In brief
Michigan law sets who can be a resident agent and requires an in-state street address[2]. Serving personally is open to any owner who lives in Michigan and has a qualifying address. Replacing the agent is a $5 filing[3].
One option in Michigan: Mainstay Filing, $149 a year as resident agent, renewing at the same price[1].
Updated October 29, 2026. Rules from the statute and state forms; fees from official sources; prices from providers' own pages.
Who can serve as a Michigan resident agent
Michigan's rule is in MCL 450.4207[2].
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.
Serving personally is open to any owner who lives in Michigan and has a qualifying address. Owners who live outside Michigan, and so cannot serve themselves, usually hire a service.
The address rule
The statute and the state's forms set this out. 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.[2]
The agent's name and address is part of the public record for the company, so whatever is listed appears in the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA)'s records.
Making a change
Michigan charges $5 for this change[3]. The document is the Certificate of Change of Registered Office and/or Resident Agent (Form CSCL/CD-520)[4].
In short: pick a qualifying replacement, file the form with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau - Corporations Division, pay the fee, and confirm the change shows in the state's records.
The 50-state median for this filing is $15. For Michigan's $5, 10 states charge less and 35 charge more.
Switching to Mainstay Filing includes the Michigan change filing; it submits the form to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau - Corporations Division and charges the $5 state fee at cost[1].
Context: new businesses in Michigan
A resident agent has to stay on record for as long as the company exists. By the Bureau of Labor Statistics' count, 55% of business locations that opened in Michigan between April 2019 and March 2020 were still operating in March 2025.
Agent service prices in Michigan
Naming yourself or a colleague costs nothing beyond the state's filing fees. Mainstay Filing charges $149 a year, and the same at renewal[1]; that covers its Michigan address on the public record, same-day scans of papers served, compliance reminders and the first three government mailings a year.
Other services' prices for Michigan were read from their own pages on October 20, 2026, 6 in all. Year one cost $99 to $249 and renewal $125 to $249. One of the 6 charges more from the second year on.
Questions
Can I be my own resident agent in Michigan?
Serving personally is open to any owner who lives in Michigan and has a qualifying address.
Can a Michigan resident agent use a P.O. box?
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.[2]
What does a Michigan resident agent service cost?
Mainstay Filing offers it for $149 a year, with no increase at renewal[1]. Other services' published Michigan prices ran $99 to $249 for the first year on October 20, 2026.
How much does it cost to change the resident agent in Michigan?
$5, paid to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau - Corporations Division[3].
Sources
- Mainstay Filing pricing, registered agent and FAQ pages. Updated October 29, 2026.
- MCL 450.4207. www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-450-4207. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau - Corporations Division: Certificate of Change of Registered Office and/or Resident Agent fee. www.michigan.gov/lara/-/media/Project/Websites/lara/cscl/Folder6/Filing_Fees.pdf. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Certificate of Change of Registered Office and/or Resident Agent (Form CSCL/CD-520). www.michigan.gov/lara/-/media/Project/Websites/lara/cscl/NonImages_new/Corps/forms/corpora. Updated October 29, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, Establishment Age and Survival, Table 7 (data through March 2025). www.bls.gov/bdm/bdmage.htm. Updated October 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (state annual and monthly series). www.census.gov/econ/bfs/index.html. Updated October 29, 2026.