How do I find the officers of a Michigan corporation?

Officer and director information appears on the corporation's annual report filings, which are part of the public filing history on its record. It is not shown on the summary line.

When is a Michigan corporation's annual report due?

Profit corporations file by May 15 each year. Nonprofit corporations file by October 1. Missing reports puts the corporation out of good standing and can eventually lead to automatic dissolution.

How do I get a Certificate of Good Standing in Michigan?

Order it from LARA for a state fee. The certificate will only issue if the corporation's required filings are current, so any missed annual reports have to be filed first.

Can a dissolved Michigan corporation be brought back?

Usually yes. A corporation dissolved for missed filings can be restored by filing the outstanding annual reports and paying a restoration fee. Voluntary dissolutions are treated differently.

Michigan Business Guide

Michigan Corporation Search

Q: Is there a separate corporation search for Michigan?

No. LARA's Business Entity Search covers corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, and registered foreign entities in one database. Each record shows the entity type.

How to pull a Michigan corporation's public record, read what it says, and decide whether the company on the other side of a contract is what it claims to be.

Reviewed and updated September 23, 2026 by the Clear Path document team. Informational only — not legal advice.

Quick Answer

How do I search for a corporation in Michigan?

Use LARA's free Business Entity Search at cofs.lara.state.mi.us and enter the corporation's name or entity ID number. The record shows the corporation's exact legal name, status, incorporation date, resident agent and registered office, and every document it has filed with the Corporations Division. There is no charge and no account required. Certified copies and a Certificate of Good Standing can be ordered from LARA for a fee.

Where to search

LARA Corporations Division, free online

Annual report due

May 15 each year for profit corporations

Articles of Incorporation

$60 and up, depending on authorized shares

Covers

Profit, nonprofit, and foreign corporations

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

Corporations and LLCs share one database

Michigan does not keep a separate corporation search. Profit corporations, nonprofit corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, and registered foreign entities all live in the same LARA Business Entity Search. The entity type is shown on each record, so you can tell an Inc. from an LLC at a glance.

Domestic profit corporations — formed in Michigan under the Business Corporation Act
Domestic nonprofit corporations — formed under the Nonprofit Corporation Act
Foreign corporations — incorporated elsewhere and registered to do business in Michigan
The record labels the type, so check it before assuming a company is a corporation

What a corporation's record tells you

The public record is the fastest due-diligence check available before signing a contract, extending credit, or accepting a large deposit.

Exact legal name, which is often different from the trade name on the invoice
Status, including whether it is current on annual reports
Incorporation date — a company claiming twenty years in business should have a record that agrees
Resident agent and registered office, which is where legal papers must be delivered
Filing history: amendments, mergers, name changes, restorations, dissolutions

Reading the annual report history

Michigan profit corporations file an annual report by May 15 each year; nonprofit corporations file by October 1. A gap in that history is the clearest warning sign on the whole record.

Consecutive filings suggest someone is minding the corporate housekeeping
A gap of two years or more can lead to automatic dissolution
An automatically dissolved corporation can be restored by filing the missed reports and a restoration fee
A corporation not in good standing can lose the right to bring a lawsuit in Michigan courts until it is cured

Checking a foreign corporation doing business here

An out-of-state corporation that does business in Michigan is supposed to register as a foreign corporation and appoint a Michigan resident agent. If the search turns up nothing for a company actively operating here, that gap is worth raising before you sign.

Search the exact legal name, not the brand name
Foreign records show the home state and the date Michigan registration began
An unregistered foreign corporation may face restrictions on enforcing contracts in Michigan courts
Clear Path prepares foreign qualification filings for companies that need to register here

Ordering official proof

A search result is a screenshot. Banks, lenders, other states, and many contracts want an official document from LARA instead.

Certificate of Good Standing — confirms the corporation exists and is current as of the issue date
Certified copies of Articles of Incorporation or amendments
Both carry a state fee and are ordered through LARA
Standing must be cured first: ordering the certificate does not fix missed reports

Frequently Asked Questions

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