SORA Tiers in Michigan: Tier I, Tier II and Tier III Offenses

Michigan sorts every registrable offense into Tier I, Tier II or Tier III, and the tier sets how long a person registers and how often the person verifies in person: 15 years and once a year, 25 years and twice a year, or life and four times a year.^[2][6] The tier follows the offense of conviction and, for many offenses, the age of the victim.^[3]

Law as of 4 October 2026. Court rulings are changing this area. 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 should confirm current duties with the Michigan State Police Sex Offender Registry Unit or an attorney before relying on this page.

This page lists the offenses in each tier as the statute now reads, flags the entries that courts have limited, and explains what the tier controls.

What the tier controls

Tier	Registration period	In-person verification
Tier I	15 years[2]	Once each year, during the month of birth[6]
Tier II	25 years[2]	Twice each year, on a schedule set by birth month[6][10]
Tier III	Life[2]	Four times each year, on a schedule set by birth month[6][10]

The tier also affects who can ask a court to end registration early and who appears on the public website. A time-based petition exists for Tier I offenders and for Tier III offenders registered on a juvenile disposition, and not for Tier II.^[11][12][13] A person registered solely for a single Tier I offense is kept off the public website, with listed exceptions.^[14]

Tier I offenses

MCL 28.722(r) lists the Tier I offenses.^[15] They include:

• Possession of child sexually abusive material under MCL 750.145c(4).^[15]
• Aggravated indecent exposure under MCL 750.335a(2)(b), if a victim is a minor.^[15]
• Fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, or assault with intent to commit second-degree criminal sexual conduct, if the victim is 18 years or older.^[15]
• A violation of MCL 750.539j (surveillance or capturing images), if a victim is a minor.^[15]
• Sexual contact with a dead human body under MCL 750.160d(1), added effective October 6, 2024.^[5]
• Any other violation of a state law or local ordinance, other than a Tier II or Tier III offense, "that by its nature constitutes a sexual offense against an individual who is a minor."^[15]
• An offense committed by a person who was, at the time, a sexually delinquent person.^[15]
• An attempt or conspiracy to commit one of the listed offenses, and a substantially similar offense under a listed federal law, the law of any state or country, or tribal or military law.^[16]

The list also names unlawful imprisonment of a minor under MCL 750.349b.^[15] That entry remains in the text, but the Michigan Supreme Court held in People v Lymon on July 29, 2024 that imposing the 2021 SORA on offenders whose crimes lacked a sexual component is cruel or unusual punishment, and under the final part of the federal judgment the State may not require registration for that offense unless a court first determines that it was by its nature a sexual offense.^[17][18]

In SORA, "minor" means a victim of a listed offense who was less than 18 years of age at the time the offense was committed.^[19]

Tier II offenses

MCL 28.722(t) lists the Tier II offenses.^[20] They include:

• Accosting a child under MCL 750.145a and 750.145b.^[21]
• Producing or distributing child sexually abusive material under MCL 750.145c(2) or (3).^[21]
• Using a computer under MCL 750.145d(1)(a), except for a violation arising out of a violation of MCL 750.157c.^[21]
• Sodomy under MCL 750.158 committed against a minor, and gross indecency under MCL 750.338, 750.338a or 750.338b committed against a person 13 or older but less than 18, each subject to two consent-based exceptions.^[22]
• Soliciting under MCL 750.448 if the victim is a minor, and pandering under MCL 750.455.^[21]
• Second-degree criminal sexual conduct, fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, or assault with intent to commit second-degree criminal sexual conduct, committed against a person 13 years of age or older but less than 18.^[20]
• Second-degree criminal sexual conduct committed against a person 18 years of age or older.^[20]
• Attempts, conspiracies and substantially similar offenses elsewhere.^[20]

The two consent-based exceptions for sodomy and gross indecency apply where (A) the victim consented, was at least 13 but less than 16, and the individual is not more than 4 years older, or (B) the victim consented, was 16 or 17, and was not under the custodial authority of the individual.^[22]

Tier III offenses

MCL 28.722(v) lists the Tier III offenses.^[23] They include:

• First-degree criminal sexual conduct, third-degree criminal sexual conduct, and assault with intent to commit sexual penetration, unless the court determines that the victim consented, was at least 13 but less than 16, and the individual is not more than 4 years older than the victim.^[4]
• Second-degree criminal sexual conduct, or assault with intent to commit second-degree criminal sexual conduct, committed against a person less than 13 years of age.^[23]
• Fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct committed by a person 17 years of age or older against a person less than 13.^[23]
• Gross indecency under MCL 750.338, 750.338a or 750.338b committed against a person less than 13.^[21]
• Sexual penetration with a dead human body under MCL 750.160d(2), added effective October 6, 2024.^[5]
• Attempts, conspiracies and substantially similar offenses elsewhere.^[23]

The Tier III list also names kidnapping a minor under MCL 750.349 and a violation of MCL 750.350.^[21] Those are among the offenses addressed by the federal judgment on registration without a sexual element: for kidnapping (other than under two subdivisions of that statute) and leading away a child, the State may not require registration unless a court first determines that the offense by its nature was a sexual offense.^[18]

How the victim's age moves a CSC conviction between tiers

Conviction	Victim 18 or older	Victim 13 to 17	Victim under 13
First-degree or third-degree CSC	Tier III[23]	Tier III, unless the consent exception for a victim aged 13 to 15 applies[4]	Tier III[23]
Second-degree CSC	Tier II[20]	Tier II[20]	Tier III[23]
Fourth-degree CSC	Tier I[3]	Tier II[3]	Tier III if the actor was 17 or older[3]

The offenses themselves are explained in the guides to first-degree, second-degree, third-degree and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct. The label on the crime is not a guide to the tier: fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct is labeled a misdemeanor and can still be a Tier III offense.^[24][3]

Offender tier versus offense tier

The act defines both "offense" tiers and "offender" tiers, and a person's duties follow the offender tier. A Tier I offender is a person convicted of a Tier I offense who is not a Tier II or Tier III offender.^[16] A Tier I offender who is subsequently convicted of another Tier I offense is a Tier II offender, and a Tier II offender subsequently convicted of a Tier I or Tier II offense is a Tier III offender.^[25]

Offenses a judge adds to the list

The Tier I catch-all works through the sentencing court. When sentencing for an offense that is not a listed offense, the court must determine whether it is a violation that by its nature constitutes a sexual offense against a person less than 18 years of age. If so, the conviction is for a listed offense, and the court must state the basis for that determination on the record and include the determination in the judgment of sentence.^[26]

The consent exception is decided by the court

The exception that keeps a first-degree or third-degree conviction out of Tier III is not automatic. If the person alleges that it applies and the prosecuting attorney disputes that, the court must hold a hearing before sentencing, and the individual has the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that the conduct falls within the exception.^[27][28] The exception concerns registration; it is not a defense to the criminal charge.^[29] See Michigan's Romeo and Juliet provisions.

Juveniles

For a juvenile, only Tier III matters. A juvenile order of disposition counts as a conviction under the act only if the person 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.^[30] See juveniles and the registry.

What people get wrong

Old citation numbers. 2024 PA 66 added MCL 750.160d to Tiers I and III and renumbered the lists, so a pinpoint citation written before October 6, 2024 may point to the wrong subparagraph.^[5]

"Michigan tiers are the same as federal tiers." Federal law uses the same three period lengths of 15 years, 25 years and life, but it has its own definitions.^[31][32]

"Tier III can be reduced for good conduct." The statute gives a Tier III offender convicted as an adult no time-based petition.^[13] The Michigan Supreme Court held on December 19, 2025 that the 2021 SORA is punishment but is not cruel or unusual as applied to a Tier III offender convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct against a child.^[33]

For the length rules see how long registration lasts; for the reporting schedule see what registrants must report; and for the rulings that limit the lists see the SORA court rulings guide.