How do I check if an LLC is active in Michigan?

Search the LLC in LARA's free Business Entity Search and read the status field on its record. 'Active' means it exists and its filings are current. 'Active but not in good standing' means it exists but has missed annual statements.

Can I find out who owns a Michigan LLC?

Usually not from the state database. Michigan does not require member or owner names on the Articles of Organization. The resident agent is listed, but the agent is often a service company rather than an owner.

Is the Michigan LLC lookup free?

Yes. Searching LARA's business entity database costs nothing and does not require an account. Ordering official copies or a Certificate of Good Standing carries a state fee.

Why can't I find an LLC I know exists?

It may operate under an assumed name while its legal name is different, it may be registered in another state, or the business may be a sole proprietorship with a county-filed DBA rather than a state-registered LLC.

What happens if my Michigan LLC misses the annual statement?

It falls out of good standing, and after repeated misses the state can dissolve it administratively. Filing the missed statements restores it, with a restoration fee if it was already dissolved.

Michigan Business Guide

Michigan LLC Lookup

Everything the state's free LLC lookup will tell you about a Michigan limited liability company — and what it will not.

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

Quick Answer

How do I look up an LLC in Michigan?

Search the LLC's name in LARA's free Business Entity Search at cofs.lara.state.mi.us. Open the matching record to see the LLC's status, the date it was formed, its resident agent and registered office address, its entity ID number, and every document it has filed. The search costs nothing and needs no account. If no active LLC uses the name, it is probably available — LARA makes the final call when your Articles of Organization are filed.

Cost to search

Free, unlimited

What you see

Status, formation date, resident agent, filings

Annual statement due

February 15 every year

Articles of Organization fee

$50 (Form CSCL/CD-700)

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

What an LLC lookup shows you

Michigan LLC records are public. Once you open an entity record you can see everything the state holds about that company's registration — which is enough to verify a contractor, check a vendor before you pay a deposit, or confirm your own filing went through.

Legal name and entity identification number
Status: active, active but not in good standing, or dissolved
Formation date and the state it was organized in
Resident agent name and registered office street address
Filing history: annual statements, amendments, name changes, restorations

What it will not show you

Michigan LLC records are deliberately thin on ownership. If you are trying to find out who owns a company, the state database is often a dead end.

Member and owner names are not required on Michigan Articles of Organization
No financial information, revenue, or tax filings
No lawsuits, liens, or judgments — those are court and Register of Deeds records
No licensing status for trades, which lives in LARA's separate license lookup

Checking whether an LLC name is available

Search the distinctive part of the name you want, not the whole thing with 'LLC' attached. Michigan compares the distinguishing words, so adding a designator, a comma, or the word 'the' does not make a taken name available.

Search the full name, then just the first distinctive word
Try singular and plural, and obvious sound-alike spellings
A dissolved LLC's name may free up, but check how recently it dissolved
State approval does not clear trademark rights — search the USPTO separately if the brand matters

If the lookup shows your own LLC is not in good standing

The most common cause is a missed annual statement. Michigan LLCs file one every year by February 15. Miss enough of them and the state can dissolve the LLC administratively, which is fixable but adds fees.

File the missed annual statements to restore standing
An administratively dissolved LLC can be restored by filing the missed statements plus a restoration fee
Until it is restored, the LLC can lose the right to bring a lawsuit in Michigan courts
Banks and lenders usually want a Certificate of Good Standing, which LARA will only issue once filings are current

Frequently Asked Questions

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