How to Conduct a Michigan Business Entity Search

The Michigan business entity search is a valuable tool for anyone who needs to learn more about companies registered in the state. Whether you’re an established business owner who wants to look up information about a company or a new entrepreneur who needs to check if your desired business name is available, the business entity search is your go-to resource.

But how do you use the business entity search? It can feel a little bit overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time using a tool like this. That’s where this guide comes in. We’ll walk through how to use the Michigan business search tool. We’ll also cover important business naming guidelines and what you should do after searching your business name.

Let’s get started.

Michigan Secretary of State Contact Information

Michigan State Naming Guidelines for Businesses

When you’re starting a business, one of the most important things you’ll do is pick your business name. And like other states, Michigan has several rules about naming your business. 

First, your name needs to be different from the names of other registered companies in Michigan, including both domestic and foreign corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships, and so on. This is one of the simplest but most important naming standards. 

That said, uniqueness isn’t the only naming guideline to adhere to. Here are a few other rules your Michigan business name should follow: 

• Your business name should include a designator. For example, a corporation needs to include the words “corporation,” “company,” “incorporated,” “limited,” or an acceptable abbreviation. Meanwhile, LLCs need to include the phrase “limited liability company” or the abbreviations “LLC” or “LC” with or without periods.
• You can’t use abbreviations or designators that belong to another business type. 
• Your name can’t imply that you’re conducting any activities that aren’t permitted by your formation documents. 
• Your name can’t include words like “bank,” “banking,” “security,” “trust,” or similar words unless the company is registered appropriately under the Bank Holding Company Act.

If you’re in a licensed trade or profession, keep in mind that you’ll need to meet any naming rules that your industry has in place, too. If your business name doesn’t meet these requirements, you’ll need to pick a new one. 

How to Run a Business Name Search

Michigan actually has several different ways you can search their online filing system’s database: by entity name, individual name, ID number, or a filing number. In this section, we’ll discuss how to search by an entity name. But if you’d like to run a different type of search, keep reading.

Step 1: Set your search parameters and type your search

To get started, navigate to the business entity search page. By default, the search tool is set to the “Search by Entity Name” setting, which is what we’ll use for this search type.

Directly beside the Entity Name search bar, you’ll see a drop-down menu labeled “Search type.” This menu will let you select your different business name search options:

• Begins With: This default setting will retrieve all the business names that start with the exact same word(s) as your search terms.
• Exact Match: This search type retrieves business listings that match the exact name you search (disregarding entity type designators). This is what you’ll use if you need to check if a name is available.
• Keyword: This search type looks up business names that include a keyword you searched. For example, if you searched “Smith,” you’d see results that include “Smith” anywhere in the business name, such as “A.J. Smith Contracting Company,” “A.A. Smith Insurance Agency,” and more.
• Soundex: This unique search will retrieve the business names that sound like the business name you searched.

Select the filter that best suits your search goals. Then type the business name into the search bar and hit “Search.”

Step 2: Review your search results

If there are any results that match your search terms, the tool will pull them up and list them for you. For example, when we ran a “Begins With” search of “Smith,” this was what our list of search results looked like:

On this first page, you’ll see the registered business name, ID number, old ID number (if applicable), and business address for each company that matches your search terms. If you’d like to learn more about a particular company, click on the company name.

On this second page, you’ll see the company’s full ID number, entity type, the date the company was organized in Michigan, purpose, the name and address of its registered agent, and more. You can also review the company’s filing history or request a Certificate of Good Standing.

How to Search by Individual Name

The Corporations Division also allows you to look up a company’s information based on the name of an individual who’s affiliated with the company. Here’s how.

To get started, navigate to the search home page (linked above) and set it to the “Individual Name” search. From there, you can add a search type (covered above). By default, it’s set to “Begins With.” Pick the one that best matches your search goals. Then, type the name you want to search and hit “Search.”

The search will retrieve all the businesses with an individual by that name who is affiliated with the business. Keep in mind that if a person is affiliated with multiple businesses, you’ll see your business and the other business entities they represent, too. For example, when we searched “Smith,” our result list looked like this:

This preliminary results page will show you the name of the person (or registered agent company) that’s affiliated with the business, their position within the business, and their address. As before, if you’d like to view more information about a company, you can click on the company’s name to be directed to their business information page.

How to Search by Identification Number

If you use the searches covered above, there’s a decent chance that your search will yield multiple results (especially if you’re searching just part of a name). But if you want to get the desired results quickly, then an ID number search is your best bet.

The Corporations Division assigns a unique ID number to every company that completes the business registration process. So if you search that number, you’ll be directed to the company’s information right away.

To get started, navigate to the search home page and set it to the third option, labeled “Search by Identification Number.” There aren’t any extra filters to set, so just type in the ID number and hit “Search.”

As long as you typed the number correctly, you’ll be taken directly to the company’s information page. Here, you can review the company’s contact information and review its business filings.

How to Search by Filing Number

The final search you can run with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs is a filing number search. Every time a registered business files legal documents with the Department, such as an annual report, the Articles of Organization for an LLC, or another form, there is a unique number assigned to that form, called the filing number.

To run that kind of search, navigate to the search home page and select the final search option, labelled “Search by Filing Number.” Type in the filing number and hit “Search.”

As long as you typed the filing number correctly, then you’ll be directed to a results page that displays each form with that filing number and the name of the company that filed it. Certain filing numbers may retrieve multiple results; for example, an annual report’s filing number would retrieve reports filed by the same entity in multiple years.

What to Do After Searching Business Names in Michigan

After you’ve come up with a name and searched it, you’re probably feeling like you’ve done a lot of legwork. You’d hate for that hard work to go to waste, right? Here are some steps you can take to protect your Michigan business name and make the most of it. 

Reserve your Michigan business name (optional)

If you’ve picked the perfect business name but you’re not quite ready to file your business formation paperwork, Michigan allows you to reserve a business name.

You can get a Michigan name reservation by filing an Application for Reservation of Name form with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. The cost for this form varies depending on your entity type; for example, LLCs pay a $25 filing fee while most other entities pay $10. 

After your paperwork is filed and approved, your name reservation will be valid for six months. This step is optional, and you should only pursue it if you want to protect your desired LLC name but aren’t ready to file your formation paperwork yet.

Form an LLC or register your business

One of the best ways to protect your business name is to register your business. After you register a business under your chosen name, no one else in Michigan will be able to register their own company with the same name. 

Registering a Michigan business is an important legal process. Learn more about starting a Michigan LLC. 

Get a domain name that matches

You want it to be easy for your customers to find your business website. That means you need a domain name that matches your business name as closely as possible. A matching domain will help your brand maintain consistency both in person and online.

If you’re struggling to come up with a domain name (or the one that matches your name is already taken), try using a domain name generator. A generator can help you come up with a domain that matches your brand image. 

Set up your business online

Today, you can’t run a business without a good digital footprint. A good business website is a decent starting point. But don’t stop there; set up social media accounts like a Facebook page, a TikTok profile, and an Instagram account. Make sure your business name is included on each account so your brand is consistent across your online presence.

Last but not least, set up a Google Business Profile for your business (or claim it if it already exists). This profile will help you direct customers to your website or your store location. Plus, it’ll help you respond to customer reviews and build a good brand reputation in the Great Lakes State.

Trademark your business name (optional)

If you want the most robust protections for your business name, you could pursue trademark registration. Trademarks can be registered at the state or federal level (with federal protections being the strongest). 

Getting a trademark can be pretty complicated and time-consuming. If you go this route, it’s highly recommended to work with a trademark attorney.