Are you unsatisfied with your Michigan registered agent? Or perhaps you’re currently serving as your own registered agent, but would rather hire a professional registered agent service instead?
The state of Michigan makes it rather easy to change your registered agent, but there are some details involved in the process that are worth reviewing.
In this guide, we’ll discuss all the relevant details of changing a registered agent in Michigan.
What Is a Michigan Registered Agent?
Why is a registered agent required for every limited liability company (LLC) or corporation? It all comes down to the fact that the state needs to be able to contact an official representative of your business if they need to deliver important documents to you, especially service of process.
Without a registered agent, you could remain unaware of a lawsuit against your business progressing through the court system.
Who Can Be a Michigan Registered Agent?
If you’re looking to change your company’s registered agent, it’s a good idea to know who is eligible to serve as one.
As stated by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, all registered agents (sometimes known as “resident agents”) are required to have a physical street address in the state. They may be a domestic corporation or LLC, a foreign corporation or LLC that is authorized to perform business in the state, or an individual resident of the state of Michigan.
If you wish to use a pre-existing registered agent, you may hire the services of a commercial registered agent for an annual fee. For more details on registered agent requirements in the state of Michigan, we encourage you to check out our full guide to Michigan registered agents.
How to Change Your Registered Agent in Michigan
If you would like to change your registered agent for any reason, the process is simple.
There is only one form you need to complete and submit in order to change your registered agent: the Certificate of Change of Registered Office/Resident Agent form which can be found here as a pdf or completed using the Corporations Online Filing System. To complete the form you’ll need the following information:
- The name of the corporation or LLC
- The identification number assigned by the Bureau
- The name and address of the current registered agent
- The name and address of the new registered agent
- The signature of an authorized person
The change in registered agent is effective on the date that it’s filed with the office.
Change of Registered Agent Fee: $5
Should You Hire a Professional Michigan Registered Agent Service?
Hiring a registered agent service like Northwest Registered Agent has some distinct advantages. First and foremost, compared to serving as your own agent, professional registered agent services allow you to keep your personal address private. They’re also much less expensive than hiring a lawyer or accountant to provide registered agent service.
An often-overlooked benefit is how easy it is to expand your Michigan business into other states if you choose a professional registered agent. They typically have offices in all 50 states, so if you begin transacting business in an additional state, your same registered agent service can handle that for you.
If you’re interested in hiring a professional registered agent service, take a look at our guide to the top service providers.
Conclusion
The process for changing a registered agent in Michigan isn’t a complicated one, but it’s certainly advisable to know exactly what you want to do ahead of time. If you know what you want going in, you’ll find that the process is really quite painless.
We hope this article answered your questions about changing your Michigan registered agent!