably available. LARA makes the final decision when your Articles of Organization are filed.

What does 'active' status mean in the Michigan entity search?

Active means the entity is currently registered and in good standing with the state. Other statuses — dissolved, withdrawn, merged — mean the entity no longer exists in that form, and its name may eventually become available.

Does the Michigan entity search include DBAs?

It includes assumed names filed at the state level by LLCs and corporations. Sole proprietors file DBAs with the county clerk, and those do not appear in LARA's database — check with the county clerk separately.

Can I reserve a business name in Michigan before I file?

Corporations can reserve a name with LARA for a small fee. For LLCs, the practical approach is to file the Articles of Organization promptly, since filing is what secures the name.

What is a resident agent in Michigan?

The resident agent is the person or company designated to accept legal papers for the business, and must have a Michigan street address. It can be you, another individual, or a registered agent service.

Why can't I find a business I know exists?

It may be a sole proprietorship with a county-filed DBA (not in the state database), it may be registered in another state, or it may be filed under a different legal name than the name it advertises. Try searching the owner's name or a shortened version of the business name.

Does LARA name approval protect my name from trademark claims?

No. LARA only checks its own database. Trademark rights come from use and federal registration, so a name LARA accepts can still conflict with someone's trademark. Search the USPTO database separately if the name matters to your brand.

Michigan Business Guide

Michigan Business Entity Search: How to Look Up Any Michigan Business

Michigan offers a free online business entity search through the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). This guide shows you exactly how to search it, what the results mean, and how to confirm your business name is available before you file.

Reviewed and updated September 10, 2026 by the Clear Path document team. Informational only — not legal advice.

Quick Answer

How do I search for a business entity in Michigan?

To search Michigan business entities, go to LARA's free Business Entity Search at https://www.michigan.gov/corpentitysearch, enter a business name, ID number, or filing number, and review the results list. Click an entity name to see its status, formation date, resident agent, and filing history. A name that does not appear in the results is usually available to register, but LARA makes the final call when you file.

Open official Michigan business entity search (LARA)

Where to search

LARA Business Entity Search (free, online)

What it costs

$0 — the search is free

What you can find

Status, formation date, resident agent, filings

Next step

Reserve or register your name with LARA

Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only. ClearPath Document Services is a document preparation service, not a law firm, and does not provide legal advice.Read full disclaimer

Where the Michigan business entity search lives

Michigan's official business entity database is maintained by the Corporations Division of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). Open the official search at https://www.michigan.gov/corpentitysearch. The search is free, public, and available 24 hours a day. You do not need an account. It covers LLCs, corporations, limited partnerships, and assumed names (DBAs) filed at the state level.

Search tool: LARA Business Entity Search (https://www.michigan.gov/corpentitysearch)
Covers: LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs, and state-filed assumed names
Does not cover: sole proprietorships with no state filing, county-filed DBAs (check your county clerk)
Cost: free, unlimited searches

Step 1: Search by business name

Enter the exact name — or just the distinctive first words — in the search box. The tool is forgiving about punctuation and capitalization, but spelling matters. Try a few variations so you catch similar names, not just exact matches.

Search the full name you want, then a shortened version
Try singular and plural forms ('Riverstone' vs. 'Riverstones')
Ignore designators like 'LLC' or 'Inc.' — Michigan compares the distinctive part of the name
Write down anything close; you will compare against it in Step 4

Step 2: Search by ID or filing number

If you are researching an existing business — to verify a contractor, check a vendor, or confirm your own filing went through — search by the entity's identification number instead. Every Michigan filing gets a unique ID, and it pulls up the exact record with no lookalikes.

The ID number appears on the entity's filed documents and annual statements
Useful for due diligence before signing a contract or lease
Also the fastest way to confirm your own formation was accepted

Step 3: Read the results page

Each result links to a detail page with the entity's public record. The four fields that matter most are status, formation date, resident agent, and filing history. Status tells you whether the business is active; the filing history shows annual statements and amendments.

Active: the entity is in good standing and currently registered
Dissolved / withdrawn / merged: the entity no longer exists in that form — its name may eventually free up
Resident agent: the person or company designated to accept legal papers, with a Michigan street address
Filing history: annual statements, amendments, and any name changes

Step 4: Decide if your name is available

A name is generally available if no active Michigan entity has the same or a confusingly similar name. 'Not identical' is not enough — Michigan rejects names that are too similar to existing ones, and adding 'LLC,' a comma, or 'the' does not make a name different. If nothing close appears, your name is probably usable, but LARA's examiners make the final determination when your formation document is filed.

Same spelling = taken, even with a different designator
Confusingly similar names are also rejected (sound-alikes and reordered words)
A dissolved entity's name may be available, but check how long ago it dissolved
You can call LARA's Corporations Division to ask about a borderline name before filing

Step 5: Claim the name

Once you have a clear name, you lock it in by filing your formation document — Articles of Organization for an LLC (Form CSCL/CD-700, $50) or Articles of Incorporation for a corporation. If you are not ready to file, Michigan lets you reserve a corporate name for a small fee; LLC names are secured simply by filing. File promptly — name availability can change daily.

LLC: file Articles of Organization (CSCL/CD-700), $50
Corporation: file Articles of Incorporation, $60 and up depending on shares
DBA at the state level: file a Certificate of Assumed Name, $25
County DBA for sole proprietors: file with your county clerk instead

What each entity status actually means

The status line is the single most useful field on a Michigan entity record, and it is the one people misread most often. It tells you whether the business legally exists right now, whether it has kept up with its filings, and whether you can safely contract with it.

Active: the entity exists and its required filings are current
Active but not in good standing: the entity still exists, but it has missed annual statements — it can lose the right to sue in Michigan courts until it catches up
Automatically dissolved: LARA dissolved the entity for missed filings; Michigan allows restoration by filing the missed annual statements and a restoration fee
Voluntarily dissolved: the owners closed it on purpose
Withdrawn: an out-of-state entity ended its Michigan registration
Merged: the entity was absorbed into another business, which now holds its obligations

How to check whether a business is in good standing

A search result shows the current status, but banks, lenders, landlords, and other states usually want an official Certificate of Good Standing from LARA rather than a screenshot. The certificate confirms the entity exists and that its annual statements are current on the date it is issued.

Look at the filing history first: a missing annual statement is the usual reason a business is not in good standing
Michigan LLC annual statements are due February 15 each year; profit corporations file by May 15
Filing the missed statements is what restores standing — ordering the certificate does not fix anything by itself
Clear Path can prepare the missed annual statements and request the certificate for you

How to find out who a company's resident agent is

Every Michigan LLC and corporation must list a resident agent with a Michigan street address. That record is public, which is how process servers, creditors, and anyone sending a legal notice knows where to deliver it. The agent's name and address appear on the entity's detail page.

Search the entity, open its record, and read the resident agent name and registered office address
A PO box is not valid for a registered office — it must be a physical Michigan street address
If the listed agent has moved or resigned, mail sent there can be missed entirely, which is how businesses end up defaulted
Changing your own agent takes a Certificate of Change of Registered Office/Agent filed with LARA

Searching a business that is not in the state database

Plenty of real Michigan businesses never appear in a LARA search. That does not mean they are fake — it usually means they operate under a structure that the state does not register.

Sole proprietorships and general partnerships register their assumed name with the county clerk, not the state
A company may trade under a brand name while its legal name is different — search the owner's surname
An out-of-state company doing business here should be registered as a foreign entity; if it is not, that is worth knowing before you sign
Licensed trades (builders, contractors, cosmetology) also appear in LARA's separate licensing lookup

What to do once you have found what you needed

The search is almost always a step toward something else. Match what you found to the next filing so nothing sits unfinished.

Name is free: file Articles of Organization or Incorporation to lock it in
Name is taken: adjust the distinctive part of the name, not just the designator, and search again
Your own entity is not in good standing: file the missed annual statements and restore it
You need proof for a bank or another state: order a Certificate of Good Standing
You need to change agent or address: file the change with LARA before your next legal notice arrives

Common mistakes to avoid

Most rejected filings and naming disputes come from a handful of avoidable errors. Run through this list before you submit anything.

Only searching exact matches and missing a confusingly similar name
Assuming a county DBA search clears your name at the state level — they are separate databases
Forgetting that trademarks are a separate check; LARA approval does not clear federal trademark rights
Waiting weeks between searching and filing — someone else can take the name in the gap
Skipping the annual statement after forming, which can put your entity out of good standing

Frequently Asked Questions

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