Michigan Concealed Pistol License (CPL) Renewal Process

Michigan concealed pistol licenses do not last forever. Each 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 (MCL 28.425l(1)). This section explains when and how to renew, what the renewal costs, the training you must certify, and what happens to your right to carry while a renewal is being processed.

Renewal Timeline

• A renewal application may be submitted not more than 6 months before the expiration of the current license (MCL 28.425l(2)).
• The county clerk must notify the licensee that the license is about to expire. The notification is sent by first-class mail to the licensee's last known address not less than 3 months and not more than 6 months before the expiration date of the current license (MCL 28.425l(1)).
• A CPL, including a renewal, 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 (MCL 28.425l(1)).
• An applicant is eligible to renew only if the current license is not expired, or expired within the 1-year period before the date of the renewal application (MCL 28.425l(1)). If the license has been expired for more than 1 year, it cannot be renewed and the person must apply for a new CPL under the original application process in MCL 28.425b.

Note on training certificates: a CPL training certificate generally must be reasonably current to support a new (non-renewal) application. The Michigan State Police treats older certificates as stale for new applications. The renewal statute itself does not set a certificate expiration period. Instead, a renewal applicant certifies recent review and range time (see Training Requirement below). Confirm current certificate-age rules with your county clerk or the Michigan State Police before relying on an older certificate for a new application.

Renewal Methods

Michigan CPL holders can renew through three methods (MCL 28.425l(2)). Beginning no later than December 1, 2018, the Michigan State Police was required to provide a system to accept renewal applications online or by first-class mail on behalf of the county clerk at no additional charge.

1. Online Renewal

• Available at www.michigan.gov/cplrenewal.
• Requires a valid PIN, which the county clerk mails in the renewal notice. CPL holders who receive a renewal notice that does not contain a PIN are not eligible to renew online and must renew by mail or in person.
• Typical information requested: CPL number, PIN, driver license state, driver license number, and an email address.
• Applicants can update personal information (name, address, phone number, and similar details) during the online process.
• The $115.00 renewal fee is due at the time of application and is accepted by any method of payment the Michigan State Police accepts.
• If you did not receive a renewal notice because of an address change, notify the county clerk of your new address and request a new renewal notice to receive your PIN.

2. By Mail

• Submit a completed CPL renewal application with the $115.00 fee, by any payment method the Michigan State Police accepts, to the Michigan State Police CPL Unit (MCL 28.425l(2)).
• The current MSP CPL Unit mailing address is published on the Michigan State Police renewal page. Confirm the address before mailing, because P.O. Box details can change.

3. In Person

• Renew at the county clerk's office in the county where you reside, paying the $115.00 application and licensing fee by any method that county accepts for other fees (MCL 28.425l(1)).

Renewal Fee

• $115.00 for all renewal methods (MCL 28.425l(1) and MCL 28.425l(2)).
• No other charge, fee, cost, or assessment, including any local charge, may be required of the applicant except as specifically authorized by the act (MCL 28.425l(1)).

Training Requirement for Renewal

The full education requirements that apply to an original application are waived on renewal, with one exception. The applicant must certify on the renewal application that, in the 6 months immediately preceding the renewal application, he or she has completed both of the following (MCL 28.425l(9)):

• At least 3 hours of review of the training described in section 5b(7)(c), and
• At least 1 hour of firing range time.

The applicant is not required to verify these statements, obtain a certificate, or undergo training other than as required by this subsection (MCL 28.425l(9)). Education requirements are fully waived for an applicant who is a retired police officer or retired law enforcement officer (MCL 28.425l(8)).

Fingerprinting for Renewal

A renewal applicant is not required to have fingerprints taken again if the Michigan State Police has a system to save and maintain submitted fingerprints in its automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS) database, and the applicant's fingerprints have been submitted to and are maintained by the department for ongoing comparison (MCL 28.425l(10)).

Definition of a Renewal

An application is treated as a renewal if the applicant's current license is not expired, or expired within the 1-year period before the date of the application (MCL 28.425l(1)). A renewal of a license under section 5b is issued in the same manner as an original license, except as otherwise provided in MCL 28.425l.

Processing Deadline

The Michigan State Police must complete the verification required under section 5b(6), and 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)).

Extension of Expiration During Renewal Processing

If an individual applies for a renewal license before the expiration of the current license, the expiration date of the current license is extended until the renewal license or a notice of statutory disqualification is issued (MCL 28.425l(6)). The county clerk notifies the Michigan State Police after receiving the renewal application, and the department enters the pending renewal and the application date into the law enforcement information network.

Carrying During Renewal Processing

What happens to your authority to carry while a renewal is pending depends on whether your current license was still valid when you applied.

Applied Before Expiration

A person carrying a concealed pistol after the expiration date of the license, under the extension in MCL 28.425l(6), must keep both of the following in his or her possession at all times while carrying (MCL 28.425l(7)):

• The renewal receipt issued by the county clerk under MCL 28.425l(3), and
• The expired license.

For purposes of the act, this 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)). The receipt issued to an applicant whose current license is not expired states that it serves as a CPL when carried with the expired license, and is valid until a license or notice of statutory disqualification is issued by the county clerk (MCL 28.425l(3)(e)).

Applied After Expiration

If you apply for renewal after your license has already expired, the receipt you receive works differently. The receipt issued to an applicant whose license is expired serves as a concealed pistol license, when carried with an official state-issued driver license or personal identification card, only if a license or notice of statutory disqualification is not issued within 30 days after the date the receipt was issued. The receipt remains valid as a license until a license or notice of statutory disqualification is issued by the county clerk (MCL 28.425l(4)(e)).

In short, an applicant who renews after expiration is not authorized to carry concealed during the first 30 days after the receipt is issued. If the county clerk has not issued the license or a notice of statutory disqualification by the end of that 30-day window, the receipt then serves as a CPL when carried with a state-issued driver license or personal identification card.

Limitations of the Renewal Receipt

A renewal receipt does not exempt the holder from firearm purchase laws. An individual who is relying on a receipt serving as a CPL under section 5l(3) is not treated as a licensee for purposes of the purchase-license exemption, so that person is not exempt from the license-to-purchase-a-pistol requirement (MCL 28.422a(1)(a)). The receipt language itself states that it does not exempt the named individual from complying with all applicable laws for the purchase of firearms (MCL 28.425l(3)(e) and MCL 28.425l(4)(e)). A firearms dealer's required background-check obligations before the sale of a pistol still apply.

Background Check, Approval, and Appeal

When the verification and background review are complete, the county clerk will either issue the renewal license or a notice of statutory disqualification (MCL 28.425l(3)).

• If approved, the renewal CPL is sent by first-class mail in a sealed envelope to the address on the application (MCL 28.425l(2)).
• If a notice of statutory disqualification is issued, the county 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 identified, the source of the record, and contact information for that source (MCL 28.425b(13)(a)).
• The county clerk must also 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); appeal procedure under MCL 28.425d).

Checking Renewal Status

For the status of a CPL renewal, contact your county clerk's office. Renewals submitted online or by mail are accepted by the Michigan State Police on behalf of the county clerk, and the county clerk issues the renewal license or notice of statutory disqualification (MCL 28.425l(2) and MCL 28.425l(3)).

Key Statutory References