To change your Michigan LLC’s legal name, file a Certificate of Amendment to the Articles of Organization (Form CSCL/CD-715) with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs and pay a $25 filing fee.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 450.5101 – Michigan Limited Liability Company Act Fees Before you file, the members must approve the change internally, and the new name has to meet Michigan’s naming rules. After the state endorses the amendment, you’ll notify the IRS and update your bank, contracts, and licenses.
Make Sure You Want a Legal Name Change
A legal name change permanently replaces the LLC’s name in its articles of organization. It changes your identity on every state record going forward and is what you need if bank accounts, contracts, and tax documents should carry the new name.
If instead you only want to operate under an additional name without changing your legal identity, Michigan allows any LLC to register an assumed name (a DBA) by filing Form CSCL/CD-541 for a $25 fee under MCL 450.4206.2Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 450.4206 – Transacting Business Under Assumed Name An assumed name won’t change your LLC’s official identity, and it doesn’t give you exclusive rights to the name. The rest of this article covers the full legal name change.
Check the New Name Against Michigan’s Rules
Michigan Compiled Laws Section 450.4204 governs what your new name can be. Two requirements matter most.
Distinctiveness
The proposed name must be distinguishable in LARA’s records from every other registered business entity in the state, including corporations, nonprofits, limited partnerships, and other LLCs.3Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 450.4204 – Limited Liability Company Name Requirements Adding “the” or changing punctuation isn’t enough. Run the name through LARA’s business entity search at michigan.gov/corpentitysearch before you file.4State of Michigan. Corporations Division
Required Designator
The name must end with “Limited Liability Company,” “L.L.C.,” “LLC,” “L.C.,” or “LC.”3Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 450.4204 – Limited Liability Company Name Requirements
Restricted and Prohibited Words
LARA prohibits words implying a government connection, such as “Bureau of Michigan.” Terms like “bank,” “credit union,” and “insurance” require the appropriate license or charter. Olympic-related terms need consent from the International Olympic Committee.5State of Michigan. Restricted Words If your new name includes any industry term that suggests regulation, check the restricted words list before filing.
Get Member Approval First
You can’t file the amendment until the LLC’s members have formally approved the name change. Under MCL 450.4601, an LLC may amend its articles as long as the amendment contains only provisions that could lawfully appear in original articles.6Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 450.4601 – Articles of Organization Amendment
The voting threshold depends on your operating agreement. If it specifies a threshold for amendments, follow it. If it’s silent, Michigan’s default rule under Section 450.4603 requires a unanimous vote of all members entitled to vote.7Michigan Legislature. Michigan Limited Liability Company Act Majority vote applies only if the operating agreement explicitly authorizes it.
Draft a written resolution documenting the vote, the approved new name, and the date. That resolution is your internal proof the change was properly authorized.
Complete Form CSCL/CD-715
The correct form is the Certificate of Amendment to the Articles of Organization, Form CSCL/CD-715.8State of Michigan. Limited Liability Company Forms Do not use Form CSCL/CD-515; that one is for corporations, and filing it for an LLC will get you rejected.
You can download Form 715 from the LARA LLC forms page or complete it through the online portal. The form asks for:
- The current LLC name, exactly as it appears on the state’s records
- The LLC identification number LARA assigned at formation
- The amendment itself — for a name change, you amend Article I to replace the old name with the new one, including the designator
- The signature of a member, manager, or authorized agent
Check every field before submitting.
Submit the Amendment
The filing fee is $25 regardless of how you submit.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 450.5101 – Michigan Limited Liability Company Act Fees
Online
The fastest standard option is LARA’s MiBusiness Registry Portal at michigan.gov/corpfileonline.9State of Michigan. MiBusiness Registry Portal System Updates You complete the amendment and pay the fee digitally. LARA encourages online submission over mail.
You can print the form and mail it with a check or money order to the Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau in Lansing. Mail takes longer to process.
Expedited Service
If you need faster turnaround, LARA offers paid expedited tiers on top of the $25 filing fee:10State of Michigan. Expedited Service Fees
- 24-hour service: $100
- Same-day service: $200 (received by 1:00 p.m. ET)
- Two-hour service: $500
- One-hour service: $1,000 (received by 4:00 p.m. ET)
Expedited requests require Form CSCL/CD-272 submitted with the amendment. Once LARA approves the filing, it issues an endorsed copy confirming the new name is on the public record.
Notify the IRS
A name change doesn’t require a new Employer Identification Number. You keep your existing EIN.11Internal Revenue Service. When to Get a New EIN
You do have to tell the IRS the new name, and how you do that depends on timing. If you haven’t yet filed your return for the current tax year, check the name-change box on the applicable return (such as Form 1065 for partnerships or the relevant 1120 variant for LLCs taxed as corporations). If you’ve already filed for the year, send a written notification signed by an authorized member to the IRS address where you file your returns.12Internal Revenue Service. Business Name Change
Update Your Records After Approval
The state endorsement makes the change official but doesn’t update anything outside LARA’s records. Handle these yourself.
Bank accounts. Take the endorsed certificate to your bank. Some banks also want to see an updated operating agreement, so call before you go.
Contracts, leases, and vendor agreements. A name change doesn’t alter the rights or obligations in existing contracts, but updating active agreements prevents confusion. Send counterparties a copy of the endorsed certificate and execute short amendments substituting the new name.
Licenses, permits, and insurance. Any Michigan professional or occupational license, business permit, industry regulator registration, or insurance policy tied to the old name needs its own update. Each licensing board has its own process.
Foreign registrations. If your LLC is registered to do business in other states, each of those states needs an amended filing. LARA’s own guidance notes that if the change affects information in an existing Application for Certificate of Authority, an Amended Application (Form CSCL/CD-762) is required.13State of Michigan. Limited Liability Company Changes Other states will have their equivalents.