Michigan Sex Offender Registration Requirements and Tiers

Michigan’s sex offender registration requirements come from the Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA), which places every qualifying offender into one of three tiers. The tier decides how long you stay on the registry and how often you verify your information in person: Tier I lasts 15 years with annual verification, Tier II lasts 25 years with verification every six months, and Tier III is lifetime with quarterly verification. Beyond the tier, the law sets tight deadlines for reporting new addresses, jobs, schools, vehicles, and online accounts, and it treats a willful failure to comply as a felony from the first offense.

The Three Tiers

Tier assignment depends on the offense of conviction, the victim’s age, and other factors written into the statute. Michigan’s tiers mirror the federal framework under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).¹

Tier I covers lower-level offenses such as aggravated indecent exposure. Registration lasts 15 years, with one in-person verification per year.
Tier II covers mid-level offenses, including crimes involving child sexually abusive material. Registration lasts 25 years, with verification every six months.
Tier III covers the most serious offenses, such as first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Registration is for life, with verification every three months.

Since the 2021 reforms, tier classifications are no longer shown on the public registry website, and the scope of publicly accessible information was narrowed toward higher-risk individuals.²

When and Where To Register

You must report to local law enforcement within three business days of establishing a residence, starting a job, or enrolling in a postsecondary school in Michigan. Individuals transferring supervision through the Interstate Compact must register within three business days of the case becoming active in the state.¹ Federal SORNA regulations apply the same three-business-day window to any change in residence, employment, or school attendance.³

What You Have To Report

SORA collects much more than a name and address. At initial registration and at each update, you must provide the following:⁴

Legal name, all aliases and nicknames, Social Security number (including any previously used), and date of birth.
Home address. If you are homeless, the city or township where you spend most of your time. Any temporary lodging used for more than seven days must also be reported.
The name and address of every employer, including contractors. If you have no fixed work location, you must describe your general work area and normal travel routes. Any postsecondary school you attend or plan to attend must be reported.
A description of every vehicle you own or regularly drive, including the license plate number and where the vehicle is usually kept.
All email addresses, instant messaging handles, and social media usernames you use. Law enforcement collects this information, but it is not displayed on the public registry.
Every phone number registered to you or used by you, including mobile numbers.

Fingerprints, a current photograph, and a DNA sample are also taken if they were not collected at a previous registration.⁵

Registration Fees

Michigan charges a $50 registration fee at initial registration and again each year. The total amount you can be required to pay over the life of your registration is capped at $550. Individuals who first become subject to registration after January 1, 2027 are not required to pay the recurring annual fee, only the initial $50.⁶

Penalties for Failing To Comply

A first-time failure to register is not a misdemeanor. Under MCL 28.729, willfully failing to register, update your information, or appear for a required verification is a felony even on the first offense. The penalties climb with each repeat:

No prior SORA violations: up to 4 years in prison or a fine of up to $2,000, or both.
One prior SORA violation: up to 7 years in prison or a fine of up to $5,000, or both.
Two or more prior SORA violations: up to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to $10,000, or both.

Smaller, more technical violations carry lesser penalties. Failing to comply with periodic reporting requirements other than the fee is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 2 years or a $2,000 fine. Refusing to sign a registration form can bring up to 93 days. Failing to pay the $50 registration fee within 90 days of reporting is a misdemeanor carrying up to 90 days.⁷

Federal Charges on Top

State penalties are not the only exposure. Under 18 U.S.C. § 2250, a registrant who travels between states or in foreign commerce and knowingly fails to register or update a registration faces up to 10 years in federal prison. If the person also commits a federal violent crime while unregistered, a mandatory minimum of 5 years (up to 30 years) is added on top of the state sentence, and the sentences run consecutively rather than concurrently.⁸

International Travel and Passports

Federal law requires registered sex offenders to notify their registration jurisdiction at least 21 days before any planned travel outside the United States. That information is forwarded to the U.S. Marshals Service.⁹

Under International Megan’s Law, registrants whose offenses involved a minor face additional passport rules. The Department of Homeland Security’s Angel Watch Center determines whether someone qualifies as a “covered sex offender.” If so, the State Department prints an endorsement inside the passport book identifying the holder’s conviction. Covered sex offenders cannot receive passport cards, only passport books with the printed identifier. Passports issued before the law took effect that lack the endorsement can be revoked.¹⁰

Lifetime Electronic Monitoring

Some offenders carry an added obligation. Anyone convicted of first-degree or second-degree criminal sexual conduct committed by someone 17 or older against a child under 13 is sentenced to lifetime electronic monitoring. Failing to comply with monitoring conditions, or to reimburse the Department of Corrections for monitoring costs, is a separate felony carrying up to 2 years in prison or a $2,000 fine.¹¹

Housing and Employment

The 2021 reforms repealed the statewide rule that had barred registrants from living, working, or loitering within 1,000 feet of school property. Local municipalities may still impose residency restrictions through zoning ordinances, and landlords routinely screen applicants against the public registry.²

No single Michigan statute bans registrants from all work, but the background-check system creates significant obstacles. Employers in healthcare, education, and childcare are either legally required or strongly incentivized to screen for sex offenses. Federal regulations prohibit long-term care facilities receiving Medicare or Medicaid funding from employing individuals with findings of patient abuse or neglect. Eligibility for federal financial aid, including Pell Grants, can also be limited for registrants subject to involuntary civil commitment following a sex offense conviction.

Petitioning To Get Off the Registry

Some registrants can ask a court for permission to stop registering. The process is set out in MCL 28.728c and is the only legal path to removal outside of a conviction being reversed on appeal.¹²

The petition must be filed under oath in the court where the original conviction occurred. If the conviction happened in another state, a Michigan resident may file in the circuit court of the home county. The petition must identify the offense and disclose any prior listed offenses. The prosecutor’s office receives a copy at least 30 days before the hearing and has the right to participate. If the victim’s name is known, the prosecutor must notify the victim, who may attend and address the court.

The court will deny the petition outright if it finds the individual remains a continuing threat to public safety. Only one petition is allowed. If a court denies it after a hearing, no second petition can be filed. Courts consider the nature of the offense, the time elapsed since conviction, and evidence of rehabilitation such as completion of a sex offender treatment program.¹

Juvenile Adjudications

A juvenile adjudication for a sex offense does not automatically trigger registration in Michigan. Courts evaluate juvenile cases individually, weighing the offender’s age at the time of the offense, the nature of the conduct, and the potential for rehabilitation before deciding whether to impose registration.¹

1
Michigan Department of Corrections. Sex Offenders Registration Act Policy Directive 01.06.115
2
Michigan State Police. SOR Registrant Notification of Changes to Michigan Law
3
eCFR. 28 CFR Part 72 – Sex Offender Registration and Notification
4
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 28.727
5
Office of the Auditor General. Michigan Sex Offender Registries Audit Report
6
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 28.725a
7
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 28.729 – Registration Required
8
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 2250 – Failure to Register
9
SMART Office. SORNA: Information Required for Notice of International Travel
10
U.S. Department of State. Passports and International Megan’s Law
11
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 750.520n
12
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 28.728c