The state of Michigan is home to a wide range of industries from agriculture to the high-tech industry. It has a perfect combination of a skilled workforce, a business-friendly environment, and a global supply chain. Are you planning to start your business in Michigan? Then Michigan business entity search is your foremost step. Their contractual freedom law and ideal environment result in 40,000 new LLCs every year.
Michigan Business Entity Search
Choosing a name for your LLC is the foremost step to forming an LLC in Michigan. The tough part is not to choose the name but to choose the available name. Not every name is available for you. Therefore you must perform the Michigan business entity search to find out the name availability and then select the name. Only after you choose your LLC name will you be able to move ahead with the LLC formation. Another important thing to note is the Naming guidelines. The Michigan SOS has set up naming guidelines for LLCs. You must follow these guidelines to choose your name.
Michigan LLC Naming Guidelines
Naming is often the foremost step before we form a business. There are a few rules and regulations that need to be kept in mind before we name our LLC. The naming guideline of the Michigan Secretary of State is as follows:
- The name selected should have phrases like Limited Liability Company, LLC, or L.L.C.
- A Few restricted words like FBI, State Department, treasury, the bank cannot be used in your business name.
- Names like agencies, departments, and commissions cannot be used as they can get similar to the ones used by Michigan Government.
- Additionally, we recommend that the name must be unique and must suit your business type.
Michigan Business Entity Search Method
The Business entity search procedure varies from one state to another. In the state of Michigan, there are four different ways to do the Michigan business entity search. You may choose any one of the following. The results would not differ depending on the method you choose.
- Entity name
- Individual name
- Identification number
- Filing number
Method 1: Search by entity name
Step 1 – Visit the official Michigan SOS website. The default option would be the “search by entity name.” Type in the name and click on “search.”
Step 2 – You will find a list depending on your search. If the name you searched is shown and is matched exactly, then it means you cannot choose that name. If you are willing to know more about a particular LLC from the list, you can click on it to know more. Also, you will have to perform the Michigan business entity search again.
Method 2: Search by individual name
Step 1 – Your second option would be the individual name search. If you are aware of the individual name of an LLC. You can search for that too. Select this option from the drop-down menu of the Michigan secretary of state business search page.
Step 2 – You will be then redirected to the result page. You can again do detailed research on any of the results. Click on the business name and more details will appear.
Method 3: Search by identification number
Step 1 – It is crucial that you have the accurate identification number of an LLC to perform the Michigan business entity search. Type in the number and click on search.
Step 2 – This search is particularly to search for an individual business. This is because no two businesses can have the same identification number.
Method 4: Search by filing number
Step 1 – Last option to perform the Michigan SOS business search is “search by filing number.” This again is similar to the third method. This is because every LLC will have a different filing number. Hence your result page will be very narrowed.
Step 2 – You will then be redirected to the result page and you can also click on the name to know more in detail.
Michigan LLC Name Reservation
After you have performed your Michigan business entity search, you must have gotten an idea about what names are available and what is not. This is very helpful to understand and decide on your LLC name. So how does name reservation works? You can reserve your name with the Michigan SOS. To start with fill the reservation form and pay the fees. Your LLC name will then be reserved for a limited period of time. You can later use this name and register your LLC. During the reserved time, no other LLC can take your name.
Michigan LLC Name Registration
Your Michigan business entity search would be crucial to your whole LLC process. The search will help you to know the name availability. You can then go ahead with the desired available name and register your LLC. To register your LLC, you must file the certificate of formation. It will be available to you on the Michigan secretary of state website. If you choose a name that is not available your LLC formation will be rejected. Therefore to save time and get your formation request accepted on the first try, you must perform the search and choose the name.
Domain & Trademark
Choosing a domain name for your business is important in today’s time. Everyone looks for your online presence before committing anything. Therefore an easy to remember domain name would be very helpful to you. So we would suggest keeping the same name for your domain as your LLC name. It would make it easier for everyone to remember.
Coming on to the trademark, It is simply used to protect the company name, logo or symbol. Trademarking these would restrict others from using them. At the same time, you can create a trademark that will let others pay you in case of infringement of the trademark.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How long does the Michigan LLC approval take?
Normally, it takes between 10-15 days to get approval for your Michigan LLC. You can make the process faster with an additional fee.
2. Can I get a copy of my Michigan articles of organization?
You can contact the Michigan Department of licensing and regulatory affairs for your copy.
3. Do an LLC expire?
Yes, it can if you do not annually file the statement for your LLC. The Michigan SOS requires every LLC to file a statement every year by 15th February. An exception to those LLCs who formed their LLC in the preceding year after 30th September.
4. How much does it cost to file Articles of Incorporation in Michigan?
You will have to pay the fees of $50 to file the articles of incorporation.
5. How do you find the owner of an LLC?
You can access this information by performing the Michigan business entity search.