Change LLC Name in Michigan

Can I change the name of my LLC in Michigan?

Absolutely! You can easily change your Michigan LLC name.

The first step is to file a form called the Certificate of Amendment with LARA and wait for it to be approved. This is how you officially change your LLC name in Michigan.

The filing fee for a Certificate of Amendment in Michigan is $25.

After the state approves your LLC name change, you should then notify the following 3 places:

• the IRS
• state tax department
• your business bank account

And finally, you can update your LLC name in other places like your website and marketing materials.

This page will guide you through the process and include helpful tips along the way.

Note: We’ve changed the names of our own LLCs over the years. So we have first-hand experience with filing the paperwork as well as dealing with the IRS and financial institutions.

What are the steps for changing an LLC name in Michigan?

1. Check if your new LLC name is available
2. File the Amendment form (and wait for approval)
3. Update the IRS
4. Update the Michigan Department of Treasury
5. Update financial institutions (credit card companies, banks)
6. Update business licenses
7. Update other places (branding materials, business accounts, etc.)

How much does it cost to change an LLC name in Michigan?

It costs $25 to change your LLC name in Michigan. This is the filing fee for the Certificate of Amendment form.

The fee is the same whether you file the form online or by mail.

How do I change my Michigan LLC name?

In order to change your LLC name, you must file a Certificate of Amendment to the Articles of Organization with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. This officially updates your legal entity (your Limited Liability Company) on the state records.

Note: The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) – Corporations Division is responsible for LLC formation and administration, including name changes.

We provide step-by-step instructions on how to file the Certificate of Amendment online. (Technically, you can also file by mail. However, it’s slower and the state prefers online filings.)

Can I change my LLC name myself?

You can file the Certificate of Amendment yourself or you can hire a company to do this for you.

Because the Amendment filing in Michigan can be confusing and time consuming, many people choose to hire a company for help.

Step 1: Make sure your new Michigan LLC name is available

Before filing your amendment form (the Certificate of Amendment), you should check that your new LLC name is available in Michigan.

This is important because two businesses in the state can’t have the same name, or be too similar. This is called LLC name distinguishability.

If you file an amendment for a name that’s already taken, the state will reject your filing. And if that happens, you’ll need to re-file with a different name.

To avoid that, look up your desired Michigan LLC name ahead of time using the state’s business entity search.

Step 2: File the Michigan LLC name change form

The Michigan LLC name change form is called the Certificate of Amendment to the Articles of Organization.

(It’s called this because you’re amending your Michigan Articles of Organization. The Michigan LLC Articles of Organization are the initial formation documents that originally registered your Michigan Limited Liability Company.)

How to file a Certificate of Amendment in Michigan

Get Started

Go to the Michigan Corporations Division Online Filing system.

Login using your CID (Customer ID Number) and PIN.

Filing Forms

From the list of forms, click on “715 – Certificate of Amendment to the Articles of Organization”.

Click Select to continue

Certificate of Amendment to the Articles of Organization

The top of the form shows your LLC’s current business entity information. There’s nothing to do in this section.

Article I

The name of the limited liability company as amended is:

Enter the new LLC name.

Make sure to include an allowable designator (like “LLC”).

Skip to Effective Date

If you’re only changing the name of your LLC, you can skip the other Articles and skip down to the Effective Date section.

Otherwise, make changes as needed to the other articles. You can change your LLC’s Michigan Registered Agent, your registered office address or mailing address, and other information.

Article II

This lets you change your LLC’s business purpose.

This is optional. You can leave this blank to keep your LLC’s purpose the same.

Article III

If you want your LLC to shut down on a specific date in the future, you would enter that date here.

Most people leave this blank and give their LLC a “perpetual” duration. That means the LLC exists forever, until you choose to shut it down.

Article IV

If you need to change your LLC’s Registered Agent or Registered Office information, you can do that here.

Insert any additional provision authorized by the Act.

Leave this box blank.

Unless a business attorney gave you language to insert here, you don’t need to do anything in this section.

Effective Date

If you leave this blank, your LLC name change will be effective when it’s approved by the Secretary of State.

Alternatively, you can enter a specific date up to 90 days in the future. Most people just leave it blank.

The amendment was approved:

Choose the appropriate option for how the LLC name change amendment was approved:

Click the second option (“by unanimous vote of all the members…”) if:

• If you’re the only LLC Member (you have a Single-Member LLC) or
• If your LLC has more than 1 Member, and everyone agreed on the name change

If your LLC has more than 1 Member and a majority (but not everyone) agreed, click the first option (“by a majority in interest…”).

Signature

Click “Add new entry to this list” to add a signer.

Enter your name, and select your Title from the dropdown menu:

• If you’re an LLC Member (owner) and the LLC is Member-managed, select Member
• If you’re an LLC Manager and the LLC is Manager-managed, select Manager
• If you’re not an LLC Member or Manager but have been authorized to file the AMendment on the LLC’s behalf, select Authorized Agent

If you’re not sure, or these terms are confusing, check out LLC Officer Titles and LLC Organizer vs LLC Member.

Click Accept to agree to the terms.

Then click Add to attach your signature to the filing.

Special Instructions

You can leave this field blank.

Submitter’s contact information

Enter your name, address and email.

Don’t worry, this information doesn’t go on public record. The Michigan LARA will use it to contact you if they have questions about your filing.

Delivery method for statutory notices:

Enter an email address so LARA can send confirmation of this filing.

Or choose to receive notices from LARA by mail.

Level of Service

Choose a processing speed for your filing.

Most people choose Standard Review. Your LLC name change will be approved in 10 business days if you use Standard Review.

If you need your LLC name change to be approved faster, you can pay extra for expedited processing. In that case, select an expedited filing option from this list.

Click Review to proceed with your filing.

Review

Look over the information you’ve entered. If you need to make changes, click Make Corrections to go back.

Otherwise, once everything looks good, click Submit Filing.

Payment Selection

Click Enter credit card details to proceed.

Enter your credit card and billing information and submit your filing to the state.

Wait for approval from LARA

After submitting your Certificate of Amendment to the Articles of Organization to the state, please wait for approval.

Approval times vary, but on average, it takes 10 business days for your Michigan business name change to be approved.

When you file online, you’ll receive your name change approval by email.

Step 3: Change your Michigan LLC name with the IRS

After your new LLC name is approved, the next step is to update your Michigan LLC name with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This updates the name connected to your LLC’s EIN number.

We have step-by-step instructions here:
How to change LLC name with IRS

Step 4: Update your LLC’s Account with the Michigan Department of Treasury

After your new LLC name is approved, you need to update your business’s account with the state’s tax department (the Department of Treasury).

Note: In most states, it’s called the Department of Revenue or Department of Taxation. However, in Michigan it’s called the Department of Treasury (Tax Division), and this is who you’ll update with your new LLC name.

Typically, you can update your LLC name in one of three ways:

• online
• by mail
• by phone

But it differs from state to state, so we recommend you call the Michigan Department of Treasury. You can ask about the process to update your business name.

Step 5: Update financial institutions with your new LLC name

Besides updating your Michigan LLC name with the IRS and Michigan Department of Treasury business tax division, you’ll also want to contact the following places and let them know about the name change.

Financial institutions:

• LLC business bank account
• business checks
• business debit card
• business credit cards
• Paypal or other online banking solutions
• business loans or lines of credit
• brokerage accounts
• bookkeeping software, like Quickbooks

Pro Tip: You don’t have to rush to update these the same day or even the same week. Your existing checks and credit cards will still work, but it’s important to eventually get everything updated to your new LLC name.

Step 6: Update or Get a New Business License

If you have a state business license or a local business permit, you’ll need to change the name on that license.

Sometimes that means applying for a new license and canceling the old one. Or sometimes you can just change the name on your existing license.

Michigan doesn’t have a general state business license requirement. But your LLC might have an industry- or occupation-specific license.

If that’s the case, contact your state licensing agency or licensing board for information on how to update the state business license:

• Michigan State License Search
• Michigan Department of Professional Licensing

And contact your local government (like a city clerk or county clerk) for the process to update any local business permits. You’ll need to look up your county clerk, and the clerk for your town or city as well.

Step 7: Update marketing materials and other places with your new LLC name

Below are some examples of places to update with your new LLC name.

Branding and online presence:

• online stores (like eBay, Shopify, Amazon)
• website, domain registrar, hosting company
• letterhead, logos, invoices, contracts, and important documents
• social media accounts

Professional services:

• Registered Agent Service (if you hired one)
• accountant
• attorney

Other government agencies:

• local tax office (ex: city, county, township)
• business licenses and permits
• sales tax permit
• utility companies
• Department of Labor (if you have employees)

Stay calm: Don’t stress out thinking you have to change your LLC name everywhere right away. That’s not the case. Take your time and do the important ones first. Give yourself a few days or a few weeks to get them all done. Technically, your old business name will still work for quite some time.

Update your Michigan LLC Operating Agreement

It’s a good idea to update the name on your LLC’s Operating Agreement. Don’t worry, this is a simple process. You can either:

• You can make a new version of the Operating Agreement you already have. Update the document with your new LLC name, and have the LLC Member(s) sign.
• Or, you can use our free template on Michigan LLC Operating Agreement to create a new Operating Agreement with the new LLC name.

Tip: This is a good opportunity to review the other sections in your Operating Agreement and make any needed updates there, too. Have the LLC Member(s) sign, and distribute copies like you did with your initial LLC Operating Agreement.

Change LLC Name in Michigan FAQs

Matt Horwitz

Founder & Educator, LLC University®

Matt Horwitz has been the leading expert on LLC education for the past decade. He founded LLC University in 2010 after realizing people needed simple and actionable instructions to start an LLC that other companies weren't offering. He's cited by Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo Finance, and the US Chamber of Commerce, and was featured by CNBC and InventRight.
 
Matt holds a Bachelor's Degree in business from Drexel University with a concentration in business law. He performs extensive research and analysis to convert state laws into simple instructions anyone can follow to form their LLC - all for free! Read more about Matt Horwitz and LLC University.