Michigan ID Guide
Michigan license and ID designs, what to check on each, plus where Michigan stands on digital ID and age verification laws.
- Current card design
- 2024Issued since January 2024
- Older design still valid
- 2011Until each card expires. Expected gone by 2029
- Digital ID
- NoneMichigan issues no mobile license. Bills are pending
- Alcohol, tobacco, marijuana
- 21Any bona fide picture ID is accepted for alcohol
Michigan licenses and IDs
Sample images: Michigan Department of State (new license and ID poster, retail info sheet of Jan 2024, website samples and its 2D barcode guide) and a New York State DMV memo of 14 Apr 2011 for the 2011 back. Images were cropped to the card; nothing else was changed.
2024 design, REAL ID
CurrentBack of the card
- Barcodes
- A 1D barcode along the top and a 2D barcode below it.
- Inventory control number
- Top left of the back.
- What the 2D barcode leaves out
- The under-21 date, license class, restrictions, height and eye colour are not in the barcode. A scan will not show them.
- Magnetic stripe
- None on the 2024 card.
- About this image
- The agency publishes the back only as a diagram, with SAMPLE printed over the barcodes.
- Record
- MI-DL-2024
- First issued
- Jan 2024
- Last issued
- Still being issued
- In circulation until
- Still being issued
- Checked
- 15 Nov 2026
The current card. The sample also carries the VETERAN mark at the lower right.
What to check on the front of the 2024 design, REAL ID
Press a letter or a row to see its source and what the check does not prove.
A card that passes every check is consistent with a genuine Michigan document. No visual check proves it is genuine or still valid.
Checking a card against state records
- Record check through AAMVA
- Takes partAAMVA lists Michigan as taking part in its Driver's License Data Verification service with no restrictions. The service is for approved businesses and agencies, not the public.
- Public status check
- None foundNo public online check of another person's license was found.
- What a barcode scan misses
- Under-21 dateMichigan's 2D barcode does not carry the under-21 date, class, restrictions, height or eye colour. Read the front of the card.
- Scanning for alcohol
- Not a defense aloneThe alcohol law counts examining a picture ID, or using a device that matches a fingerprint or face to a stored ID record. A plain barcode scan is not named.
- Keeping a copy
- Allowed for businessState law allows keeping a photocopy of a license or ID for a legitimate business purpose. No law on scanning or scan data was found.
- Two cards at once
- Not allowedA person cannot hold both a Michigan license and a Michigan state ID.
Sources: Michigan Department of State, license and ID information (opens in a new tab) · Release on the new design (20 Dec 2023) (opens in a new tab) · Retail info sheet (Jan 2024) (opens in a new tab) · New license and ID poster (opens in a new tab) · REAL ID info sheet (opens in a new tab) · Bulletin on REAL ID cards (21 Aug 2017) (opens in a new tab) · 2D barcode guide (Mar 2023) (opens in a new tab) · Enhanced license and ID (opens in a new tab) · NYS DMV memo on Michigan cards (14 Apr 2011) (opens in a new tab) · MCL 257.310 (opens in a new tab) · MCL 28.292 (opens in a new tab) · AAMVA, participation map (opens in a new tab)
How to read a Michigan card
- Star in a gold Michigan shapeREAL IDOn the 2024 design. Older cards have the star in a gold circle.
- US flag beside the photoEnhancedUsable at land and sea borders. REAL ID compliant even without a star.
- NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATIONNot REAL IDA valid Michigan card. The 2024 commercial sample reads NOT FOR FEDERAL REAL ID ACT PURPOSES.
- Upright cardIssued to someone under 21With UNDER 21 UNTIL and a date in red.
- LTLimited termIn the restriction field, with LT=Limited Term on the back. The card ends with the holder's lawful stay.
- Paper permitTemporary documentA temporary driver's permit lasts up to 60 days. The state does not say whether it is proof of age.
How long a Michigan card lasts
Sources: MCL 257.314 (opens in a new tab) · MCL 28.292 (opens in a new tab) · MCL 257.310 (opens in a new tab)
Michigan digital ID
- Digital license issued by Michigan
- NoneMichigan issues no mobile license or ID.
- In Apple, Google or Samsung Wallet
- NoneThere is nothing to add to a phone wallet.
- Bills in the legislature
- PendingSenate Bills 617 to 621 were introduced on 22 Oct 2025 and have not moved past committee. Earlier bills passed the Senate on 12 Dec 2024 and died in the House.
- A photo of a license on a phone
- Not an IDThe alcohol law asks for a license, ID card, military ID or other bona fide picture identification.
Sources: Senate Bill 617 (2025) (opens in a new tab) · Senate Bill 459 (2023) (opens in a new tab)
Age verification laws in Michigan
Checked 15 Nov 2026. Not legal advice.
- Laws tracked
- 9
- In effect
- 9
- Touched by a court case
- 0
Status keyIn effectIn effect, partly blockedBlocked by courtTakes effect later
| Law | Who must comply | Age | What you must do | Status | Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol | |||||
| Proof of age for alcoholMCL 436.1701 (opens in a new tab) | Anyone who sells or serves alcohol | 21+ | Make diligent inquiry: examine a picture ID or use a biometric verification device | In effectIn effect | Up to $1,000 and 60 days for a non-licensee · license penalties from the Liquor Control Commission |
| Alcohol delivery and shippingMCL 436.1203 (opens in a new tab) | Retailers, direct shippers and delivery services | 21+ | Verify the buyer's age at order and the recipient's ID and signature at the door | In effectIn effect | License penalties · Liquor Control Commission |
| Tobacco and vapor | |||||
| Tobacco and vapor products, age 21MCL 722.641 · 2022 PA 167 (opens in a new tab) | Anyone selling tobacco, vapor or alternative nicotine products | 21+ | Check government photo ID for anyone who appears under 27 | In effectAge 21 since 21 Jul 2022 | $100, then $500, then $2,500 |
| Cannabis | |||||
| Marijuana salesMCL 333.27960 · Rule 420.104 (opens in a new tab) | Licensed marijuana retailers | 21+ | Verify age with government photo ID that shows a date of birth | In effectIn effect | Fines, suspension or revocation · Cannabis Regulatory Agency |
| Online gambling | |||||
| Internet gaming and sports betting accountsMCL 432.311, 432.411 · Rule 432.655 (opens in a new tab) | Licensed internet gaming and sports betting operators | 21+ | Verify identity and age before an account can be used | In effectIn effect | License action · Michigan Gaming Control Board |
| Lottery ticketsMCL 432.29 (opens in a new tab) | Lottery retailers | 18+ | No sale to anyone under 18. The law sets no ID procedure | In effectIn effect | Not checked |
| Other products | |||||
| Consumer fireworksMCL 28.462 (opens in a new tab) | Anyone selling consumer fireworks | 18+ | Verify age with a listed ID | In effectIn effect | $1,000, then $2,500 and a 90-day suspension |
| Firearms | |||||
| Long guns to minorsMCL 750.223 (opens in a new tab) | Anyone selling a firearm more than 26 inches long | 18+ | No sale to anyone under 18. Checking a state license or ID is the seller's defense | In effectIn effect | Misdemeanor |
| Scanning IDs | |||||
| Taking or copying an ID cardMCL 28.295 · MCL 257.310(16) (opens in a new tab) | Any person or business | Any age | Do not take a cardholder's ID without permission. A photocopy for business use is allowed | In effectIn effect | Misdemeanor |
This page lists Michigan law only. Federal rules apply here too and are covered on the United States page. Michigan has no age verification law for adult websites, social media, app stores or AI chatbots. Bills on each are pending and none has passed both chambers.
Timeline
- 2029Upcoming · LicenseThe state expects the last 2011 design cards to be out of circulation
- 29 Apr 2026Bill failed · Social mediaSenate passes bills on addictive feeds, a kids code and companion chatbots; none has passed the House
- 22 Oct 2025Bill failed · Digital IDMobile ID bills introduced in the Senate; no vote since
- 20 Mar 2025Bill failed · Adult contentAdult website age verification bill SB 191 introduced; no action since
- Jan 2024New design · LicenseCurrent license and ID design begins to be issued
- 21 Jul 2022Effective · Tobacco and vaporTobacco and vapor age rises to 21
Questions
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Start by matching the card to its design. A card issued since early 2024 has a small second photo at the lower right, a date of birth in large raised type you can feel, a pattern of tiny holes that shows against the light, and a Great Lakes image that changes as you tilt the card.
Then scan the 2D barcode and compare it with the front. A match does not prove the card is genuine.
Yes, until the date printed on it. The state expects those cards to be out of circulation by 2029.
A star in a gold circle on the older card and a star in a gold Michigan shape on the new one both mean REAL ID.
It means the card was issued before the holder turned 21. A first license usually expires on the 21st birthday, but an upright state ID issued at 18 to 20 can stay valid after it.
Read the date of birth and the UNDER 21 UNTIL date. A barcode scan will not show the under-21 date.
A Michigan license or state ID, a military ID, or any other bona fide picture identification that shows identity and age. That wording covers other states' licenses and passports.
Michigan issues no digital license, so there is no phone ID to accept.
Not by itself. The law counts examining a picture ID, or using a device that matches the buyer's fingerprint or face to a stored ID record.
A plain barcode scan is not named, and Michigan's barcode leaves out the under-21 date.
Whenever the buyer appears to be under 27. Examine a government-issued photo ID showing the buyer is at least 21.
Online sellers must use an independent age verification service that checks the buyer against a commercial database.
Check IDs with Stile
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