Michigan All-Party

Licensing & Regulation

Michigan licenses PIs through the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) under MCL §338.821 et seq. Applicants must be 25+, U.S. citizens or legal residents, have three years of investigative experience or a related baccalaureate, submit fingerprints, and post a $10,000 surety bond. Renewal is biennial.

Physical Surveillance

Public surveillance is permitted. Michigan recognizes the privacy tort of intrusion upon seclusion. GPS tracking on a non-owned vehicle is constrained by stalking statutes.

Audio & Video Recording Consent

Michigan's eavesdropping statute, MCL §750.539c, prohibits the use of a device to record a "private conversation" without the consent of all parties. The Michigan Court of Appeals in Sullivan v. Gray (1982) interpreted the statute as one-party consent for a participant in the conversation, but later case law and the plain text suggest all-party consent. Most practitioners treat Michigan as an all-party-consent state for safety. The criminal penalty is a felony.

Domestic, Marital & Infidelity Investigations

Michigan is a no-fault divorce state. Marital misconduct can affect property distribution and spousal support. PIs document patterns. Recording is constrained by the eavesdropping statute.

Cybersecurity, Hacking & Digital Investigations

MCL §752.795 et seq. (Michigan Penal Code computer crimes) is broad. OSINT is permitted; pretexting is barred.

Missing Persons, Skip Tracing & Harassment

Michigan State Police coordinate missing-persons cases. DPPA fully applies. MCL §750.411h (stalking) and §750.411i (aggravated stalking) are broad.