Juveniles and the Sex Offender Registry in Michigan

Not every juvenile sex offense adjudication in Michigan leads to registration. A juvenile order of disposition counts as a "conviction" under the Sex Offenders Registration Act only if the juvenile was 14 or older at the time of the offense, the order is open to the general public, and the offense would classify the person as a Tier III offender.^[1] A person registered solely on that basis must not be included on the public website if the case was not designated for trial in the same manner as an adult.^[2]

Law as of 4 October 2026. Court rulings are changing registry law. On September 9, 2026 the Michigan Supreme Court held that the 2021 SORA may not be applied retroactively to registrants whose offenses predate the 2011 amendments, and the Michigan State Police reported on September 11, 2026 that it had removed more than 20,000 people from the registry, with numbers that could change.^[7][8] A federal appeal was still pending when the State Police published its September 2026 legal update.^[9] A registrant or parent should confirm current duties with the Michigan State Police Sex Offender Registry Unit or an attorney before relying on this page.

This page explains when a juvenile case leads to registration, what registration involves for a young person, and the ways it can end.

When does a juvenile adjudication require registration?

The act requires registration by people who are "convicted" of a listed offense, and it defines that word.^[10][1] For a Michigan juvenile case, three things must all be true:^[1]

1. An order of disposition was entered in juvenile court and that order is open to the general public under MCL 712A.28.^[1]
2. The individual was 14 years of age or older at the time of the offense.^[1]
3. The order of disposition is for the commission of an offense that would classify the individual as a Tier III offender.^[1]

The second and third conditions narrow the rule. A juvenile who was 13 at the time of the offense does not meet the age condition, and an adjudication for an offense in Tier I or Tier II does not meet the tier condition.^[1]

The same age and tier conditions apply to a juvenile adjudication from another state or country.^[11]

Which offenses are Tier III?

Tier III includes first-degree criminal sexual conduct, third-degree criminal sexual conduct and assault with intent to commit sexual penetration; second-degree criminal sexual conduct against a child under 13; and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct by a person 17 or older against a child under 13.^[12] The full lists are in SORA tiers in Michigan.

Third-degree criminal sexual conduct matters most for teenagers. Penetration with a person aged 13 to 15 is third-degree criminal sexual conduct on proof of age alone, and the subdivision contains no minimum age for the accused, no age-gap requirement and no consent exception.^[13] How these cases move through the family division is covered in juvenile sex offense cases.

The consent exception applies in juvenile cases too

A first-degree or third-degree offense is not a Tier III offense if the court determines that the victim consented to the conduct, that the victim was at least 13 but less than 16 at the time of the offense, and that the individual is not more than 4 years older than the victim.^[14] If the offense is not Tier III, the tier condition for a juvenile disposition is not met.^[1]

The hearing statute covers juveniles expressly. If a person who "is adjudicated as a juvenile as being responsible for a listed offense" alleges that the exception applies and the prosecuting attorney disputes it, the court must conduct a hearing before disposition.^[15] The individual has the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that the conduct falls within the exception.^[16] The decision is a final order that either side may appeal as a matter of right.^[15] The exception is explained in Michigan's Romeo and Juliet provisions.

What registration involves for a juvenile registrant

Registration takes place before the order of disposition is entered: the court may not enter the order until it determines that the registration was forwarded to the State Police.^[17]

Because a registrable juvenile disposition is by definition for a Tier III offense, the Tier III rules apply. The statute sets the Tier III period at life and requires a Tier III offender who is not incarcerated to report in person four times each year.^[1][18][19] The event-driven reports, such as a change of residence within 3 business days, apply as they do to other registrants.^[20] See what registrants must report.

Are juvenile registrants public?

The public website must not include a person registered solely because he or she had one or more dispositions for a listed offense entered in juvenile court, in a case that was not designated as a case in which the individual was to be tried in the same manner as an adult. It also must not include a person registered solely because of an order of disposition or other adjudication in a juvenile matter in another state or country.^[2]

Two limits are built into that sentence. The word "solely" means the exclusion rests on the juvenile disposition being the only basis for registration, and the exclusion for Michigan cases is written for cases that were not designated for adult-style trial.^[2]

Non-public registry information is protected. A person other than the registrant who divulges, uses or publishes nonpublic information about a registration in violation of the act commits a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days or a fine of up to $1,000, or both, and the registrant has a civil cause of action for treble damages.^[21] See public versus non-public registration.

How can a juvenile registration end?

Route	Conditions	Court's power
Under-14 petition, MCL 28.728c(15)(a)	The petitioner was adjudicated as a juvenile and was less than 14 years of age at the time of the offense	"Shall grant"[3]
Consensual-act petition, MCL 28.728c(14)(a)	Conviction resulted from a consensual sexual act; victim 13 or older but less than 16; petitioner not more than 4 years older	"Shall grant"[22]
25-year petition, MCL 28.728c(13)	Registration based on a juvenile order of disposition; 25 or more years since adjudication or release from confinement, whichever occurred last; no felony or listed-offense conviction since; supervision completed without revocation; treatment completed or waived	"May grant"[4][5]

On a 25-year petition the court must consider, among other factors, the individual's age and level of maturity at the time of the offense and the victim's age and level of maturity at the time of the offense.^[23] The court must not grant the petition if it determines that the individual is a continuing threat to the public.^[23]

The petition is filed in the court in which the person was convicted of the listed offense, and it is the sole means of obtaining judicial review of registration requirements.^[24] A petition may not be filed if a previous petition was filed and denied by the court after a hearing.^[24] The procedure and the victim's rights are set out in petitioning to be removed from the registry.

Court rulings have also ended registration for some people whose offenses were committed as juveniles. Under People v Smith, the 2021 SORA may not be retroactively applied to registrants whose criminal acts occurred before enactment of the 2011 SORA amendments.^[7] The date that matters under the State Police legal update is the date the offense was committed: the update speaks of people registered solely for a Michigan registrable offense committed before July 1, 2011.^[8]

Can the juvenile adjudication itself be set aside?

For the most serious offenses, no. An adjudication for an offense that, if committed by an adult, would be a felony for which the maximum punishment is life imprisonment cannot be set aside under the juvenile set-aside statute.^[6] First-degree criminal sexual conduct is punishable by imprisonment for life or any term of years.^[25]

Where a set-aside is available, its effect on registration is unsettled: the registration act says registration must be discontinued when a set-aside order is presented, the adult set-aside statute says the person is still considered convicted for purposes of the registration act, and no decision reconciling them was found.^[26] See setting aside a sex offense conviction.

Related rules for students and young adults

• School attendance. When a student is convicted of or adjudicated for criminal sexual conduct or assault with intent to commit it, the student is prohibited from attending the same school building that is attended by the victim and from using a school bus if the student will have contact with the victim during its use.^[27] See K-12 school discipline.
• Youthful trainee status. A person who is assigned to and successfully completes youthful trainee supervision is not convicted for purposes of the registration act, but the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act is closed to almost all criminal sexual conduct offenses.^[28][29] See HYTA and sex offenses.
• Federal law. Under the federal registration act, a juvenile adjudication counts only if the juvenile was 14 or older and the offense was comparable to or more severe than aggravated sexual abuse.^[30]

What people get wrong

"Any juvenile sex offense means registration." Only an adjudication at age 14 or older for an offense that would make the person a Tier III offender, with a disposition order open to the general public, counts as a conviction under the act.^[1]

"Juvenile registration ends at 18 or 21." The act contains no such cutoff in the provisions described here; the Tier III period is life, and the time-based petition for a juvenile disposition requires 25 or more years.^[18][4]

"A juvenile's listing is always hidden." The exclusion from the public website is for people registered solely on juvenile dispositions in cases not designated for trial in the same manner as an adult.^[2]