Prior to submitting an application with OFIR, the business entity must obtain a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN). The only exception to obtaining an FEIN is for a sole proprietorship.

MCL 450.2011 requires a foreign corporation to procure a Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Michigan from the Michigan Corporations Division www.michigan.gov/corporations.

MCL 500.1205(2)(b) requires a business entity to identify a Designated Responsible Licensed Producer (DRLP) in order to obtain a license. The DRLP is responsible for the Business Entity’s compliance with the state insurance laws, rules and regulations. A business entity may have more than one DRLP, but must have at least one DRLP for each line of authority the business entity is applying for or currently holds. DRLPs are initially designated during the electronic application process.

To view the DRLP for a licensed business entity, visit the Insurance Agency Locator. Enter the business entity’s 7-digit Michigan System ID Number; click on the entity name then click on the Individual Associations Link. Any addition to or inactivation of the business entity’s DRLPs, producers, owners, partners, officers or directors requires submission of the FIS-0200 Insurance Business Entity Affiliate Disclosure form.

Background checks are conducted on all individuals listed on the application including DRLPs, owners, partners, officers and directors. OFIR will contact the business entity to obtain the date of birth for all persons listed on the application unless a list is submitted via email to ofir-licensing@michigan.gov or via fax to 517-241-3953.

Submit the following:

• File an Electronic Non-Resident Licensing (ERL) application, through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) website. The application/license fee is $10.00 plus a $6.18 transaction fee. An application is valid for six months from entry into our database. For questions relating to electronic application submission, contact NIPR Customer Service at 855-674-6477.

• Any “yes” answer to a background question will need to have supporting documentation uploaded to the NIPR Attachments Warehouse.

Note: In lieu of an original letter of certification, our office will rely on verification of applicant’s resident license through the Producer database.

Note: Attorney General Opinion 7242 supersedes Attorney General Opinion 5756. The updated opinion, released February 10, 2010, states that section 213(1) of the Business Corporation Act, 1972 PA 284, MCL 450.1213(1), does not require a corporate insurance agency that includes the word “insurance” in its name to also include the word “agency,” and a corporate agency is free to use the word “insurance” in its name so long as the name, taken as a whole, does not imply that the agency is an insurance or surety company.