Every limited liability company operating in the United States needs to designate a registered agent. Even after you identify your initial registered agent in your formation paperwork, there are several reasons for why you may need to change the registered agent for your LLC in Michigan.
Your registered agent could be moving out of state, or they could be a former co-owner or employee who no longer works for your organization. Maybe you want to switch from an individual registered agent to a professional service that operates in all 50 states, or perhaps you’re simply unsatisfied with your current registered agent’s service.
Whatever the reason may be, each state allows you to change your registered agent at any time, and in most states the process is both simple and inexpensive. Let’s dive into the specifics of how to change your LLC’s registered agent in Michigan.
NOTE: If you need help changing registered agents, the same services that are known for offering business formation services — like LegalZoom and Zen Business — can also take over registered agent duties and file the needed paperwork.
Who Can Be a Michigan Registered Agent?
A Michigan registered agent is a person or business entity that has a physical address in the state. (In Michigan, the registered agent is also sometimes referred to as a “resident agent” or a “registered officer.” The state uses these three terms interchangeably, and they all mean the exact same thing.) You or one of your co-owners can serve as your own registered agent, you can designate a friend or family member for this role, you can hire a lawyer or accountant as your agent, or you can hire an online business services company to provide registered agent service.
No matter who you choose to be your registered agent, they need to be physically present at the address provided to the state during all standard business hours. This person or entity does not need to have any prior experience being a registered agent, but it’s wise to choose a registered agent who is familiar with the serious responsibilities that come with this role.
There is no minimum age requirement to serve as a registered agent in the state of Michigan. According to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs:
“For profit and professional service corporations, the resident agent may be either an individual resident in this state whose business office or residence is identical with the registered office; a domestic corporation or a limited liability company; or a foreign corporation or limited liability company authorized to transact business in this state that has a business office identical with the registered office.”
For more general information regarding the role of a registered agent with a Michigan LLC, we encourage you to check out our full guide on the topic.
What Is the Procedure for Changing Your LLC Registered Agent in Michigan?
While the role of the registered agent is vitally important for any American business entity, this role can always be changed, and there are different rules for how to change your agent depending on which state your business operates in.
The state of Michigan gives LLC owners three options to change their registered agent. The most common option is to file a Certificate of Change form, but you can also choose to amend your articles of organization, or update the registered agent information in your LLC’s annual statement.
Option 1) Filing a Certificate of Change Form
In Michigan, both domestic and foreign LLCs use the Certificate of Change of Registered Office and/or Change of Resident Agent form to change their registered agent. There is a $5 fee to file this form, and it can be submitted online, via mail, or in person.
Option 2) Filing an Amendment to the Articles of Organization
Another option is to file a Certificate of Amendment to the Articles of Organization form. All you need to do to change registered agent information on this form is to indicate that you’re amending Article 4 of your formation articles. This form costs $25 to file, and it has the same submission options as the Certificate of Change.
Option 3) Updating the Agent Information in Your Annual Statement
The other way to change your LLC’s registered agent info is to simply update your agent in your annual statement. The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs sends a customized, pre-printed form to every LLC’s registered agent 90 days prior to its due date, which is February 15 for all entities. The cost of this filing is $25.
Processing Times
Standard processing times are not listed on the state’s website. There are some expediting options though: 24-hour ($100), same-day ($200), two-hour ($500), and one-hour ($1,000).
Prefer to Have a Registered Agent Service Handle Your Requirements?
A registered agent service is a company that specializes in being a registered agent for a wide variety of businesses across the country, bringing tons of expertise and a healthy dose of reliability to the role.
Most professional registered agent services operate on a national basis, meaning there’s no restrictions on which states you can operate your business in. They also tend to charge affordable rates, as you can find several registered agent services that charge around $10/month or even less for this service. In addition, most of these companies will also offer to handle the process of changing a registered agent for you.
If you’re interested in this option, we highly recommend Northwest Registered Agent.
The Law for Changing Your LLC Registered Agent in Michigan
It’s always important to be well-informed regarding the specific laws for changing your registered agent. The registered agent laws in Michigan are separated by entity type, but bundle classifications together, so domestic and foreign LLCs follow the same laws.
According to Article 1, Section 208 of the Michigan Limited Liability Company Act, “a domestic limited liability company or foreign limited liability company authorized to transact business in this state may change its registered office or resident agent, or both, upon filing with the administrator a statement executed as provided in section 103 and setting forth all of the following:
- The name of the limited liability company.
- The address of its then registered office and the new address if the registered office is to be changed.
- The name of its then resident agent and the name of the successor if the resident agent is to be changed.
- A statement that the address of the registered office and the address of the resident agent are identical.
- A statement that the change was authorized in accordance with an operating agreement, or, if not provided for in an operating agreement, by affirmative vote of a majority of the members voting in accordance with section 502(1) or managers voting in accordance with section 405.”
Conclusion
If you operate a limited liability company in the state of Michigan, you need to designate a registered agent to receive important government document deliveries on your behalf. If you decide at any time that you would rather change your registered agent to a different individual or business entity, it’s important to know what that process looks like.
In Michigan, an LLC can change its registered agent by filing a Certificate of Change form, by amending its articles of organization, or by updating the information in its annual registration. They’re all relatively simple documents with reasonable filing fees, but if you’d rather have a registered agent service handle this task for you, you certainly have that option.
We hope this article helped you improve your understanding of changing a registered agent in Michigan, and as always we thank you for choosing Registered Agent Ready!