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Michigan does not ask you to file an operating agreement. The Corporations Division's FAQ says to complete Articles of Organization and submit them with the applicable filing fee. The online form is CSCL/CD-700, and the fee is $50. Nothing in those steps asks for a members' agreement. Our Michigan LLC guide walks through the filing.
We also did not find a quoted state source that says Michigan requires a written operating agreement, so this page does not say it does. Think of the agreement as your private rulebook. The state files the Articles. The members keep the agreement.
Is the operating agreement filed in Michigan?
No, on the pages we checked. The Articles of Organization are what you submit. If you want to see what the state holds on your LLC, the Division says filed documents can be viewed on its Business Entity Search. Your operating agreement will not be among them unless you chose to file it somewhere.
Where does Michigan mention an operating agreement?
Once, in the FAQ on dissolving an LLC. It says a voluntary dissolution can happen in three ways:
- Upon an event specified in the Articles of Organization or Operating Agreement, including a vote of members.
- Upon the unanimous vote of all members entitled to vote.
- By action of the organizers.
That is a good reason to write down your own dissolution trigger. If your agreement names an event, such as a sale of the business or a vote threshold, the Division recognises it as a route.
What should a Michigan agreement repeat from the state filing?
Match these items to what you filed, so the documents agree:
- Name. Use the full name with its ending, such as LLC or L.L.C. The Articles must follow the naming rules, and a Michigan LLC name cannot use corporation or incorporated.
- Resident agent. Record who the agent is. A business cannot be its own agent, and the address must be in Michigan. See the Michigan registered agent guide.
- Annual statement. Say who files it. It is $25 for an LLC, due February 15 each year after formation, and filed online only.
- Members and voting. State who the members are and how they vote, including for dissolution.
Management structure, profit splits and what happens when a member leaves are choices for you. We give no Michigan-specific legal rule for them, because we have no quoted source.
What if I skip the agreement?
The Articles of Organization will still be accepted, because the filing steps do not ask for the agreement. What happens between members later is a different matter. We have no quoted state source on which default rules apply when an LLC has no written agreement, so ask a Michigan attorney before you rely on any assumption. A short written agreement settles the points that cause disputes: who decides, who gets paid, and what happens when someone leaves.
Single member or several members?
The right shape depends on how many owners you have. A one-owner LLC can use a short agreement. See our single member operating agreement guide. With two or more owners you need more detail, such as contributions and voting. See the multi member guide.
Where do I get a template?
Our operating agreement guide has a free template. It is generic and it is not legal advice. Read it against the items above and adjust. If the stakes are high, have a Michigan attorney review the final version.
After you sign it, get an EIN from the IRS using our EIN guide, then open the bank account in the LLC's name.