Michigan
Vehicle Resource Center
Michigan is a state that's known for its natural beauty, but drivers cannot get around to enjoy all the lakes, the forests, and the stunning views without a vehicle and a valid driver's license. There is much to learn as a vehicle owner in Michigan to avoid legal issues and to buy, sell, and maintain vehicles effectively.
Ownership and Maintenance
The first step to learning how to effectively keep and maintain vehicles in Michigan is learning about all the regular tasks that a Michigan driver must complete over time. Things like maintaining the proper insurance, updating the vehicle registration, replacing an expired license, and more are essential for staying legally compliant and avoiding issues as a vehicle owner in Michigan.
In Michigan, both safety and emissions inspections are required on an annual basis. Vehicle owners must bring their vehicles to approved inspection stations throughout the state to have the vehicle verified by trained inspectors.
A Safety Inspection Form is Used to Verify the Following:
Only vehicles that pass an annual safety inspection and that pass emissions testing are allowed to drive on Michigan roadways.
More details about the inspection requirements and potential violation penalties can be found in this in-depth Michigan inspection guide.
Michigan is a no-fault car insurance state that requires all drivers to maintain vehicle insurance that covers the costs of any accidents the driver is involved in. No matter who is at fault for an accident, the insurance coverage of everyone involved will help pay for the costs of the accident, thanks to the way that Michigan laws work. This means that anyone driving on Michigan roadways must maintain a minimum level of no-fault vehicle insurance.
The Minimum No-Fault Insurance Levels
At a minimum, Michigan drivers must have the following coverage amounts:
These coverage amounts are represented by a 20/40/10 insurance policy. Many insurance companies will recommend larger policies for additional protection, but having a 20/40/10 policy is enough to legally drive a vehicle.
Remain Eligible for Car Insurance
In Michigan, maintaining a poor driving record can leave a person ineligible for liability insurance. If this is the case, that driver may not be able to legally drive until they've waited long enough to become eligible for insurance again.
Michigan insurance companies track the eligibility points of drivers during a three-year period. If the number of points a driver has is six or more, they may no longer be eligible for insurance.
If a driver gets enough of the violations on the list above to equal 6 points or more, they can be denied by insurance companies. Learn more about coverage denials or Michigan insurance requirements on the comprehensive Michigan Insurance guide page here.
Michigan vehicle owners are issued vehicle registration renewal reminders informing them that their vehicle registration must be renewed on their birth date. Each year, the vehicle must be renewed to obtain an updated registration tab and plate sticker. These items are essential for driving without being pulled over and ticketed for an out-of-date registration.
Vehicle owners have four options available to them to renew their registration each year. They can visit the online renewal tool, use a self-service kiosk, renew by mail, or visit a local office.
Each option is simple to use, though the self-service kiosk and online tools are fastest overall. The owner must prove they have valid no-fault auto insurance and provide their vehicle information and the data on the renewal notice to validate the registration renewal. Finally, they must pay their registration fees before being issued a new registration TAB and license plate sticker.
Get access to each of the registration renewal methods and more information about Michigan vehicle registration renewal from this Michigan registration service page.
Every licensed driver in Michigan has a state driver's license that expires every four years. The license must be renewed to keep it current and to avoid being ticketed for driving without a valid license. Fortunately, renewing a license in Michigan is a simple process that anyone can go through fast.
There are four ways to renew a Michigan driver's license, and all of them require the expired license, the last four digits of the driver's Social Security number, and a payment method with enough money for the renewal costs.
Drivers can visit one of the many self-service kiosk stations throughout Michigan and input their data and money there to renew their licenses. They can schedule an in-person visit to renew their license, they can mail in the license renewal form and the money, or they can go through the whole process online.
Get access to each of these renewal methods and supporting information via the Michigan License Service Page here.
Owners attempting to keep their vehicle paperwork updated must prepare to pay annual fees to keep everything current. Below are the most common fees assessed for these renewal processes.
Registration - For vehicles 1983 and older, the price is weight-based. Pay $29 for 3,000 or fewer pounds and up to $0.90 per cwt. Anything newer than 1984 is based on the manufacturer's list price. The fee is $30 for anything less than $5,999, 0.50% of the list price, and a $5 processing fee for more costly vehicles.
Driver's License - Standard license renewal in Michigan is $18, and there is a $7 late fee that is applied if the license is renewed past the date.
Emissions Testing - Emissions testing prices are not uniform for every vehicle. Costs to have a vehicle's emissions system tested can go up to $30, but some are more affordable.
As a vehicle owner in Michigan, it's essential to renew your registration annually, maintain no-fault insurance, get regular inspections, and keep your driver's license current to be allowed to drive a vehicle legally. Knowing how each of those steps works can simplify these requirements greatly.
Buying & Selling
One of the most important decisions a Michigan driver must make is choosing a new vehicle to purchase. Selecting a vehicle requires extensive research and filing important paperwork. Learn about how to learn important information about potential vehicles and get a quick breakdown of transferring the title and registering a purchased vehicle to make it legal to drive after a purchase.
Any interested buyer should take the time to research a vehicle before making a purchase decision. Consider investing in a GoodCar VIN Check or Vehicle History Search to get a complete vehicle history, data about title brands, recall information, features and specifications, and more about the chosen vehicle. This valuable information can make choosing a new vehicle simpler and help potential buyers avoid vehicles that aren't a good fit for them.
After purchasing a vehicle, the buyer must transfer the vehicle's title to their name and register the vehicle. To do this, the buyer needs to have a few documents as well as some essential information. Buyers must be prepared to secure these items when purchasing the vehicle.
The buyer must procure the original vehicle title, complete with the seller's signature, an odometer reading value, and a statement from the loan holder if the vehicle had a loan on it. The loan holder must release the lien on the vehicle or authorize the buyer to be put on the loan instead.
The buyer must also have a valid no-fault insurance policy before they can legally register the vehicle in their name.
With all these items, the buyer can schedule a Michigan Department of State office visit to transfer the vehicle's title and register the vehicle.
To transfer a title and register a purchased vehicle in Michigan, a buyer must have the money to pay all the associated fees. There are several different types of fees that buyers should be aware of.
The most common title and registration fees are:
When buying a vehicle, individuals should be prepared to pay these fees to have the title put in their name soon after the purchase is complete.
Buying a vehicle in Michigan is a major decision and a task that requires filing paperwork and conducting research carefully, but it's a decision that can be made effectively with the right help. Hopefully, this information will help buyers and sellers meet their vehicle needs.
Understand the Michigan title and registration fees more thoroughly.
Laws and Regulations
Driving on Michigan roadways legally requires drivers to follow a set of strict laws. Knowing those laws makes it easier to avoid trouble. Learn these valuable Michigan laws to avoid fines and penalties and to stay safer.
Michigan is a primary seat belt state, which means that law enforcement is allowed to stop drivers just for being unbuckled or for having a passenger who isn't properly buckled. Being pulled over without a proper safety belt can result in fines and should be avoided for the safety of the driver and the passengers of the vehicle. Everyone in a vehicle under the age of 15 is expected to wear a seatbelt or to be in a proper child restraint seat in all vehicle seat positions, and adults are expected to be buckled in the front seats of a vehicle.
Car Seat Requirements
Adults and older children can rely on the built-in lap and chest restraint straps in a vehicle, but younger children must be seated in special car seats or booster seats to protect them against the forces of sudden stops.
Children under the age of 4 are expected to be placed in the rear seats of a vehicle in a proper car seat. Young children should start in rear-facing car seats and only graduate to front-facing seats with a harness when they are too tall or heavy for the rear-facing seats. It's essential that if any young children in rear-facing seats are placed at the front of a vehicle, their airbags are turned off to avoid the risk of suffocation.
All children must remain in a booster seat until they are at least eight years old or until they reach 4'9" in height. Once children are tall enough for a seat belt chest strap to sit over their chest properly they can safely rely on the belt alone.
For more details about Michigan seat belt laws and specific car seat requirements, see the Michigan car seat overview.
According to the latest Michigan cell phone laws, it's illegal to manually operate a cell phone or other mobile devices while driving down the road. This includes placing a call, sending a text, or watching the screen for another reason.
The law makes phone use a primary offense so that Michigan police officers can stop individuals just for misusing a phone while driving.
Drivers should expect a $100 penalty for their first offense, a $250 fine for the 2nd offense, and the requirement to go through a driving improvement course on the third violation.
Get all the details on the Michigan cell phone law page.
Drivers in Michigan can face strict fines, license suspensions, and even jail time when caught driving in an impaired state. Drivers are said to be impaired if pulled over with a BAC (bodily alcohol content) level of 0.08 or higher. Anyone under the age of 21 can be charged with a drunk driving conviction when caught with a BAC of .02 or higher. It's also useful to note that penalties go up dramatically when drivers are found to have a BAC of .17 or higher.
Drivers with any traces of a Schedule 1 controlled substance in their system or cocaine will also be charged with a DUI even if they don't seem impaired. Medical marijuana cardholders will not be charged with a DUI for having marijuana in their system unless they are very clearly impaired.
A First Drunk Driving Offense Comes with the Following Consequences
Drivers caught with a BAC of .17 or higher can suffer from a 1-year license suspension and a $700 fine, as well as the additional requirements of going through an alcohol treatment program and having an ignition interlock installed.
For more information about the more severe penalties that come with repeat offenses and other specifics surrounding impaired driving laws in Michigan, visit the state's legal page.
Vehicle owners of cars that are less than one year old are protected by the state's lemon law against serious defects that were shipped with the vehicle. The Lemon law states that if a vehicle loses value or functions improperly because of an issue covered by the manufacturer's express warranty, the manufacturer is bound to repair the issue effectively.
A vehicle is a lemon if the problem is reported to the manufacturer within the first year of ownership and the manufacturer either cannot repair the issue in four repair attempts or the vehicle is in the garage for covered repairs for more than 30 days. If either of those conditions occurs, the vehicle is likely a lemon and may qualify for a replacement.
Find out more about Michigan lemon law on the government's lemon law page.
Useful Things to Know
Understanding popular Michigan laws and knowing how to maintain all the necessary paperwork to legally drive in the state are essential knowledge for a Michigan driver, but they are not all there is to know. Get access to useful data with the following resources and stay informed.
Michigan EV Charging Stations
Every EV owner in Michigan will eventually need to use a public charging station no matter how diligently they charge their car at home. Use this EV charging station locator to find the nearest charging station to your location when you need a charge. Michigan EV Charge Station Locator
Car Seat Inspection Stations
Verify that your vehicle's car seats are installed properly and that the right car seats are available for your children by visiting a local car seat inspection station. Car Seat Inspection Station Locator
Michigan Office Visit Scheduler
Get help with your driver's license, registration tab, licensing exams, document authentication, and much more by scheduling an appointment with a Michigan Department of State office. Use the scheduler below to set up an appointment. Michigan Department of State Office Visit Scheduler
Michigan Car Crash Trends
Each year, countless Michigan vehicles are involved in car accidents. State state is above-average for driver safety, but there were still 1,136 fatalities due to 1,072 car accidents in 2021. Develop a full understanding of Michigan car crash statistics from GoodCar for more prepared driving.
Locate a Michigan Self-Service Kiosk
Michigan residents have access to most license and registration services via self-service kiosks across the state. Quickly locate a kiosk using this locator tool. Michigan Self-Service Kiosk Locator
Michigan Resources
Get the Latest Michigan Vehicle Information with GoodCar
Michigan vehicle owners owe it to themselves to have the most up-to-date information about state laws, maintenance requirements, recalls, and more. Refer to this useful resource for residents looking for help and GoodCar's VIN Check and license plate lookup tools for help getting additional information about specific vehicles.