How to Get a CPL in Michigan. Requirements and Steps.
Michigan is a shall-issue state, which means your county clerk must grant a Concealed Pistol License once you meet the requirements and clear the background check. Here is who qualifies and how the process works.
Who qualifies
- You are at least 21 years old.
- You are a United States citizen or a lawfully admitted alien.
- You are a Michigan resident and have lived in the state for at least 6 months. This residency requirement is waived if you already hold a valid CPL from another state, and active-duty military stationed in Michigan or whose home of record is Michigan may apply as residents.
- You have never been convicted of a felony and have no felony charge pending.
- You have no conviction in the past 8 years for certain misdemeanors, and no conviction in the past 3 years for a second set of misdemeanors listed in the statute.
- You are not subject to a personal protection order, an extreme risk protection order, a guardianship order, or a finding of legal incapacity.
- You have no mental-health disqualifier, such as a finding of not guilty by reason of insanity, an involuntary commitment, or a current diagnosis that includes an assessment of danger to self or others.
- You are not barred by the federal lifetime prohibition that follows a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence under 18 USC 922(g)(9).
The 3-year and 8-year misdemeanor lists are specific. If you have any conviction in your past, confirm the exact statute language in MCL 28.425b before you apply.
The 7 steps to your CPL
- 1
Pick up the application kit
Your county clerk provides the RI-012 Concealed Pistol License Guide and Application free of charge during normal business hours.
- 2
Complete the 8-hour training
Take a certified pistol safety course. The 8 hours include 5 hours of classroom and 3 hours on a range with at least 30 rounds fired. Your certificate must have been earned within the 5 years before you apply.
- 3
File in person with the county clerk
Submit the signed application, under oath, at the clerk in the county where you live. You will include your training certificate and a photo.
- 4
Pay the fees
The application and licensing fee is $100, paid to the county clerk. Fingerprinting costs an additional $15.
- 5
Get fingerprinted
Request classifiable fingerprints from the clerk, the state police, or an authorized provider. Your fingerprints must be taken within 45 days of filing or the application is withdrawn.
- 6
Clear the background check
The Michigan State Police verify your record through state and federal databases. Non-citizens are also checked through federal immigration databases.
- 7
Receive your license
The clerk issues your CPL, or a notice explaining any disqualification, within 45 days after your fingerprints are taken. The license is mailed to you.
The 45-day timeline and the fingerprint receipt
The clerk has 45 days from the date your classifiable fingerprints are taken to issue your license or a disqualification notice. If that deadline passes, your fingerprinting receipt can serve as your license when carried with a state-issued ID, valid until your CPL or a notice arrives. Note that the receipt does not exempt you from the separate license-to-purchase step for buying a pistol.
What your class certificate must contain
Your certificate of completion must state that the course complies with section 5j of 1927 PA 372 and that you finished it successfully. It must carry the printed name and original handwritten signature of your instructor. For certificates issued on or after December 1, 2015, it must also list the agency or organization that certified the instructor, the instructor certification number, and the certification expiration date.