Definition
"Resident Agent" is the Michigan statutory name for a registered agent: whoever is listed to accept legal papers for a company at an address in Michigan[2].
One option in Michigan: Mainstay Filing, $149 a year as resident agent, renewing at the same price[1].
- Statute
- MCL 450.4207
- Common name
- Registered agent
- Change fee
- $5
- Filed with
- Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA)
- Mainstay Filing
- $149 a year
Updated October 29, 2026. Statute and fees from official sources; prices from providers' own pages.
The word in Michigan law
5 states, including Michigan, write "resident agent" into their business statutes. Searching for a registered agent in Michigan leads to the same services; they are serving as the resident agent.
The state's change filing carries the same wording: Certificate of Change of Registered Office and/or Resident Agent[3].
Eligibility, in the statute's words
Eligibility comes from MCL 450.4207[2]. The categories are 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.
Then there is the location. 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.
The same role across the border
| State | Term | Change fee |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan | resident agent | $5 |
| Indiana | registered agent | $0 |
| Ohio | statutory agent | $25 |
| Wisconsin | registered agent | $10 |
Terms and fees from each state's statute and fee schedule, verified August 12, 2026.
None of Michigan's neighbors uses "resident agent"; they say "registered agent" or "statutory agent". A company registered in several of these states names an agent in each.
People and companies that serve
Owners who live in Michigan qualify as individuals and can take the resident agent role themselves. Businesses can also serve if they fit the statute's categories above[2].
If no one in the company qualifies, a service can serve. Mainstay Filing charges $149 a year as Michigan resident agent[1]; 6 other services' published prices ran $99 to $249 in year one (read October 20, 2026).
What the role involves
A resident agent accepts court papers and official mail addressed to the company and hands them on promptly. Everything else is extra.
So the address has to be staffed during business hours; a mail drop does not work.
When the address on file stops working, the company stops receiving legal papers, which is why changes have to be filed.
Questions
Is a resident agent the same as a registered agent?
Yes. Michigan uses "resident agent" for the role other states call a registered agent.
Does every Michigan LLC need a resident agent?
Yes. MCL 450.4207 requires one[2].
What does it cost to change a Michigan resident agent?
$5 with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau - Corporations Division[3].
Can a service be my Michigan resident agent?
Yes. A service fills the resident agent role the same way a person would. Mainstay Filing charges $149 a year for it in Michigan[1], and when you switch it files the $5 change of agent for you.
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.