Michigan sorts felonies into nine sentencing guideline classes plus a category of unclassified offenses that sit outside the lettered system. The felony classes in Michigan, from most to least severe, are unclassified (covering crimes like first-degree murder), Class A, Class M2 (second-degree murder only), Class B, Class C, Class D, Class E, Class F, Class G, and Class H. Maximum prison terms run from life without parole at the top to no state prison at all at the bottom.
How the Class System Works
A felony in Michigan is any offense punishable by imprisonment in a state prison. Everything else is a misdemeanor. When a judge sends someone convicted of a felony to prison for a term of years, the sentence is indeterminate: the judge sets both a minimum and a maximum term.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 769.9 – Indeterminate Sentence Inapplicable Where Only Punishment Is Life Imprisonment The maximum is fixed by the class the offense belongs to. The minimum comes from a points-based calculation under Michigan’s sentencing guidelines. Once the minimum has been served, the Parole Board decides whether to release the person.
The complete list of which crimes belong to which class is set out in MCL 777.11 through 777.19.2Michigan Courts. State of Michigan Sentencing Guidelines Manual Some felonies fall outside the lettered system entirely and carry their own statutory penalties, including mandatory life sentences in a few cases.
Unclassified Felonies
The most severe Michigan felonies sit above the standard class structure. First-degree murder is the clearest example. A conviction under MCL 750.316 carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without any possibility of parole, and judges have no discretion to impose anything less.3Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 750.316 – First Degree Murder The statute covers premeditated killings, murders committed during certain felonies such as arson, robbery, or kidnapping, and the killing of a law enforcement officer.
Class A Felonies: Life or Any Term of Years
Class A felonies are punishable by life in prison or any term of years, giving judges an unusually wide sentencing range.4Michigan Courts. Offense Categories and Crime Classes Armed robbery is one of the most commonly prosecuted Class A offenses; the statute reaches anyone who uses or possesses a dangerous weapon, or convincingly claims to have one, during a robbery.5Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 750.529 – Armed Robbery First-degree criminal sexual conduct also falls here, and a conviction brings mandatory lifetime electronic monitoring and sex offender registration along with the potential life term.
Class M2: Second-Degree Murder
Second-degree murder has its own classification, M2, with a separate sentencing grid in the guidelines. The penalty is life in prison or any term of years.6Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 750.317 – Second Degree Murder It covers all murders that do not qualify as first-degree, including unpremeditated intentional killings and deaths caused by conduct showing extreme recklessness for human life. The M2 designation exists because guideline scoring treats second-degree murder as slightly less severe than Class A, even though the theoretical maximum is the same.
Class B Felonies: Up to 20 Years
Class B felonies carry a maximum of 20 years in state prison.4Michigan Courts. Offense Categories and Crime Classes Offenses at this level include manufacturing or delivering large quantities of certain controlled substances along with other serious violent crimes. Defendants convicted at this tier typically serve lengthy prison terms and extended periods of supervised parole after release.
Class C Felonies: Up to 15 Years
Class C felonies carry a maximum of 15 years.4Michigan Courts. Offense Categories and Crime Classes Manslaughter is a prominent example, reaching unintentional killings caused by criminal negligence and heat-of-passion killings. The manslaughter statute also allows a fine of up to $7,500.7Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 750.321 – Manslaughter Assault with intent to do great bodily harm and second-degree criminal sexual conduct also land at this level. These cases generally involve documented physical injury or a specific intent to cause serious harm.
Class D Felonies: Up to 10 Years
Class D felonies carry a maximum of 10 years in prison.4Michigan Courts. Offense Categories and Crime Classes Property crimes reach this level once the dollar figures climb. Larceny of property worth $20,000 or more is a 10-year felony with a potential fine of up to $15,000 or three times the value stolen, whichever is greater.8Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 750.356 – Larceny Embezzlement of $20,000 to $50,000 carries the same 10-year ceiling and a similar fine structure.9Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 750.174a – Embezzlement Third-degree criminal sexual conduct sits in this tier as well. Courts frequently order restitution to victims on top of prison time and any fine.
Class E Felonies: Up to 5 Years
Class E felonies carry a maximum of five years.2Michigan Courts. State of Michigan Sentencing Guidelines Manual Carrying a concealed weapon without a license is a common example, punishable by up to five years and a fine of up to $2,500. Larceny of property worth $1,000 to $20,000 also reaches this level.8Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 750.356 – Larceny Domestic assault becomes a Class E felony when the defendant has two or more prior domestic violence convictions, jumping from a misdemeanor to a five-year felony with a fine of up to $5,000.10Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 750.81 – Assault and Battery Judges at this level have more room to consider alternatives like treatment programs, though prison is still on the table.
Class F Felonies: Up to 4 Years
Class F felonies carry a maximum of four years.4Michigan Courts. Offense Categories and Crime Classes Felonious assault falls here, covering assaults with a dangerous weapon such as a gun, knife, or club where the defendant did not intend to kill or cause great bodily harm. The maximum fine is $2,000 in most cases, but rises to $4,000 when the victim is a health care professional on duty.11Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 750.82 – Felonious Assault Delivery of certain lower-schedule controlled substances and some forms of identity theft also carry four-year maximums. The shorter ceiling means defendants with clean records and favorable guideline scores may receive probation instead of prison.
Class G Felonies: Up to 2 Years
Class G felonies carry a maximum of two years.2Michigan Courts. State of Michigan Sentencing Guidelines Manual Writing a bad check for $500 or more is a typical Class G offense, punishable by up to two years, a fine of up to $2,000 or three times the check amount (whichever is greater), or both.12Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 750.131 – Insufficient Funds Checks These cases straddle the line between felony and misdemeanor severity. The two-year ceiling means many defendants with low guideline scores land in an intermediate sanction cell on the grid, which makes jail, probation, or community service more likely than a trip to state prison.
Class H Felonies: No State Prison
Class H sits at the bottom of the felony hierarchy and does not carry state prison time. The sentencing guidelines make Class H offenses eligible only for jail or other intermediate sanctions such as drug treatment, electronic monitoring, or community service.2Michigan Courts. State of Michigan Sentencing Guidelines Manual Possession of certain controlled substances and low-level fraud offenses commonly fall into this class. A Class H conviction still creates a permanent felony record with all the downstream consequences that entails, even when the sentence involves no incarceration at all.
How Judges Calculate the Minimum Sentence
The class fixes the maximum, but the minimum comes from a points-based calculation. The guidelines use two sets of scoring variables. Prior Record Variables (PRVs) measure the defendant’s criminal history across seven categories. Offense Variables (OVs) measure the seriousness of the current crime, weighing factors like injury to the victim, the defendant’s role, and whether a weapon was involved. Each total places the defendant on one axis of a sentencing grid.13Michigan Courts. State of Michigan Sentencing Guidelines Manual
Each class has its own grid, nine in total, and the intersection of the two scores produces a recommended minimum sentence range. Grid cells fall into three types. Prison cells recommend a minimum that exceeds one year. Straddle cells cross the one-year threshold and let the judge choose between prison and an intermediate sanction. Intermediate sanction cells cap the recommended maximum at 18 months and require an alternative to prison.13Michigan Courts. State of Michigan Sentencing Guidelines Manual This is why two people convicted of the same offense in the same class can receive very different sentences.
Habitual Offender Enhancements
Prior felony convictions can push the maximum sentence well past the class ceiling. The enhancement applies whether the prior convictions came from Michigan or another state.
- Second habitual offender (one prior felony): the maximum increases to 1.5 times the longest term allowed for a first conviction of the current offense.14Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 769.10 – Second Felony Offender
- Third habitual offender (two prior felonies): the maximum doubles.15Michigan Courts. Maximum Sentences for Habitual Offenders
- Fourth habitual offender (three or more prior felonies): if the current offense normally carries a first-conviction maximum of five years or more, the court can impose up to life. If the first-conviction maximum is under five years, the enhanced ceiling is 15 years.15Michigan Courts. Maximum Sentences for Habitual Offenders
The recommended minimum range on the grid also shifts upward. The upper limit of the applicable cell rises by 25% for a second habitual offender, 50% for a third, and 100% for a fourth.13Michigan Courts. State of Michigan Sentencing Guidelines Manual A defendant with three prior felonies who commits a Class E offense (normally a five-year maximum) can face up to life in prison. That reality catches many people off guard, and it is a good reason to have an attorney review any charge in light of the full criminal record before making decisions about plea or trial.