Foreign registration · Form 521

Michigan LLC Foreign Registration in Wisconsin

An LLC formed in Michigan that wants to do business in Wisconsin files Form 521, with $100 in state fees. Wisconsin asks nothing of Michigan here, not even the Certificate of Good Standing. We file it with the Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services from your Michigan records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Michigan and Wisconsin side by side

	Michigan formed here	Wisconsin registering here
Document	Michigan Certificate of Good Standing (not needed here)	Form 521, Foreign Registration Statement
State fee	$10	$100 at order
How it is handled	Michigan: online, emailed to the MiLogin for Business account	Filed online with Wisconsin
Paid expedite		next-day $100, 4-hour (in person) $250, 1-hour (in person) $500
Office	Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services
Official page	michigan.gov	dfi.wi.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Statement, $25, every year	Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5), $80, every year
Due	February 15	March 31
Late yearly filing	$10 late fee	$25 late fee
Agent	Your Michigan resident agent	Our Wisconsin registered agent

How Michigan companies register with Wisconsin

We prepare and file Form 521
It names us as your Wisconsin registered agent, with your Michigan name and formation date. No Michigan paperwork holds up the Wisconsin filing. After approval, your Michigan LLC is registered with Wisconsin.

Will your Michigan name work for Wisconsin?

We check your exact Michigan name against Wisconsin's records before filing.

Agents: Wisconsin and Michigan

Wisconsin calls it a registered agent; Michigan says resident agent. Your current resident agent stays for Michigan; ours takes Wisconsin's papers and notices.

Staying in good standing in Michigan and Wisconsin

Each year your LLC files Michigan's Annual Statement ($25) and Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($80). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Michigan plus Wisconsin comes to $254 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Michigan to Wisconsin

A corporation formed in Michigan files Form 21 with Wisconsin ($100 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($10)). After that come Michigan's Annual Report, Form CSCL/CD-2500 ($25) and Wisconsin's Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report ($65). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Wisconsin into Michigan

An LLC formed in Wisconsin that registers with Michigan files Form CSCL/CD 760 with $50 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($10) dated within 30 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Michigan to Wisconsin

Does my Michigan company need to register in Wisconsin?

Yes, once a Michigan business operates there; Wisconsin law lists 11 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does the Wisconsin registration cost?

$299 at checkout, with nothing to pay Michigan.

Do I need Michigan's certificate of good standing?

No, Wisconsin takes Form 521 without it.

What are the yearly costs for Michigan and Wisconsin?

$254 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $25 to Michigan and $80 to Wisconsin for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Wisconsin?

A Michigan company cannot sue in court there until it registers, and Wisconsin can add up to $97.50 for each year or part of a year.

Does Wisconsin require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Wisconsin LLC instead?

Yes, but Michigan keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($25), and the original keeps Michigan's Annual Statement.

How do I withdraw from Wisconsin later?

Michigan companies leave by filing a Withdrawal of Registration of Foreign Limited Liability Company; until then, Wisconsin's report stays due alongside Michigan's filings.

Official sources

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