Michigan's concealed carry laws are primarily governed by the Firearms Act, MCL 28.421 through MCL 28.435, and relevant provisions of the Michigan Penal...
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Michigan Concealed Carry Laws
Michigan Concealed Carry Laws
Governing Statutes
Michigan's concealed carry laws are primarily governed by the Firearms Act, MCL 28.421 through MCL 28.435, and relevant provisions of the Michigan Penal Code, MCL 750.227 and the sections that follow it.
Concealed Pistol License (CPL): Overview
Under MCL 750.227(2), a person shall not carry a pistol concealed on or about his or her person, or carry a pistol (whether concealed or not) in a vehicle the person operates or occupies, except in the person's dwelling house, place of business, or on other land the person possesses, unless the person has a license to carry the pistol. A violation is a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years, a fine of not more than $2,500.00, or both (MCL 750.227(3)). Exceptions to the MCL 750.227(2) prohibition are set out in MCL 750.231 (peace officers and other listed persons) and MCL 750.231a.
Definition of "Concealed"
Complete invisibility is not required. Carrying a pistol in a holster or belt outside the clothing is generally treated as open carry, not concealed carry, while carrying a pistol under a coat is carrying a concealed weapon (see Op. Atty. Gen. 1945, No. O-3158). Michigan courts have described a weapon as concealed if it is not observed by those casually observing the carrier as people do in the ordinary course and usual associations of life (People v. Reynolds, 38 Mich. App. 159 (1972)). Whether a pistol is concealed is generally a question of fact.
CPL Application Process
Issuing Authority
Public Act 3 of 2015 amended the Firearms Act and eliminated all county concealed weapon licensing boards effective December 1, 2015. The county clerk is now responsible for storing CPL records and for issuing licenses, notices of statutory disqualification, suspensions, and revocations (MCL 28.425a(2)).
The Michigan State Police (MSP) does not issue or deny CPL applications. The MSP verifies an applicant's eligibility through the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) and reports statutory disqualifications to the county clerk (MCL 28.425a(3); MCL 28.425b(6)).
The county clerk must issue either a CPL or a notice of statutory disqualification not later than 45 days after the date the applicant has classifiable fingerprints taken (MCL 28.425b(13)).
Fingerprinting
After submitting an application and paying the required application fee, the applicant must request that classifiable fingerprints be taken by the county clerk, the MSP, a county sheriff, a local police agency, or another authorized entity (MCL 28.425b(9)).
The entity must take the fingerprints within 5 business days after the request (MCL 28.425b(9)).
The applicant must pay a fee of $15.00 to the entity taking the fingerprints (MCL 28.425b(9)).
A receipt is issued at the time the fingerprints are taken. It must contain the applicant's name, the date and time, the amount paid, the name of the fingerprinting entity, and the applicant's state-issued driver license or personal identification card number (MCL 28.425b(9)(a)-(f)).
Fingerprinting Receipt as Temporary CPL
Under MCL 28.425b(14), if a license or notice of statutory disqualification is not issued within 45 days after the date the applicant had classifiable fingerprints taken, the fingerprinting receipt issued under MCL 28.425b(9) serves as a concealed pistol license when carried with a state-issued driver license or personal identification card. It is valid until a license or a notice of statutory disqualification is issued by the county clerk. The receipt does not exempt the holder from complying with all applicable laws for the purchase of firearms.
CPL Renewal
A CPL, including a renewal license, is valid until the applicant's date of birth that falls not less than 4 years or more than 5 years after the license is issued or renewed. The renewal application and licensing fee is $115.00 (MCL 28.425l(1)).
The county clerk must issue a renewal license or a notice of statutory disqualification within 30 days after the date the renewal application is received (MCL 28.425l(3)).
If an individual applies for renewal before the expiration of the current license, the expiration date of the current license is extended until the renewal license or notice of statutory disqualification is issued (MCL 28.425l(6)).
A person who carries a concealed pistol after the expiration date under that extension must keep the renewal receipt and the expired license in his or her possession at all times while carrying. For purposes of the act, the receipt is considered part of the CPL until a renewal license is issued or denied or a notice of statutory disqualification is issued (MCL 28.425l(7)).
Emergency CPL
Under MCL 28.425a(4), a county clerk shall issue an emergency CPL to an individual if either of the following applies:
The individual has obtained a personal protection order issued under MCL 600.2950 or MCL 600.2950a, or
A county sheriff determines that there is clear and convincing evidence to believe that the safety of the individual, or of a member of the individual's family or household, is endangered by the individual's inability to immediately obtain a CPL.
The applicant must still be eligible based on a criminal record check through LEIN.
Key conditions and limits on an emergency CPL (all under MCL 28.425a(4)):
The individual must, within 10 business days after applying for the emergency license, complete a pistol training course under section 5j and apply for a regular CPL under section 5b. If the individual does not do both within that 10-business-day period, the emergency license is no longer valid.
An emergency license is valid for 45 days, or until the county clerk issues a notice of statutory disqualification, whichever occurs first.
A county sheriff may charge a fee of not more than $15.00 for the determination, criminal record check, and fingerprinting. A county clerk may charge a fee of not more than $10.00 for printing the emergency license.
An individual may not obtain more than 1 emergency license in any 5-year period.
The license will indicate if the holder is exempt from the pistol-free-zone prohibitions in section 5o, if the applicant provides acceptable proof of that exemption.
If the county clerk issues a notice of statutory disqualification, the holder must immediately surrender an unexpired emergency license. Failure to surrender after being notified of a statutory disqualification is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 93 days, a fine of not more than $500.00, or both.
Carrying Requirements for CPL Holders
Possession of CPL and Identification
MCL 28.425f(1) and (2) require an individual licensed to carry a concealed pistol to have, at all times while carrying a concealed pistol or a portable device that uses electro-muscular disruption (EMD) technology, both:
The license to carry the concealed pistol, and
A state-issued driver license or personal identification card.
The individual must show both items to a peace officer upon request. An individual who violates subsection (1) or (2) is responsible for a state civil infraction and shall be fined $100.00 (MCL 28.425f(4)).
Duty to Disclose to a Peace Officer
MCL 28.425f(3) requires a Michigan CPL holder who is carrying a concealed pistol or an EMD device and who is stopped by a peace officer to immediately disclose to the peace officer that he or she is carrying a pistol or EMD device concealed upon his or her person or in his or her vehicle.
This duty applies only to individuals licensed under the act and only when carrying a concealed pistol or EMD device at the time of the stop.
A violation of the duty to disclose is a state civil infraction for both a first and any subsequent offense (it is not a misdemeanor). Under MCL 28.425f(5):
First offense: state civil infraction, a fine of $500.00, and the CPL suspended for 6 months (MCL 28.425f(5)(a)).
Subsequent offense within 3 years of a prior offense: state civil infraction, a fine of $1,000.00, and the CPL revoked (MCL 28.425f(5)(b)).
If an individual is found responsible under subsection (5), the peace officer notifies the MSP, which notifies the county clerk to suspend or revoke the license (MCL 28.425f(6)).
Note: courts have held that simply handing a peace officer your CPL is not, by itself, immediate disclosure. You must verbally disclose that you are carrying.
Carrying Under the Influence: Implied Consent and Penalties
Under MCL 28.425k(1), acceptance of a CPL constitutes implied consent to submit to a chemical analysis under that section. An individual shall not carry a concealed pistol or EMD device while under the influence of alcoholic liquor or a controlled substance, or while having a prohibited bodily alcohol content (MCL 28.425k(2)).
A peace officer who has probable cause to believe an individual is carrying in violation of this section may require a chemical analysis of breath, blood, or urine (MCL 28.425k(4)). Before requiring the test, the officer must advise the individual that he or she may refuse, but that the officer may obtain a court order requiring the test and that refusal results in a 6-month CPL suspension (MCL 28.425k(5)).
"Under the influence of alcoholic liquor or a controlled substance" means that the individual's ability to properly handle a pistol or to exercise clear judgment regarding the use of that pistol was substantially and materially affected by the consumption of alcoholic liquor or a controlled substance (MCL 28.425k(8)(c)).
Penalty Tiers (MCL 28.425k(2))
These three tiers are distinct and should not be combined:
Under the influence, or bodily alcohol content of .10 or more: misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 93 days or a fine of $100.00, or both. The court orders the county clerk to revoke the CPL (MCL 28.425k(2)(a)).
Bodily alcohol content of .08 or more but less than .10: misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 93 days or a fine of $100.00, or both. The court orders the county clerk to suspend the CPL for 3 years (MCL 28.425k(2)(b)).
Bodily alcohol content of .02 or more but less than .08: state civil infraction with a fine of $100.00. The MSP notifies the county clerk to suspend the CPL for 1 year (MCL 28.425k(2)(c)).
Refusal of a Chemical Test
If a person refuses to take a chemical test authorized under this section, the person is responsible for a state civil infraction and shall be fined $100.00. The MSP notifies the county clerk, who shall suspend the license for 6 months (MCL 28.425k(7)).
Pistol-Free Zones (MCL 28.425o)
A CPL holder shall not carry a concealed pistol on the premises of any of the following (MCL 28.425o(1)):
A school or school property. A parent or legal guardian of a student is not precluded from carrying a concealed pistol while in a vehicle on school property when dropping the student off or picking the student up. "School" and "school property" mean those terms as defined in MCL 750.237a.
A public or private child care center or day care center, child caring institution, or child placing agency.
A sports arena or stadium.
A bar or tavern licensed under the Michigan liquor control code where the primary source of income is the sale of alcoholic liquor by the glass consumed on the premises. This does not apply to an owner or employee of the business.
Any property or facility owned or operated by a church, synagogue, mosque, temple, or other place of worship, unless the presiding official permits the carrying of a concealed pistol there.
An entertainment facility with a seating capacity of 2,500 or more individuals that the individual knows or should know has that capacity, or that posts that capacity above each public entrance.
A hospital.
A dormitory or classroom of a community college, college, or university.
A CPL holder also shall not carry a concealed pistol in a casino in violation of R 432.1212 of the Michigan Administrative Code, promulgated under the Michigan gaming control and revenue act, MCL 432.201 to 432.226 (MCL 28.425o(3)).
"Premises" for purposes of subsection (1) does not include the parking areas of these places (MCL 28.425o(4)).
Pistol-Free Zone Penalties (MCL 28.425o(6))
First violation: state civil infraction, a fine of not more than $500.00, and a 6-month CPL suspension (MCL 28.425o(6)(a)).
Second violation: misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000.00, and the CPL revoked (MCL 28.425o(6)(b)).
Third or subsequent violation: felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 4 years or a fine of not more than $5,000.00, or both, and the CPL revoked (MCL 28.425o(6)(c)).
Pistol-Free Zone Exemptions (MCL 28.425o(5))
Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to the following individuals when licensed under the act:
A retired police officer, retired law enforcement officer, or retired federal law enforcement officer.
A person employed or contracted by a listed entity to provide security services who is required to carry a concealed firearm on the premises.
A licensed private investigator or private detective.
A corrections officer (or qualifying retired corrections officer) of a county sheriff's department with approved weapons training.
A motor carrier officer or capitol security officer of the MSP.
A member of a sheriff's posse.
An auxiliary or reserve officer of a police or sheriff's department.
A parole, probation, or corrections officer, or absconder recovery unit member, of the Department of Corrections with a department weapons permit (and qualifying retirees with such a permit).
A state court judge or retired state court judge, a court officer, or a peace officer.
Other Premises Restrictions (MCL 750.234d)
A separate statute, MCL 750.234d(1), prohibits possessing a firearm on the premises of a depository financial institution, a church or other house of religious worship, a court, a theatre, a sports arena, a day care center, a hospital, or an establishment licensed under the Michigan liquor control code. Under MCL 750.234d(2)(c), this prohibition does not apply to a person licensed by Michigan or another state to carry a concealed weapon. A CPL holder is therefore not subject to the MCL 750.234d(1) premises list, though the separate pistol-free-zone rules in MCL 28.425o still apply to concealed carry.
The CPL exemption that applies to the listed-premises prohibition lives in MCL 750.234d(2)(c), while the voting locations have their own separate exemption list in MCL 750.234d(4). The voting prohibitions in MCL 750.234d(3) bar possessing a firearm in or within 100 feet of a polling place while the polls are open (MCL 750.234d(3)(a)), and in or within 100 feet of an early voting site on any day early voting is conducted (MCL 750.234d(3)(b)), among other election-related locations. A CPL holder is exempt from those subsection (3) voting-location restrictions under MCL 750.234d(4)(c), which exempts a person carrying a concealed pistol who is licensed to do so. The other subsection (4) exemptions cover peace officers (MCL 750.234d(4)(a)) and possession in one's own residence or on one's own private property (MCL 750.234d(4)(b)). The CPL exemption does not reach an absent voter counting place under subsection (6).
Open Carry
In Michigan, a person may carry a firearm openly in public so long as the person carries it with lawful intent and the firearm is not concealed. No Michigan statute expressly authorizes open carry; it is lawful because no statute prohibits it for a person otherwise eligible to possess a firearm.
A CPL holder is not required to carry concealed. A CPL holder may carry a pistol concealed or openly.
There is no lawful way to carry a pistol openly inside a vehicle without a license. A person who carries a pistol in a vehicle without a license to carry may violate MCL 750.227(2).
Transporting a Pistol in a Vehicle
MCL 750.227(2) makes it a felony to carry a pistol in a vehicle the person operates or occupies (whether concealed or not) without a license to carry, except in the person's dwelling house, place of business, or on other land the person possesses.
MCL 750.231a sets out exceptions to MCL 750.227(2). It does not enumerate a list of specific destinations or activities. The relevant transport exceptions are:
A person holding a valid license to carry a pistol concealed issued by his or her state of residence, except where the pistol is carried in nonconformance with a restriction on the license (MCL 750.231a(1)(a)).
A person carrying an antique firearm completely unloaded in a closed case or container designed for the storage of firearms in the trunk of a vehicle (MCL 750.231a(1)(c)).
A person transporting a pistol for a lawful purpose if the pistol is licensed (registered) by the owner or occupant of the vehicle in compliance with MCL 28.422, and the pistol is unloaded in a closed case designed for the storage of firearms in the trunk of the vehicle (MCL 750.231a(1)(d)).
The same lawful-purpose transport in a vehicle that does not have a trunk, if the pistol is unloaded in a closed case designed for the storage of firearms and is not readily accessible to the occupants of the vehicle (MCL 750.231a(1)(e)).
In short, a person without a CPL who transports a pistol for a lawful purpose must have the pistol registered under MCL 28.422, unloaded, in a closed case designed for storing firearms, and either in the trunk or, in a vehicle without a trunk, in a place not readily accessible to occupants. The statute uses the phrase "for a lawful purpose" without listing particular destinations.
Non-Resident Concealed Carry
A non-resident's authority to carry in Michigan comes from two provisions read together:
MCL 750.231a(1)(a) excepts from the MCL 750.227(2) concealed-pistol prohibition a person who holds a valid license to carry a pistol concealed issued by his or her state of residence, except where the pistol is carried in nonconformance with a restriction on the license.
MCL 28.422(9) provides that a non-resident is not required to obtain a Michigan license to purchase, carry, or transport a pistol if all of the following apply: the individual is licensed in his or her state of residence to purchase, carry, or transport a pistol (MCL 28.422(9)(a)); the individual has that license in possession (MCL 28.422(9)(b)); the individual is the owner of the pistol (MCL 28.422(9)(c)); the individual possesses the pistol for a lawful purpose (MCL 28.422(9)(d)); and the individual is in Michigan for a period of 180 days or less and does not intend to establish residency in Michigan (MCL 28.422(9)(e)).
Practical points for non-residents:
Michigan recognizes a concealed pistol license only from the holder's state of residence. A non-resident permit from a state where the visitor does not reside (for example, a non-resident Utah or Florida permit held by a visitor who lives in Illinois) does not provide carry authority in Michigan.
A non-resident relying on MCL 28.422(9) must own the pistol he or she is carrying or transporting and must be present in Michigan for 180 days or less with no intent to establish residency.
A non-resident must present the license described in MCL 28.422(9)(a) upon the demand of a police officer. A violation is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90 days or a fine of not more than $100.00, or both (MCL 28.422(10)).
A non-resident carrying under these provisions is subject to Michigan's laws governing where and how a concealed pistol may be carried, including the pistol-free zones in MCL 28.425o.
Appeals Process
If the county clerk issues a notice of statutory disqualification, the clerk must, not later than 5 business days after that notice, inform the individual in writing of the reasons for the denial or disqualification (including each statutory disqualification, its record source, and contact information for that source) (MCL 28.425b(13)(a)), inform the individual in writing of the right to appeal the denial or notice of statutory disqualification to the circuit court as provided in section 5d (MCL 28.425b(13)(b)), and inform the individual that he or she should contact the record source to correct any errors (MCL 28.425b(13)(c)).
An applicant may appeal to the circuit court of the county in which the applicant resides under MCL 28.425d.
License to Purchase Requirements
A valid Michigan CPL generally exempts the holder from the separate license-to-purchase requirement for a pistol (MCL 28.422). However, under MCL 28.422a(1)(a), the following are not exempt from the license-to-purchase requirement based solely on holding one of these documents:
An individual with an emergency CPL under MCL 28.425a,
An individual with a fingerprinting receipt serving as a CPL under MCL 28.425b(9), and
An individual with a renewal receipt serving as a CPL under MCL 28.425l.
A person with a regular valid Michigan CPL does not need a separate license to purchase but must still comply with applicable firearm record and registration requirements (MCL 28.422a).
N.Y. State Rifle & Pistol Ass'n v. Bruen, 597 U.S. 1 (2022), eliminated discretionary "proper cause" or "good cause" concealed-carry frameworks and required states to apply objective issuance criteria, converting formerly may-issue states to shall-issue. Michigan was already a shall-issue state before Bruen, so the decision affects Michigan primarily through its historical-tradition test for evaluating later Second Amendment claims rather than by changing how CPLs are issued.
Last verified:2026-06-25
This page covers one part of our Michigan concealed carry guide.
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