Does Michigan require an operating agreement?
No. Michigan's LLC law doesn't require an LLC to have one: an operating agreement is the members' written agreement on the company's affairs and the conduct of its business, including any such provisions in the articles of organization, and the act lets it settle matters such as voting, managers and withdrawal without requiring one (MCL 450.4102(2)(r)). It's still worth having. Without one, the Michigan Limited Liability Company Act decides how profits are shared, who can act for the LLC and what happens when a member leaves, and banks often ask to see a signed agreement before opening an account for an LLC.
Under the Michigan Limited Liability Company Act, the agreement must be in writing (MCL 450.4102(2)(r)).
Michigan's LLC law and this template
Michigan LLCs are governed by the Michigan Limited Liability Company Act (Act 23 of 1993) (MCL 450.4101 et seq.). Where your agreement is silent, the act's default rules apply. Where the act lets an operating agreement change one of its rules, your agreement controls.
Choose Michigan in the form and the agreement names the State of Michigan as the LLC's home and governing law, refers to the Articles of Organization filed with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, and defines “the Act” as the Michigan Limited Liability Company Act. Everything else adapts to your answers: one member or several, run by the members or by managers, with or without a buyout when a member dies.
What the Michigan agreement covers
The agreement follows the order most operating agreements use: formation, name, principal office, registered agent, purpose and term; each member's contribution and, with several members, capital accounts and percentage interests; how profits, losses and cash are shared; management by the members or by managers, with the major decisions that need every member's consent; taxes, books, records and a separate bank account; transfers, new members, withdrawal and what happens when a member dies; and dissolution. Schedule A lists each member's contribution and share.
Forming and keeping a Michigan LLC
The operating agreement stays with the LLC's records; these are the filings that go to the state. Check that the name is free first with our Michigan LLC name search.
| Michigan | |
|---|---|
| Forming the LLC | Articles of Organization, $50, filed with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs |
| Name must end with | “limited liability company”, “L.L.C.”, “L.C.”, “(with or without periods or other punctuation; low-profit LLCs: "low-profit limited liability company" or L.3.C.)” |
| Recurring report | $25 annual statement each year (by Feb 15) |
| Newspaper notice | Not required |
| Name reservation | $25, 6 months |
| Good standing certificate | Certificate of Good Standing (unconfirmed) |
How to finish your Michigan agreement
- Type the LLC's name exactly as it appears on its Articles of Organization, ending included.
- Fill in or strike out anything left as a blank line, and make Schedule A's percentages add up to 100%.
- Have every member read and sign it. Electronic signatures count, and members can sign separate copies.
- Keep the signed agreement with the LLC's records; don't send it to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Give each member a copy.
For an LLC with one owner, see the single-member operating agreement; with partners, the multi-member version explains shares, voting and buyouts.
Sources
Checked on 2026-10-08 against the state's own pages:
- https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-Act-23-of-1993
- https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-450-4102
- https://mibusinessregistry.lara.state.mi.us/
- https://www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/cscl/corps/michigan-business-roadmap/annual-reports-and-annual-statements
Common questions
Does Michigan require an LLC operating agreement?
No. Michigan's LLC law doesn't require one, but it's worth having: without it, the Michigan Limited Liability Company Act's default rules decide how profits are shared and who can act for the LLC.
Do I file the operating agreement with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs?
No. The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs receives the Articles of Organization; the operating agreement is an internal document that stays with the LLC's records.
Is this Michigan operating agreement template free?
Yes. There's no sign-up and no email address, and the agreement is built in your browser, so nothing you type is sent to us.