Foreign registration · Form CSCL/CD 560

Massachusetts Corporation Foreign Registration in Michigan

To do business in Michigan, a corporation formed in Massachusetts registers there on Form CSCL/CD 560, with $60 in state fees. Michigan may ask for Massachusetts's Certificate of Good Standing ($12). We file it with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division from your Massachusetts records, then serve as your resident agent there for year one.

Massachusetts vs Michigan: the paperwork

	Massachusetts formed here	Michigan registering here
Document	Massachusetts Certificate of Good Standing	Form CSCL/CD 560, Application for Certificate of Authority to Transact Business or Conduct Affairs in Michigan (Foreign Corporations)
State fee	$12	$60 at order
How it is handled	Massachusetts: online, by mail or in person, delivered by mail or email depending on the certificate	Filed with Michigan
Paid expedite		24-hour $50, same-day $100, 2-hour $500, 1-hour $1,000
Office	Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division	Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division
Official page	sec.state.ma.us	michigan.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $125, every year	Annual Report, Form CSCL/CD-2500, $25, every year
Due	Within 2.5 months after the close of the corporation's fiscal year	May 15
Late yearly filing	$25 late fee	$10 late fee
Agent	Your Massachusetts resident agent	Our Michigan resident agent

How Massachusetts companies register with Michigan

We prepare and file Form CSCL/CD 560
It lists us as your Michigan resident agent, next to your Massachusetts name and formation date. If Michigan wants the Massachusetts certificate, it is ordered first. After approval, your Massachusetts corporation is registered with Michigan.

Will your Massachusetts name work for Michigan?

We search Michigan's records for Massachusetts's name on file before anything is filed.

Your Michigan agent and the Massachusetts one

Massachusetts and Michigan both call it a resident agent. Your current resident agent stays for Massachusetts; ours takes Michigan's papers and notices.

Staying in good standing in Massachusetts and Michigan

Each year your corporation files Massachusetts's Annual Report ($125) and Michigan's Annual Report, Form CSCL/CD-2500 ($25). With our $149 resident agent renewal, Massachusetts plus Michigan comes to $299 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Massachusetts to Michigan

An LLC formed in Massachusetts files Form CSCL/CD 760 with Michigan ($50 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($25)). After that come Massachusetts's Limited Liability Company Annual Report ($520) and Michigan's Annual Statement ($25). See the LLC filing.

Common questions: Massachusetts to Michigan

Does my Massachusetts company need to register in Michigan?

Yes, once a Massachusetts business operates there; Michigan registers it as a foreign corporation.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: Michigan issues one to Massachusetts corporations once the form is approved.

How much does the Michigan registration cost?

$259 at checkout; Michigan may also want Massachusetts's Certificate of Good Standing, at extra cost.

What are the yearly costs for Massachusetts and Michigan?

$299 a year: our $149 resident agent renewal, $125 to Massachusetts and $25 to Michigan for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Michigan?

A Massachusetts company cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Does Michigan require a registered agent?

Yes: the Massachusetts resident agent stays, and ours covers Michigan for year one.

Can I form a new Michigan corporation instead?

Yes, but Massachusetts keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Michigan's Annual Report, Form CSCL/CD-2500 ($25), and the original keeps Massachusetts's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from Michigan later?

Massachusetts companies leave by filing a Certificate of Withdrawal; until then, Michigan's report stays due alongside Massachusetts's filings.

Official sources

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