How to Change Your Registered Agent in Michigan (2026)
To change your Michigan resident agent, file the Certificate of Change of Registered Office and/or Change of Resident Agent. The form is CSCL/CD-520, filed with LARA, Michigan's Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau. The fee is a flat $5, the same for domestic or foreign entities. It stays that way across all three filing methods.
Michigan doesn't require your new agent to sign a separate consent form. Your business itself signs. A manager or a member signs for an LLC. An officer signs for a corporation.
This filing is separate from your Michigan Annual Statement, due every February 15. The two aren't interchangeable. Still, the statement does ask for your current agent's name too.
Quick Summary
- Skip the extra consent paperwork. Michigan lets your own signature on the CSCL/CD-520 form finalize a new agent.
- MiBusiness Registry does more than this one filing. The same account also covers annual statements and certificate requests.
- A P.O. box never works as your registered office. The address has to be a real Michigan street address.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Form | Certificate of Change of Registered Office and/or Change of Resident Agent, form CSCL/CD-520 |
| Filing fee | $5 (domestic or foreign) |
| Statute | MCL 450.4209 |
| Consent required | No separate signature -- the entity signs |
| Online portal | MiBusiness Registry |
| Mailing address | LARA, Corporations Division, P.O. Box 30054, Lansing, MI 48909 |
| In-person address | 2407 N Grand River Ave, Lansing, MI 48906 |
| Phone | (517) 241-6470 |
How to Change Your Michigan Registered Agent
Pick your new LLC registered agent first. The filing itself follows MCL 450.4209 [1]. Michigan's change document is form CSCL/CD-520, filed with LARA.
Michigan gives you three paths to file that same certificate. A professional service can file it for you, or you can file it yourself online. A paper copy also works by mail or hand-delivery. Michigan's process sits inside our broader guide to changing a registered agent, which covers what other states require too.
A foreign LLC changing agents should also check its certificate-of-authority details. Changed details there mean also filing the Amended Application for Certificate of Authority, form CSCL/CD-762.
1. Using a Professional Registered Agent Service
Hiring a service means someone else files the paperwork for you. You pick a new provider. They agree to serve as your agent. Their team then submits the form to LARA.
That convenience adds a yearly fee on top of the state's own filing fee. It also swaps your personal address for the provider's. That's useful if you'd listed your own home or office as the registered address before. The best registered agent services in Michigan page ranks the current options if you want to compare them before signing up.
2. Filing Online Through MiBusiness Registry
Filing online means using MiBusiness Registry. That's the portal that replaced LARA's older Corporations Online Filing System. It handles form CSCL/CD-520 electronically.
LARA accepts Visa, Mastercard, or Discover when you pay online. Search the portal for your business record first. Then follow its prompts to enter your new agent's name and Michigan street address.
3. Filing by Mail or In Person
Filing on paper starts with the Certificate of Change form. Fill it out, sign it the way your entity requires, then mail or hand-deliver it. One exception exists. If only the registered office address is changing, not the agent, your current agent alone can sign instead.
Mail the completed form with a check or money order for the state fee. Make it payable to the State of Michigan. Send it to LARA's Corporations Division, P.O. Box 30054, Lansing, MI 48909.
Dropping the form off in person works too. Head to 2407 N Grand River Ave, Lansing, MI 48906. Pay by check, money order, or card once you're there.
Questions about the paperwork itself go to LARA at (517) 241-6470. LARA's own filing-fee schedule doesn't post a standard turnaround time for regular review. Paid expedite tiers do exist, starting at $100 for 24-hour service. Check the live portal or call ahead if timing matters for your business.
A stale address is the top reason court papers and state notices never reach a business. Update the CSCL/CD-520 certificate the same week your agent or office changes. Don't wait.
Owners still forming the company can start with our best LLC services in Michigan guide. Our broader registered agent services rankings cover other states too.
Who Can Be a Michigan Resident Agent
Michigan's own law uses the term resident agent. Registered agent is the more common industry term for the same job. Both refer to the same requirement.
An individual can serve if they live in Michigan. Their home or business address has to match the registered office. A domestic or foreign-authorized business entity works too. Its own office just has to match, down to the street number.
Michigan law backs this up directly. Every domestic LLC and corporation must keep an agent on file. The same goes for a registered office, at all times. So must every foreign entity authorized to do business here [2][3].
FAQs
How Much Does It Cost to Change a Registered Agent in Michigan?
It costs a flat $5 to change a Michigan resident agent. The fee is nonrefundable no matter which of the three filing methods you choose.
Does Michigan Require a Resident Agent?
Yes. Michigan requires every domestic and foreign-authorized LLC and corporation to keep a resident agent and registered office on file at all times, under MCL 450.4207 and MCL 450.1241.
Can I Change My Registered Agent on My Michigan Annual Statement?
No. Filing your $25 Annual Statement keeps your resident agent's name current on the state's record, but it doesn't replace form CSCL/CD-520. You still need to file that certificate to make the change official.
Can I Use a P.O. Box as My Michigan Registered Office?
No. Michigan requires a real street address for the registered office, not a P.O. box. LARA's own Certificate of Change form spells this out directly for both domestic and foreign filers.
How Long Does It Take to Change a Registered Agent in Michigan?
Michigan doesn't publish a standard turnaround for a regular registered agent change. Paid expedite tiers do, with same-day service cut off at 1 p.m. Eastern and two-hour service cut off at 3 p.m.
References:
- https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-450-4209
- https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-450-4207
- https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-450-1241
