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Amendment to Articles of Incorporation in Michigan

Change is good—most of the time. Good or bad, your business might need to update the information you initially provided on your Articles of Incorporation. Here in the Great Lakes State, amending your articles is fairly easy. You must file a Certificate of Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) and pay the filing fee ($10 plus an additional fee depending on your corporation’s total authorized shares). Using the state-provided form is optional, so you can draft your own amendment form, provided you do it correctly. We recommend using the form provided by the state to ensure everything goes smoothly. 

Download the Amendment to Articles of Incorporation form

What Is the Amendment Process?

The amendment process for Michigan corporations is fairly straightforward. We highly recommend using the LARA-provided form to make your life easy. Filling it out should only take a few minutes and does not require the expertise (or expense) of a lawyer. Submitting the form and waiting is the hardest part. 

Fill out the Certificate of Amendment. 

Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll need to include in your Certificate of Amendment: 

  1. The current name of your corporation. If you’d like to update/change your business name, you can note this later. 
  2. Your LARA business ID number. If you don’t have your ID number, you can leave this blank. 
  3. Articles you wish to amend.
  4. Date the amendment shall be adopted.
  5. Method of approval. If you have selected a board of directors, an authorized officer/agent must sign the form. Otherwise, your incorporators will need to sign the amendment.
  6. Signature of the person filing your Certificate of Amendment

Submit the Certificate of Amendment 

You have three options for turning in your Certificate of Amendment:

Mail 

If filing your amendment by mail, make sure you include the current company name, and your company’s LARA ID number on your check or money order. Make sure you have proper postage and then send the amendment to: 

Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Corporations 
Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau Corporations Division 
P.O. Box 30054 
Lansing, MI 48909

In-person 

If you submit your certificate in person, you’ll need to visit the LARA office during normal business hours. Their address is:

2407 N Grand River Ave Lansing, MI 48906. 

In addition to accepting checks and money orders, in-person filings can also be paid by credit card. 

Online

LARA Corporations Online Filing System

Fees can only be paid via credit card. 

Wait

The standard processing time for a Certificate of Amendment is 3-5 business days. If you’re in a hurry, LARA does offer expedited services for an additional fee.

Same day service (documents must be submitted by 1 p.m. EST): $200

Two hour service (documents must be submitted by 3 p.m. EST): $500

One hour service (documents must be submitted by 1 p.m. EST): $1,000

Once the Certificate of Amendment is accepted by LARA, the original will be sent to your registered agent, unless you note otherwise on the form. 

What Can I Change with a Certificate of Amendment?

The most common reasons to file a Certificate of Amendment are to update the following information: 

  • Corporation name
  • Business purpose
  • Duration
  • Shares 

Is the Certificate of Amendment the Only Way to Change Information? 

No. Changes to your officers or directors of the corporation as well as any changes to your registered agent, can be submitted with your Annual Report. 

Learn more about how to Start your Michigan Corporation today! 


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