Michigan driving laws set a 70 mph maximum on freeways, prohibit holding a phone in your hand while behind the wheel, run auto claims through a no-fault insurance system with some of the highest minimum liability limits in the country, and track moving violations through a points system that can pull your license after 12 points in two years. A first impaired-driving conviction can mean up to 93 days in jail, fines, and a six-month license suspension. What follows is what you actually need to know to stay legal on Michigan roads.
Speed Limits and Right-of-Way
The default maximum is 70 mph on freeways and 55 mph on other highways where no other limit is posted.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 257.628 Cities and townships can drop those limits in residential and business districts, and school zones typically post 25 mph when children are present. Freeway travel below 45 mph is prohibited unless conditions require it for safety.
Standard right-of-way rules apply: yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, stop for school buses displaying red flashers, and yield to vehicles already circulating in a roundabout.
Michigan’s Hands-Free Phone Law
The hands-free law signed in 2023 is broader than the old texting ban. You cannot hold or support a phone or any mobile device with your hands, arms, or shoulders while driving.2Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.602b Even mounted or connected to your car’s system, you cannot go beyond a single touch. No scrolling, typing, or swiping while you’re moving or stopped at a light.
Prohibited actions include calling, reading or sending texts, recording or watching video, using social media, browsing the internet, and manually entering navigation destinations.3State of Michigan. Distracted Driving Voice commands and Bluetooth are fine so long as you don’t need your hands. Calling 911 to report an emergency is always allowed.
Penalties escalate:
- First violation: $100 fine or 16 hours of community service, or both.
- Second or subsequent violation: $250 fine or 24 hours of community service, or both.
- Three violations within three years: mandatory driver improvement course.
Any civil fine doubles if you cause a crash while holding or manually using a device.2Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.602b This is a primary offense, so an officer can pull you over for the phone alone.
Seat Belts and Child Restraints
Every driver and front-seat passenger must wear a seat belt. Children under 13 fall under a separate child-restraint law requiring a car seat or booster appropriate for the child’s age and size. Kids between 13 and 15 must wear a seat belt, and if there are more children than available belts, the extras ride in the back.4Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.710e A narrow exception applies to pickups without extended cabs or jump seats when every front belt is already in use. Seat belt violations are civil infractions and don’t add points.
No-Fault Auto Insurance
Michigan is a no-fault state. After a crash, your own insurer pays for your injuries through Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage regardless of who caused the accident. Property damage claims still follow fault-based rules, so the at-fault driver’s insurer pays for the other vehicle’s repairs.
Minimum Liability Limits
The minimums increased significantly in 2020 and now stand at:
- $250,000 for bodily injury or death of one person per accident
- $500,000 for bodily injury or death of two or more people per accident
- $10,000 for property damage per accident
These are among the highest required minimums in the country.5Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 500.3009
Choosing a PIP Level
Before 2020, Michigan required unlimited lifetime PIP medical benefits. A reform law that took effect in July 2020 created six PIP tiers so drivers can pick a level that fits their situation:6State of Michigan. Choosing PIP Medical Coverage
- Unlimited coverage (the default if you don’t choose)
- Up to $500,000 per person per accident
- Up to $250,000 per person per accident
- Up to $250,000 with exclusions for household members who have qualifying health insurance
- Up to $50,000, available only if you’re enrolled in Medicaid
- Full opt-out, available only if you have Medicare Parts A and B
A lower tier reduces your premium, but your auto insurer stops paying once the cap is reached. Anything above that falls to your health insurer or to you. Before picking a lower tier, confirm your health plan actually covers auto-accident injuries.
The Points System
Michigan tracks moving violations through a points system managed by the Secretary of State. Points accumulate on a rolling two-year window.
- Six points: reckless driving, fleeing a police officer, leaving the scene of a crash, impaired driving, or any moving violation causing injury or death.
- Four points: drag racing, speeding 16 mph or more over the limit.
- Three points: speeding 11 to 15 mph over, disobeying a traffic signal.
- Two points: speeding 6 to 10 mph over, open alcohol container in the vehicle, most other moving violations.
Twelve or more points in two years triggers a driver reexamination that can bring restrictions, suspension, or revocation.7State of Michigan. Chapter 2: Your Driving Record You can also be called in with fewer points after three or more injury or property-damage crashes in two years. Parking tickets, expired registration, and equipment issues don’t add points but do carry escalating fines.
Operating While Intoxicated
Michigan uses the term “operating while intoxicated” (OWI). You can be charged if your blood alcohol content is 0.08% or higher, if you’re visibly impaired by alcohol or drugs, or if any amount of a Schedule 1 controlled substance is in your system.8Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.625
First-Offense OWI
A first conviction with a BAC below 0.17% carries:
- Up to 93 days in jail
- A fine between $100 and $500
- Up to 360 hours of community service
- A 180-day license suspension, with no restricted license available for the first 30 days9Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.319
Super Drunk Law
Drivers with a BAC of 0.17% or higher face:
- Up to 180 days in jail
- A fine between $200 and $700
- A one-year license suspension, with no restricted license for the first 45 days9Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.319
A court can order an ignition interlock device as a condition of probation for any OWI conviction.8Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.625 Repeat offenses carry dramatically harsher consequences, and a third offense is a felony.
Implied Consent
Driving on Michigan roads is treated as consent to a chemical test if an officer has probable cause to believe you’re impaired. Refusing a preliminary breath test at the roadside is a civil infraction.10Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.625a Refusing a chemical test after arrest (blood, breath, or urine) triggers an automatic points assessment and can bring a one-year license suspension through an administrative process separate from any criminal case.
Move-Over Law
When approaching a stationary emergency vehicle with lights flashing, you must either move at least one full lane away or slow to at least 10 mph below the posted limit. If you’re on a one-lane road, slowing down is your only option.11Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.653a The rule covers police, fire trucks, ambulances, and tow trucks. A violation is a civil infraction with a $400 fine, and penalties climb sharply if the failure causes injury or death.
Reporting a Crash
You must immediately report a crash to the nearest police station or officer if anyone is injured or killed, or if property damage appears to total $1,000 or more.12Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.622 “Immediately” means as soon as you safely can. Leaving the scene of an injury crash is a six-point offense that can carry felony charges, so report even a minor fender bender if there’s any doubt about the damage total.
Licenses and Registration
Getting a License
New drivers start with a Temporary Instruction Permit after passing a vision test and written knowledge exam. Applicants under 18 must complete the first segment of an approved driver education course. A behind-the-wheel skills test comes next.
A first standard operator’s license costs $25; an enhanced license costs $45.13State of Michigan. License and ID Information The enhanced version doubles as a border-crossing document for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean. Renewals are $18 standard and $38 enhanced, with a $7 late fee after expiration.
REAL ID
Since May 7, 2025, every air traveler 18 and older needs a REAL ID-compliant license or another federally accepted ID to board a domestic flight.14Transportation Security Administration. TSA to Highlight REAL ID Enforcement Deadline of May 7, 2025 Michigan’s compliant cards carry a gold star in the upper-right corner. Without it, bring a passport, passport card, military ID, or another approved document. TSA will not accept the temporary paper card issued at the Secretary of State office.
Vehicle Registration
Registering a vehicle requires proof of ownership and payment of title and registration fees. Base registration is $15 for one year, $29 for two years, and $7 for a motorcycle.15State of Michigan. Title Transfer and Vehicle Registration Passenger vehicles from model year 1984 or newer have their plate fee calculated from the manufacturer’s suggested retail price at first titling, then reduced over the following three years. Older vehicles are charged by weight.16State of Michigan. License Plates and Tabs
Teen Drivers: Graduated Licensing
Michigan runs teens through a three-level Graduated Driver Licensing system.
Level 1 is available at 14 years and 9 months after completing Segment 1 of driver education. It allows driving only with a licensed parent, legal guardian, or another licensed driver age 21 or older with parental permission.17Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.310e
Level 2 opens at 16 after six months at Level 1, completion of Segment 2, and at least 50 hours of supervised driving including 10 nighttime hours.18State of Michigan. New Drivers (Under 18) Unsupervised driving is allowed, but not between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless traveling to or from work or an authorized activity, or accompanied by a licensed driver 21 or older.17Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.310e
Level 3, a full unrestricted license, is available at 17 after 12 consecutive months at Level 2 with no moving violation, at-fault crash, suspension, or curfew violation.17Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.310e Any infraction during Level 2 resets that 12-month clock.
Fighting a Ticket
The most accessible way to blunt a ticket is the Basic Driver Improvement Course (BDIC), an approved program that keeps points off your record and the ticket off your insurance report. You can only use the BDIC once, and courts can still see the underlying violation.19State of Michigan. Basic Driver Improvement Course (BDIC)
Some Michigan courts run their own diversion programs where a judge may dismiss a ticket after you complete a safety course. These vary by court and are usually reserved for first-time or minor offenses. At a contested hearing, common defenses include challenging the calibration of a speed-detection device, questioning whether the traffic stop was lawful, or arguing that a violation was necessary to avoid a greater danger. An attorney familiar with the local traffic court will know which arguments the judges there actually take seriously.