If you are in danger, call 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233.[1] Michigan's statewide VOICES4 hotline takes calls and texts at 855-864-2374.[2][3] Local agencies are listed in Where to get help.
This is a reference library on Michigan domestic violence law, written for anyone who needs to understand it: a person who has been arrested or served with an order, a person seeking protection, a witness, or a family member trying to work out what happens next. Every statement of law in it is footnoted to the statute, court rule, court decision or official publication it comes from, and each page lists its sources at the end so you can read them yourself.
The library is organized the way a case unfolds. Part 1 explains what the law says. Part 2 follows the process from the police call through court, sentencing, protection orders and the consequences that last after a case ends. Part 3 has checklists, decision guides, county-by-county court information and places to get help.
Michigan domestic violence law in brief
- "Domestic violence" is not itself the name of a crime in Michigan.[4] The central assault charge is domestic assault, which depends on the relationship between the people involved.[5] Start with What "domestic violence" means in Michigan law.
- No injury is needed for an assault charge.[6] See Can you be charged if no one was hurt?
- The prosecutor alone decides whether to prosecute, and the complaining witness cannot "drop the charges."[7][8] See Can the victim drop the charges?
- A first-offense case dismissed under the deferral statute, MCL 769.4a, still counts as a prior conviction in a later prosecution for repeat-offense domestic assault.[9] See The first-offender deferral.
- A person restrained by an ex parte personal protection order has 14 days after being served or receiving actual notice to file a motion to modify or terminate it, unless good cause is shown for filing later.[10] See How to challenge, modify or terminate a PPO.
- Michigan has no statutory presumption against custody for a parent who committed domestic violence; it is one of the best-interest factors a judge weighs.[11][12] See Domestic violence and child custody.
How common is it?
The Michigan State Police recorded 67,958 domestic violence incidents in 2025.[13] That figure covers a wide set of family and household relationships, not only spouses and dating partners, so it is not a count of intimate partner violence.[14] The numbers, what they measure and how they have been revised are set out in Michigan domestic violence statistics.
How this library is kept accurate
Each page was written from the text of the Michigan Compiled Laws, the Michigan Court Rules and Rules of Evidence, the Model Criminal Jury Instructions, the Michigan Judicial Institute's benchbooks, federal statutes and decisions, and official state data, as they stood on the review date shown at the top of the page. Where those sources do not answer a question, the page says so instead of guessing. Several widely repeated claims turn out not to match the current law, and Twelve myths about Michigan domestic violence cases and Recent changes to Michigan domestic violence law collect them.
Part 1
Understand the Law
What Michigan law actually says: the crimes, the definitions, the penalties, and the terms police, prosecutors and judges use.
The basics
Start here if the words "domestic violence charge" are new to you.
- What "domestic violence" means in Michigan lawThere is no single crime with that name. How statutes define it and which charges carry the label.
- Domestic assault: MCL 750.81 explainedA plain-English walk through the statute most Michigan domestic violence cases are charged under.
- Assault vs. battery in MichiganWhat each word means legally, and why a person can be charged when nobody was touched.
- Who counts: spouses, dating partners, household membersThe relationships that turn an assault into a domestic assault, and the ones that do not.
- What is a "dating relationship" under Michigan law?The statutory definition, what it excludes, and why it matters for charges, PPOs and gun rights.
- Can you be charged if no one was hurt?Injury is not an element of domestic assault. What the prosecutor does have to show.
- Misdemeanor or felony? How Michigan classifies domestic violenceWhich domestic charges are misdemeanors, which are felonies, and what moves a case from one to the other.
- Michigan domestic violence penalties: the full chartEvery commonly charged domestic offense with its statute, class, maximum jail or prison term and fine.
- Second and third offenses: how prior convictions raise the chargeHow a prior conviction turns a 93-day misdemeanor into a one-year misdemeanor and then a felony.
- Aggravated domestic assault (MCL 750.81a)The charge when a serious or aggravated injury is alleged but no weapon was used.
- Strangulation and suffocation charges (MCL 750.84)Why an allegation of choking is charged as a felony, and how the statute defines strangulation.
- Felonious assault in a domestic case (MCL 750.82)Assault with a dangerous weapon: what counts as a weapon and what the penalty is.
- Statute of limitations for domestic violence in MichiganHow long a prosecutor has to file charges, by offense.
- State charge vs. city ordinance domestic assaultWhy the ticket may name a city ordinance instead of a state statute, and whether it matters.
- Is verbal or emotional abuse a crime in Michigan?Where the criminal law starts, where it stops, and where a PPO can reach conduct a criminal charge cannot.
- Are threats a crime? Threats, intimidation and assaultWhen a threat becomes an assault, stalking, or another offense.
- Do the laws apply the same to men, women and same-sex couples?The statutes are written without regard to gender. What that means in practice.
- Michigan domestic violence statisticsWhat official state and federal data show, with every number sourced.
- Recent changes to Michigan domestic violence lawThe amendments since 2020 that many websites still get wrong.
- Twelve myths about Michigan domestic violence casesThe victim can drop the charges, no injury means no case, and other things people believe until court.
- Glossary of Michigan domestic violence legal termsArraignment, bindover, ex parte, LEIN, PPO and about a hundred other terms, each tied to its source.
Part 3
Decide and Act
Checklists, decision guides, court-by-court information and where to find help, for people accused, people seeking protection, and their families.
If you have been charged or served
- The first 48 hours after an arrest: a checklistWhat to do, and what not to do, between release and your first court date.
- Ten mistakes that make a domestic violence case worseContacting the protected person, posting about the case, missing court and others.
- How to prepare for your arraignmentWhat to bring, what you will be asked, and what you should not say.
- Do you need a lawyer for a misdemeanor domestic violence charge?What is at stake beyond the 93 days, and what the right to counsel covers.
- Court-appointed or retained counsel: how each worksEligibility, cost, and what the Michigan indigent defense standards require.
- Questions to ask before hiring a defense lawyerA neutral checklist for interviewing any Michigan attorney.
- What to bring to a first meeting with a lawyerDocuments, dates and information that make the first consultation useful.
- Plea or trial: how to think about the decisionThe factors that matter: evidence, exposure, collateral consequences and the rights a plea gives up.
- Should you take the deferral?What a deferral gains and what it costs, including the consequences people learn about later.
- How to live with a no-contact orderPractical rules for housing, children, shared bills, work and accidental encounters.
- Preparing for a PPO hearing as the respondentDeadlines, evidence, witnesses and courtroom conduct.
- When a family member is arrestedHow to find out where they are, when they will see a judge, and what you can do.
If you need protection or are a witness
- Where to get help: hotlines and West Michigan agencies24-hour lines, shelters and advocacy programs by county.
- Preparing a PPO petition: a checklistWhat to write, what to attach, and what happens the day you file.
- What to expect as a witnessSubpoenas, the victim advocate, testifying and your rights in the courtroom.
- If you want the charges droppedWhat you can do, who to talk to, and what not to do.
- Keeping your address confidentialMichigan's Address Confidentiality Program, MI-VINE and court safety measures.
- Resources for people accused: programs and legal helpFinding intervention programs, appointed counsel and lawyer referral services.
West Michigan courts, county by county
Which court hears a domestic violence case or PPO petition where you live.
- Kent CountyDistrict courts by city, the 17th Circuit Court, and where PPOs are filed.
- Ottawa CountyThe 58th District Court locations, the 20th Circuit Court and PPO filing.
- Allegan CountyThe 57th District Court, the 48th Circuit Court and PPO filing.
- Muskegon CountyThe 60th District Court, the 14th Circuit Court and PPO filing.
- Kalamazoo CountyThe 8th District Court, the 9th Circuit Court and PPO filing.
- Barry CountyDistrict and circuit courts in Hastings and PPO filing.
- Ionia CountyDistrict and circuit courts in Ionia and PPO filing.
- Montcalm CountyDistrict and circuit courts in Stanton and PPO filing.
- Newaygo CountyDistrict and circuit courts in White Cloud and PPO filing.
- Van Buren CountyDistrict and circuit courts and PPO filing.
- Berrien CountyThe Berrien County Trial Court in St. Joseph and Niles and PPO filing.
Common questions about Michigan domestic violence law
Is domestic violence a specific crime in Michigan?
No. "Domestic violence" is not itself the name of a crime in Michigan; it describes offenses committed within certain relationships.[4] The central assault charge is domestic assault under MCL 750.81(2), which applies when the people involved are spouses or former spouses, have or have had a dating relationship, have had a child in common, or are residents or former residents of the same household.[5]
Can the victim drop domestic violence charges in Michigan?
No. The prosecuting attorney alone decides whether to prosecute, and a judge may not dismiss a case because the complaining witness does not want it prosecuted.[7][8] A case may also be able to go forward without the alleged victim's testimony.[15]
Do Michigan police have to arrest someone on a domestic violence call?
The arrest statute, MCL 764.15a, says an officer "may" arrest without a warrant; it authorizes arrest and does not mandate it.[16] State law does require every police agency to have a written domestic violence policy emphasizing that, in most circumstances, an officer should arrest when there is probable cause.[17]
Is there a 20-hour hold after a domestic violence arrest in Michigan?
The current statute contains no 20-hour figure.[18] What it says is that a person arrested without a warrant for domestic assault cannot be released by police on a station-house bond and is held until arraigned or until a judge or magistrate sets bond.[19]
Does a domestic violence conviction affect gun rights in Michigan?
Yes. Since February 13, 2024, Michigan law bars a person convicted of a misdemeanor involving domestic violence from possessing firearms or ammunition until eight years after all fines are paid, any imprisonment is served and probation is completed.[20][21][22] Federal law imposes its own restriction, covered in the firearm guides in this library.
Sources
- National Domestic Violence Hotline, thehotline.org (home page) — National Domestic Violence Hotline
- State of Michigan, VOICES4 Hotline — Domestic Violence page — State of Michigan
- MCEDSV, Hotline page — mcedsv.org
- People v Wilson, 265 Mich App 386, 393 (2005) — Michigan Judicial Institute, Domestic Violence Benchbook
- MCL 750.81(2) — Michigan Legislature
- M Crim JI 17.2; M Crim JI 17.15; M Crim JI 17.16 — Michigan Courts
- People v Williams (Anterio), 244 Mich App 249, 253–254 (2001) — Michigan Judicial Institute, Domestic Violence Benchbook
- People v Williams (Anterio), 244 Mich App 249, 251, 253–254 (2001) — Michigan Courts
- MCL 769.4a(5) — Michigan Legislature
- MCR 3.707(A)(1)(b); MCL 600.2950(13); MCL 600.2950a(13) — Michigan Courts
- MCL 722.23(k) — Michigan Legislature
- MCL 722.23; MCL 722.25(1); DVBB §8.4(A)(1) — Michigan Legislature
- Michigan State Police, Crime in Michigan dashboard, Domestic Violence tab, "Domestic Violence Incidents, Offenders, and Vicitms by Year" (frozen data 2021–2025) — Michigan State Police
- Michigan State Police, Crime in Michigan dashboard, Domestic Violence tab — Michigan State Police
- People v Williams (Anterio), 244 Mich App 249, 254 (2001); MRE 804(a)(5) — Michigan Judicial Institute, Domestic Violence Benchbook
- MCL 764.15a — Michigan Legislature
- MCL 776.22(1), (3)(b)(i) — Michigan Legislature
- MCL 780.582a(1) — Michigan Legislature
- MCL 780.582a(1)(a) — Michigan Legislature
- MCL 750.224f(5) — Michigan Legislature
- MCL 750.224f(5)(a)–(c) — Michigan Legislature
- MCL 750.224f (History); 2023 PA 201 — Michigan Legislature
- MCL 780.621d(2)-(3); MCL 780.811(1)(a)(i)-(ii); MCL 780.621(1)(b); MCL 780.621c(1) — Michigan Legislature
- MCL 780.621g(10) — Michigan Legislature
This library is general legal information about Michigan law, published by the office of Attorney Shawn Haff. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you are in danger, call 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233.