How to Do Business in Michigan With Assumed Name
Your business name is the first impression your customers receive of your company. If you don't do business under your legal name, you're using an assumed business name. To legally act under an assumed business name, you must file an application with the government so there will be a public record of the legal names of the people behind the business. In Michigan, the way your business is set up determines which agency you register your assumed business with. Sole proprietorships and partnerships register business names with the counties they operate in. Corporations and LLCs register with the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth.
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Instructions
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Sole Proprietorships and Partnerships
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Pick up an assumed name application from the county district court clerk's office in the county your company is based or download the form from the county district court clerk's website.
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Complete the form in its entirety, entering the information for your business in the required fields. Take the form to a notary public to witness your signature if the county requires it.
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Return the form to the county district court clerk's office to file the application. Give the clerk your application and any application fees for the filing. Pay an additional fee if you want a certified copy of your filing. Otherwise you will receive a receipt for your records.
Corporations and LLCs
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Download the assumed business name application for your corporation or LLC from the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth.
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Complete the application by entering all of the applicable information about your business.
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Return the application by mail or in person to the office along with a check or money order for the filing fee. Save the receipt you receive in return by mail or in person for your own records.
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Tips & Warnings
You must file an assumed business name for every county in which you operate your business in Michigan. However, performing a business transaction in a county isn't the same as operating your business there. A business that has an office or store location only in Alcona is operating exclusively in that county even if it services products in a customer's home in Bay County. However, if the business has store locations in Alcona, Barry and Benzie counties, then it needs an assumed name filing for each of those Michigan counties.
Operating a business under an assumed name in Michigan without filing with the appropriate court or state office can result in a legal injunction against your business, hefty fines and/or jail time.
These instructions may vary depending on the counties in question in Michigan. If you have any doubt about how a county processes its assumed business name filings, contact that county's district court clerk office directly.
