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Many people expect a Michigan LLC filing to double as a license. It does not. The Licensing and Regulatory Affairs department (LARA) answers the question on its Corporations Division FAQ under the heading What is a business license.
What does the Corporations Division actually do?
Its job is to receive, review and file the legal documents needed to form and maintain business entities under state law. That process establishes the legal existence of a business. It does not authorize the business to provide specific services.
The LLC filing itself is the Articles of Organization, form CSCL/CD-700, filed online. It costs $50, and the online route needs a MiLogin for Business account. Our Michigan LLC guide has the steps and the yearly statement.
Who does license a Michigan business?
According to LARA, licensing, such as professional, occupational or other regulatory approval, is handled by separate agencies or departments, depending on the type of business and its activities. So the right office depends on your trade. We did not read a Michigan page that sets one statewide fee or renewal date for a general business license, and so we give none.
LARA's own site covers many licensed areas. Its listings include adult and senior care, boxing and mixed martial arts, cannabis, child care, and construction and building, among others. If your trade appears there, that bureau is your starting point.
How do I find the right agency?
LARA groups its licensing in two lists. The Licensing and Permits list covers child care providers, nurses, cosmetologists, medicine, pharmacists, barbers, funeral work (mortuary science) and construction permits. A second list, Regulated Products, Professions and Business Activities, covers areas such as liquor, fireworks, telecommunication services, transportation companies, securities and health care providers. Match your trade to the list first. If it appears, open that bureau's page for the application and renewal steps. If it appears in neither, ask LARA, because the pages we read do not say who covers every kind of business.
How do I verify a license in Michigan?
LARA publishes Find or Verify tools for licensed professionals and businesses in several bureaus. The page names the Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing bureau (CSCL), the construction codes bureau (BCC) and the CRA, each with its own Find or Verify link. Use the one for the trade you are checking. The FAQ page itself also carries a State License Search link. Our business license lookup guide explains the general method.
To confirm that a company exists and is in good standing, use the Business Entity Search and Certificate Verification Search described in our Michigan business search guide.
Do I need anything for a trade name?
If the business trades under a name other than its own, that is an assumed name, not a license. Sole proprietorships and general partnerships do not register with the Corporations Division. Their assumed name goes to the county clerk, with a filing fee of $6.00 under the county statute. LLCs use the state's assumed name forms instead. Our Michigan DBA guide lays out both routes.
What about taxes?
We did not read a Michigan tax registration page for this guide, so it gives no tax steps. For the federal number, see our EIN guide. Our state tax ID lookup guide covers tax numbers across states.
What this page leaves out
This guide is general information and not legal advice. It does not cover local permits, professional board rules, or the fees for specific licenses, and it does not name every bureau that licenses a trade. For neighbors, see Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin.