Address-based rules
Find the city or township first
Start here for local clerks, assessors, zoning offices, permit context, and notes tied to a Michigan place.
Find the local place →Permits & local rules
Start with the address and what you want to do. State licenses usually begin with a state agency or county office. Zoning, rentals, parking, and many permits begin with the city, village, township, county, or local authority for that address.
Property
Land, zoning, wells, and septic
Route a parcel question to the zoning office, local health department, assessor, register of deeds, or state agency.
Open the land directory →Business
Business permits and site checks
Choose the closest project, then take a dated question list to the state and local offices that decide it.
Open the business permit pathfinder →Firearms
Firearm rules, by action
Start with buying or transferring, storage, vehicle transport, carry, eligibility, theft reporting, hunting, or target shooting.
Open the firearm directory →Licensing
Concealed pistol license
Follow the county-clerk path for training, applying, renewing, and checking where carry is off-limits.
Read the CPL guide →The rules, one at a time
Each note explains one rule, where it applies, and which office controls it.
Saugatuck capped its short-term rentals at one in five homes
In 2024 Saugatuck capped vacation rentals at 20% of the housing in its R1 residential zones; existing rentals are grandfathered until the property changes hands, and the cap drew a lawsuit.
Read the note →Renting your Pentwater cottage by the week? You need a license on the door
The Village of Pentwater requires a yearly short-term rental license that must hang by the front door, caps occupancy, bans camping on the lot, and can be pulled after three violations.
Read the note →Cutting a Neighbor's Trees Can Cost You Triple in Michigan
Clearing trees over an unsurveyed property line exposes you to three times the actual damages under MCL 600.2919 — a defense only drops it to single damages, never double.
Read the note →In East Grand Rapids, the cop and the firefighter are the same person
East Grand Rapids merged its police and fire departments in the mid-1980s; every sworn officer is cross-trained to do police work, fight fires, and run medical calls.
Read the note →Michigan County Roads Are Closed to ORVs Until a Township Votes Them Open
Michigan county roads are closed to ORVs until a county board or a township passes an ordinance opening them, which is why access changes as you cross a line on the map.
Read the note →Michigan fireworks rules: state dates and local limits
Consumer fireworks are legal statewide, but your town can ban them most of the year — except on about a dozen holiday days when it can only limit the hours.
Read the note →Michigan Wants Your Dog Licensed at Four Months, and the Fee Rewards Fixing Him
Michigan dogs 4 months and older must be licensed through the county treasurer with proof of a current rabies shot, and spayed or neutered dogs pay a lower fee by law.
Read the note →Most of Reese is in Tuscola County — but not quite all of it
The village of Reese sits almost entirely in Tuscola County's Denmark Township, with a small sliver crossing into Saginaw County — a county line that can matter for where official paperwork goes.
Read the note →Park Township keeps short-term rentals in its C-2 resort district
Park Township's code lists short-term rentals in the C-2 Resort Service District, not as a general residential use; a 2025 circuit-court ruling backed the township's position.
Read the note →Renting out your New Buffalo cottage? The city makes you register first
The City of New Buffalo requires a short-term rental to be registered, inspected, and renewed each year before it can be rented; New Buffalo Township runs a separate rental license with its own rules.
Read the note →Renting your Onekama cottage by the week? The township has rules now
Onekama Township adopted a short-term rental ordinance in 2023 that requires owners to register vacation rentals with the township and renew that registration every year.
Read the note →South Haven puts short-term rentals through zoning and licensing
South Haven requires a short-term rental to clear zoning review, obtain a city license, and pass inspection; a new rental in the overlay district also needs special land-use approval.
Read the note →When a Michigan Golf Cart Can Legally Take the Street
Golf carts aren't street-legal in Michigan by default — a village, city, or township under 30,000 people has to vote a resolution in first, and even then the rules are strict.
Read the note →Where you can legally ride an ORV on Sanilac County roads
Sanilac County's ORV ordinance opens most county roads to ATVs and side-by-sides, but riders must stay far right, single file, and under 25 mph — and individual towns can still say no.
Read the note →You can keep backyard chickens in Grand Rapids — with a permit and no roosters
Grand Rapids legalized backyard hens in 2016 after a two-year pilot; the city allows up to four to six birds on a permit, with hard rules on coops — and no roosters.
Read the note →Sources and review
Who controls the answer
Use the address and the task to find the right office. The current statute, agency guidance, local ordinance, permit office, and parcel record control a specific answer.
- Data used
- Michigan zoning, construction-code, and firearm routes
- Last reviewed
- August 2, 2026
- Michigan Zoning Enabling Act (Legislature) for local zoning authority and its limits.
- Building permit information (LARA) for the state, county, or local enforcing-agency route.
- Michigan State Police firearms for firearm forms, CPL steps, and official handoffs.
Use this carefully: Local ordinances and office procedures can change at a boundary. Confirm the address and current rule with the responsible office. This directory is general information, not legal advice.
Rules, rates, forms, office practices, and local facts can change. For a legal, tax, insurance, safety, or filing decision, confirm the current details with the responsible office or a qualified Michigan professional.
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