Michigan Gun Laws In 2026: Everything You Need To Know Right Now

Most people have no idea how much has changed with Michigan gun laws in recent years. Seriously. Between 2023 and 2025, the state passed some really important new laws that affect gun owners, buyers, and anyone thinking about carrying a concealed weapon. Let’s break down exactly what you need to know so you don’t accidentally break the law.

Michigan’s gun laws are pretty specific, and they matter. Get one detail wrong and you could face serious jail time, hefty fines, or lose your right to own a gun altogether. That’s why we’re covering the basics, the tricky parts, and what happens if you mess up. Stick with us here—this is simpler than you think.

What Are Michigan Gun Laws?

Okay, so here’s the deal. Michigan’s gun laws set the rules for who can own firearms, how you can carry them, where you can bring them, and what weapons are straight-up illegal. These laws exist to keep people safe while respecting the rights of gun owners. Pretty straightforward, right?

The state has what’s called a “shall-issue” system. This means if you meet all the requirements, the county clerk must issue you a Concealed Pistol License (CPL). You just have to qualify. It’s not up to their personal judgment—you either meet the requirements or you don’t.

Michigan recently updated its laws after some really serious incidents, including school shootings. These updates show the state is taking gun safety seriously. Some of the big changes happened in 2023 and 2024, so even if you’ve looked up Michigan gun laws before, things might be different now.

Getting a Gun: The Basics You Need

Who Can Buy a Gun?

This is where it gets important. In Michigan, you must be at least 18 years old to buy rifles or shotguns. But if you want to buy a handgun? You need to be 21 or older. That’s a federal requirement, so it applies everywhere.

You also can’t be prohibited under federal law. That means no felony convictions, no domestic violence convictions, no involuntary hospitalizations, and no restraining orders that mention firearms. The state runs a background check through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to verify all of this.

Not sure if you’re prohibited? Confused about what counts as a violation? Let me break it down. If you’ve ever been convicted of any felony anywhere (Michigan or another state), you’re out. Same with misdemeanor domestic violence convictions. If a court ever found you mentally ill or dangerous, or if you’re under a personal protection order, you probably can’t buy a gun.

The License to Purchase

Here’s something many people don’t realize. To buy a handgun in Michigan, you need a license to purchase a pistol. Yep, that’s a separate thing from your concealed carry license. The dealer will run a background check. You’ll get a receipt. That receipt serves as proof while the state processes your application.

The good news? There’s no waiting period in Michigan. The background check happens instantly (or pretty close to it) when you’re at the gun shop. If you pass, you can buy the gun that day.

For long guns (rifles and shotguns), the rules are slightly different, but you still need a background check. Michigan also recently added a requirement that you get a license to purchase long guns too. This change happened in 2023, so if you haven’t bought a rifle in a couple years, things are different now.

Concealed Carry: The Permit You Might Need

Getting Your CPL

Trust me, this is the part that trips people up. If you want to carry a concealed handgun in Michigan, you need a Concealed Pistol License (CPL). Open carry (carrying a gun openly, not hidden) is legal without a permit if your gun is registered in your name. But concealed? That’s a permit situation.

To get a CPL, you need to be at least 21 years old. You also need to pass a firearm safety training course. The training has to be state-approved and include at least eight hours of instruction, with three hours of actual range time where you’re firing a weapon. This isn’t optional. No training certificate, no CPL.

Here’s where it gets interesting. Once you’ve got a CPL, you don’t need a separate license to purchase a handgun anymore. Your CPL basically proves you’ve been vetted. As of 2025, the federal government recognized Michigan’s CPL as a valid alternative to standard background checks, which is pretty convenient.

The Application Process

Wondering what the actual steps are? Pretty straightforward, honestly. First, complete your firearm safety training. Get your certificate. Then go to your county clerk’s office with the certificate, a photo ID, and your passport-quality photo. You’ll sign under oath, get fingerprinted, and pay the fee (usually around $115).

The county clerk has 45 days to issue your license or tell you why they can’t. If nothing happens in 45 days? Your receipt becomes your temporary CPL until they issue the real license or officially deny you.

This is important. Even with a receipt, you still need a background check to buy a handgun. The receipt doesn’t get you around that.

Keeping Your License Valid

CPLs last five years. About three to six months before yours expires, your county clerk will notify you. You can renew online, by mail, or in person. Renewal is cheaper (same $115 fee) and requires less training—just three hours of review and one hour of range time in the six months before you renew.

If you move out of Michigan? Your CPL expires when you establish residency in another state. Sorry—you can’t keep it once you’re officially a resident elsewhere.

Where You CAN’T Carry a Gun

Okay, pause. Read this carefully. Even with a CPL, Michigan law says you absolutely cannot carry a firearm in certain places. No exceptions. These locations include schools, colleges, hospitals, government buildings, bars, and day care centers. You also can’t carry in theaters with more than 2,500 seats, banks, mental health facilities, or churches (unless they give permission).

Since 2024, you also can’t carry a firearm at polling places, early voting sites, or absentee ballot drop boxes. The state took this seriously and made it explicit law. If you show up armed to vote, you’re breaking the law.

What About Vehicles?

This one’s tricky, honestly. The big distinction here is that a CPL (Concealed Pistol License) only covers handguns, not long guns.

For handguns, if you have a CPL, you can carry them in your vehicle loaded and concealed. Without a CPL? You can transport a registered handgun while you’re going to or from hunting or target shooting, but it must be unloaded and in a closed case.

Long guns (rifles and shotguns) are different. A CPL doesn’t change the rules for them. Whether you have a CPL or not, long guns must always be unloaded and either disassembled, in a case, in the trunk, or stored somewhere that’s not accessible from inside the vehicle.

There’s no exception because of a CPL. Period. This is one people mess up, so pay attention to it.

The Alcohol Rule

Here’s a big one people miss. You cannot carry a firearm if your blood alcohol content is .02 percent or higher. That’s basically one beer and you’re at the limit. Use any controlled substance? That’s illegal too. This applies whether you have a CPL or not.

Safe Storage: The New Laws That Matter

Let’s talk about something Michigan is really serious about now. In 2023, Michigan passed a safe storage law. Here’s what it means for you.

If you own a firearm and there’s a minor in your home (or there’s likely to be), you must store your gun locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition. This law exists because kids find guns. They handle them. Terrible things happen. The law is designed to prevent exactly that.

You can use a gun safe, a locked cabinet, a locking case, or a lock built into the firearm itself. There’s a device called a “cable lock” that’s pretty cheap and works. The point is, your gun needs to be inaccessible to anyone who shouldn’t have it.

Honest talk: this is probably the most important law here. Not just because it’s required, but because it actually saves lives. Kids who grow up around guns and know gun safety are safer. Period.

Gun Owners with Domestic Violence Histories

Sound complicated? It’s actually not. Here’s the rule. If you’re convicted of any domestic violence crime—even a misdemeanor—you cannot own or possess a firearm in Michigan for eight years after your conviction. This applies to criminal assault, assault and battery, or any crime involving a protected person (spouse, dating partner, family member).

This law was added in 2023 and changed things significantly. Before, it was only felony domestic violence that got you banned from guns. Now even a misdemeanor counts. Prosecutors take this seriously, and courts enforce it strictly.

Why? Research shows that guns in homes with domestic violence are extremely dangerous. Abusers with guns are far more likely to kill their victims. That’s why Michigan created this protection.

Penalties and Consequences: What Actually Happens

Okay, so here’s where it gets serious. Breaking Michigan gun laws comes with real consequences. Let’s talk about actual jail time and fines so you know what you’re facing.

Carrying Without a License

If you carry a concealed weapon without a CPL, that’s a felony. You could get one to five years in prison. A fine could reach $2,500. It’s no joke. This is one of the charges that prosecutors don’t mess around with.

Carrying in Prohibited Places

If you carry a gun somewhere you’re not supposed to (like a school or courthouse), that’s a misdemeanor. You could face up to 93 days in jail and a $100 fine. Less serious than felony charges, but still on your record forever. Try explaining that in a job interview.

Brandishing a Weapon

If you display a gun in public to threaten someone (even if you don’t fire it), that’s brandishing. Misdemeanor. Up to 90 days in jail and a $100 fine. Here’s the thing—even if no one gets hurt, you’re criminalized. Your record is marked. Future employers see it.

Illegal Possession

Possessing any illegal weapon—like a fully automatic gun, silencer, or banned device—is a felony. You’re looking at up to five years in prison and fines up to $2,500. Your gun gets confiscated. You don’t get it back.

Felony Firearm

This is the big one. If you’re carrying a gun while you commit any felony (other than certain specific crimes), that’s an automatic extra charge. Mandatory minimum two years in prison. Second offense? Five years minimum. Third offense? Ten years minimum. These sentences run consecutively, meaning you serve them after your sentence for the original crime.

Felon in Possession

You were convicted of a felony? You can’t own a gun. Period. Not just in Michigan—federally too. If you’re caught with a gun, you face up to five years in prison and fines up to $5,000. And that’s just Michigan. Federal prosecutors could charge you too, which can mean even harsher penalties.

Wait, it gets better. If you’ve been convicted of a violent felony or drug felony, you can’t own a gun for five years after you finish your sentence, pay all fines, and complete parole/probation. Regular felonies? Three years waiting period. Some felonies you can never own a gun again.

Recent Changes and New Laws (2023-2025)

Ghost Guns Are Being Banned

Ghost guns are firearms made from kits or 3D-printed parts. They have no serial numbers. They’re impossible to trace. In 2024 and 2025, Michigan passed laws moving toward banning these. If you’ve got one, start paying attention to what the law becomes. This is changing rapidly.

Bump Stocks Getting Banned

A bump stock is a device that makes a semi-automatic gun fire like a machine gun. Michigan just passed a law banning them. If you own one, this is something to address now. Possession of banned devices is a felony.

Better Background Checks

Michigan updated its background check system in 2023. Now all firearm purchases—handguns and long guns—require proper licensing and background checks. This closed a gap that used to exist for long gun purchases.

School and Firearm Safety Information

Starting in 2025, Michigan schools are sending information home to parents about secure gun storage laws. If you have kids and guns at home, the state is basically telling you that safe storage matters and the law requires it.

Extreme Risk Protection Orders (Red Flags)

Okay, here’s a newer concept that Michigan added in 2024. An Extreme Risk Protection Order (sometimes called a red flag order) is a court order that temporarily prevents someone in crisis from accessing guns. If family members, friends, or law enforcement think someone is an immediate danger to themselves or others, they can petition the court.

A judge can then issue an order removing that person’s access to firearms temporarily. The goal is prevention. It’s not a permanent ban—it’s temporary intervention during a crisis.

This matters because it shows Michigan recognizes that sometimes, people need immediate help. Guns in crisis situations cost lives. This law tries to prevent that.

Special Circumstances and Exceptions

Military and Law Enforcement

If you’re active military or a peace officer, some of these rules don’t apply to you. The state has exceptions for people on duty. But those exceptions are narrow—they only apply when you’re actually performing your duties.

Retired Officers

Retired police officers and law enforcement get a break. They don’t need the full firearm training course to get a CPL. Their experience counts. But they still need to qualify in other ways and get approved.

How to Report Violations and Get Help

If You See Someone Breaking Gun Laws

If you see someone with a gun they shouldn’t have, or carrying where it’s illegal, call local police. Give them details about what you saw, where you saw it, and what the person looks like. Let professionals handle it.

If You Want to Remove Guns from a Dangerous Situation

Michigan has gun buyback programs. You can turn in a firearm to law enforcement anonymously (usually through a sheriff’s office) without questions or consequences. They destroy the gun properly. If you’re worried about a dangerous gun in your home or a loved one’s home, this is an option.

If You’re Facing Gun Charges

Get a lawyer. Seriously. Gun charges have mandatory minimums in many cases. Prosecutors don’t have flexibility to offer better deals. You need someone who understands Michigan gun law and can fight for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to buy a gun in Michigan? Yes, for handguns you need a license to purchase. For long guns, you also need the new licensing requirement. Background checks are always required.

Can I carry a loaded gun in my car? With a CPL, yes—you can carry a loaded, concealed handgun in your vehicle. Without a CPL, your gun must be unloaded and either in a case or trunk if it’s a rifle or shotgun. For handguns without a CPL, you can only transport them unloaded in a case if you’re going to hunting or target shooting.

What’s the difference between open carry and concealed carry? Open carry means the gun is visible. You need a CPL to carry concealed (hidden). Open carry is legal in more places than concealed carry because some locations specifically ban concealed weapons but allow open carry.

How long does it take to get a CPL? The county has 45 days from when you’re fingerprinted. After 45 days, if they haven’t issued or denied your license, your receipt becomes a temporary CPL. In practice, many counties process them in two to three weeks.

Can I carry my gun into a restaurant? With a CPL, yes—into restaurants that aren’t bars. But your blood alcohol must stay below .02. Basically, drink nothing or you’re in violation. Bars? Absolutely not, even with a CPL.

Final Thoughts

Michigan gun laws are detailed, but once you understand the basics, they make sense. The main points: get proper training before carrying, keep your gun safely stored if kids are around, know where you can’t bring guns, and never carry while drinking.

If you’re thinking about buying a gun or carrying one, look this up before you buy. If you’re facing gun charges, talk to a lawyer immediately. These penalties are serious and don’t go away.

The laws keep changing too. Every year Michigan updates something. Stay informed. Check official sources. When in doubt, ask an attorney who specializes in firearms law.

You’ve got this. Just stay safe and follow the rules.