Michigan Business Name Checker
Check if your business name is available in Michigan. Validate MI naming rules instantly, then search LARA's new MiBusiness Registry free — Michigan's business filings run through LARA, not a Secretary of State.
Validate the name format, then search the official Michigan Dept. of LARA — Corporations Division (MiBusiness Registry) records.
1.Search the state registry (Michigan Dept. of LARA — Corporations Division (MiBusiness Registry)) for existing LLCs, corporations, and reserved names
2.Check federal trademarks at USPTO.gov — state approval does not protect you from trademark claims
3.Verify the .com domain is available for your name
4.Grab matching social media handles (Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Facebook)
5.Lock the name in by filing your formation documents — or reserve it first (details below)
Fee
$25 for LLCs ($10 for corporations)
Holds the name for
Six months following the month of filing (up to about seven months in practice)
How to file
Form CSCL/CD-540, filed by mail, in person, or online at michigan.gov/corpfileonline
Renewable by filing another application with a new fee. The odd "six months following the month of filing" wording means a reservation filed on the 1st runs nearly seven months.
How Business Name Availability Works in Michigan
Michigan wires its business filings differently: entity records belong to LARA — the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs — through its Corporations Division, not to a Secretary of State. In June 2025 the search portal moved to the new MiBusiness Registry, so older bookmarks and guides pointing at the legacy LARA search are out of date. The search itself remains free.
Michigan's naming rules sit in MCL 450.4204: an LLC name must be distinguishable upon the records and carry "Limited Liability Company" or one of the abbreviations "L.L.C.," "LLC," "L.C.," or "LC." Corporation words like "Incorporated" or "Corp." are expressly excluded from LLC names. Corporations use "Company," "Corporation," "Incorporated," or "Limited" or their abbreviations.
The economics are among the friendliest in the country. Forming a Michigan LLC costs just $50, the annual statement is $25, and a name reservation is $25 (corporations pay only $10) on form CSCL/CD-540 — held for six months following the month of filing, which in practice means up to about seven months, renewable with a fresh application.
Michigan Business Name Requirements
✓ Name Requirements
- • LLCs must include "LLC", "L.L.C.", "LC", "L.C." or "Limited Liability Company"
- • Corporations must include "Inc.", "Corp.", "Co." or "Ltd."
- • Must be distinguishable upon the records from every existing Michigan entity and reserved name (MCL 450.4204)
- • Cannot suggest a government affiliation
- • Cannot be misleading about business purpose
- • Governed by MCL 450.4204 (LLCs) and the Michigan Business Corporation Act (corporations)
✗ Restricted Words
- • "Bank" — requires approval from the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS)
- • "Trust" — implies fiduciary powers — Michigan DIFS approval needed
- • "Credit Union" — restricted to chartered credit unions regulated by Michigan DIFS
- • "Insurance" — requires clearance from the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services
- • "Incorporated" — corporation words cannot appear in a Michigan LLC name — they imply a different entity type
- • "Olympic" — federally protected under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act
How to Check Name Availability in Michigan
Use the tool above to open the Michigan Dept. of LARA — Corporations Division (MiBusiness Registry) search and look up existing LLCs, corporations, and reserved names. Michigan has no Secretary of State for business filings — LARA's Corporations Division keeps the records, and the search portal moved to the new MiBusiness Registry in June 2025.
Search the USPTO database at uspto.gov — clearing the Michigan registry does not protect you from a federal trademark claim.
Check that the matching .com domain is available before you commit — renaming an LLC later means an amendment filing and new bank paperwork.
Confirm your name is free on Instagram, X, Facebook, and LinkedIn so your branding stays consistent everywhere.
Michigan lets you reserve a name for Six months following the month of filing (up to about seven months in practice) for $25 for LLCs ($10 for corporations) — Form CSCL/CD-540, filed by mail, in person, or online at michigan.gov/corpfileonline.
What Registering a Name Costs in Michigan
| Filing | State Fee | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| LLC formation filing | $50 | One-time |
| Annual report / recurring fee | $25 | Yearly |
| Name reservation | $25 for LLCs ($10 for corporations) | Holds the name Six months following the month of filing (up to about seven months in practice) |
| Certificate of Assumed Name | LLCs file form CSCL/CD-541 with LARA for $25 under MCL 450.4206; the term runs roughly five years, expiring December 31 of the fifth year (confirm with LARA). Sole proprietors file at the county clerk instead. | |
State filing fees as of 2026. See the Michigan LLC tax and fee calculator for the full annual cost picture.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check if a business name is taken in Michigan for free?
Search the MiBusiness Registry, the free portal that replaced LARA's old business entity search in June 2025. It covers the corporations, LLCs, and other entities on the Corporations Division's records, with status and filing history for each. Search the distinctive words of your name and check near matches — under MCL 450.4204 your name must be distinguishable upon the records, and suffix or punctuation differences do not count.
How much does it cost to reserve a business name in Michigan?
An LLC name reservation costs $25 (corporations pay just $10), filed on form CSCL/CD-540 by mail, in person, or online at michigan.gov/corpfileonline. The name is reserved for six months following the month of filing — so filing early in a month buys you close to seven months. You can renew by submitting another application with a new fee. Given Michigan's $50 formation fee, many founders simply form the LLC instead of reserving.
What suffix does a Michigan LLC name need?
Under MCL 450.4204, a Michigan LLC name must contain "Limited Liability Company" or the abbreviations "L.L.C.," "LLC," "L.C.," or "LC" — Michigan accepts the short "LC" form. Corporation words are expressly excluded: "Incorporated," "Corporation," "Inc.," or "Corp." cannot appear in an LLC name. Corporations use "Company," "Corporation," "Incorporated," or "Limited" or the abbreviations Co., Corp., Inc., or Ltd.
Who handles business filings in Michigan — the Secretary of State?
No. Unlike most states, Michigan's business filings run through LARA — the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs — via its Corporations Division. The Michigan Secretary of State handles elections and vehicle services, not entities. In June 2025 the entity search moved to the new MiBusiness Registry, so older guides pointing to the legacy LARA search or to a Secretary of State business portal are out of date.
How do I file an assumed name (DBA) for a Michigan LLC?
File a Certificate of Assumed Name, form CSCL/CD-541, with LARA for $25 under MCL 450.4206. The certificate runs on roughly a five-year term expiring December 31 of the fifth year — confirm the exact term with LARA when filing. One LLC can hold multiple assumed names for different brands. Sole proprietors and general partnerships file their assumed names with the county clerk in the counties where they operate rather than with LARA.
How much does a Michigan LLC cost to form and maintain?
Michigan is one of the cheapest states in the country: the Articles of Organization cost $50, and the annual statement due each year is $25. An optional name reservation adds $25 (or $10 for a corporation), and each Certificate of Assumed Name costs $25. There are no publication requirements and no hidden recurring fees, so a Michigan LLC's total first-year state bill can come in under $100.
Related Tools
MI LLC Tax & Fee Calculator
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Michigan Quarterly Tax Calculator
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Business Entity Search Directory
Official Secretary of State search portals for all 50 states — look up any registered company.
Checking a Name in Another State?
Searching the MiBusiness Registry (LARA's New Portal)
Michigan's entity search lives in the MiBusiness Registry, which replaced the old LARA business entity search in June 2025. It is free and covers the corporations, LLCs, and other entities on the Corporations Division's records, along with their identification numbers, status, and filing history. If a guide or bookmark sends you to the legacy search, expect a redirect — the registry is now the system of record.
Run your search on the distinctive words of your proposed name and review close matches: Michigan's standard under MCL 450.4204 is "distinguishable upon the records," so a name that differs from an existing one only by suffix, punctuation, or an article will not clear examination.
Filings themselves can go by mail, in person, or online at michigan.gov/corpfileonline. Michigan is refreshingly cheap: the Articles of Organization cost $50 and the annual statement just $25, so there is little financial reason to delay formation once your name checks out.
Michigan LLC Naming Rules Under MCL 450.4204
A Michigan LLC name must include "Limited Liability Company" or one of the abbreviations "L.L.C.," "LLC," "L.C.," or "LC" — Michigan is one of the states that accepts the short "LC" form. The statute is equally clear about what cannot appear: corporation words such as "Incorporated," "Corporation," "Inc.," or "Corp." are excluded from LLC names because they imply the wrong entity type.
Corporations use "Company," "Corporation," "Incorporated," or "Limited" or the abbreviations "Co.," "Corp.," "Inc.," or "Ltd." Across both entity types, financial words face regulator gates: "bank," "trust," "credit union," and "insurance" all route through the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS).
Distinguishability is measured against every entity and reserved name on the Corporations Division's records. If your name is close to an existing one, the reliable fix is a different key word — Michigan examiners will not accept suffix swaps or punctuation as a difference.
Cheap Reservations and Certificates of Assumed Name
Michigan's name reservation, form CSCL/CD-540, costs $25 for LLCs and a mere $10 for corporations. The duration wording is unique: the name is reserved "for six months following the month of filing," so a reservation filed early in a month effectively runs almost seven months. Renewal is simple — file another application with a new fee. You can file by mail, in person, or online at michigan.gov/corpfileonline.
Operating under a brand other than your legal name requires a Certificate of Assumed Name, form CSCL/CD-541, filed with LARA for $25 under MCL 450.4206. The term runs roughly five years, expiring December 31 of the fifth year — confirm the current term with LARA when you file. Sole proprietors and partnerships register assumed names at the county clerk instead.
At $50 to form, $25 a year to maintain, and $25 per assumed name, Michigan's total cost of ownership is among the lowest of any state — which makes it all the more worth getting the name right the first time rather than paying to amend it later.
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