Mich. Comp. Laws » Michigan Compiled Laws / Chapter 257 / Act 300 of 1949
Michigan Compiled Laws

Mich. Comp. Laws § 257.215 (2026)

Vehicle unregistered or without certificate of title; operation; misdemeanor, exception.

✓ current as of July 2026
Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section MI-LEGlegislature.mi.gov JustiaChapter on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar

MICHIGAN VEHICLE CODE


Act 300 of 1949


257.215 Vehicle unregistered or without certificate of title; operation; misdemeanor, exception.

Sec. 215.

    It is a misdemeanor for any person to drive or move or for an owner knowingly to permit to be driven or moved upon any highway any vehicle of a type required to be registered hereunder which is not registered or for which a certificate of title has not been applied for or for which the appropriate fee has not been paid when and as required hereunder, except as provided in subsection (b) of section 217.

History: 1949, Act 300, Eff. Sept. 23, 1949 ;-- Am. 1964, Act 51, Eff. Aug. 28, 1964

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 15 cases (5 in the last 5 years), 1985–2025 · leading case: Clevenger v. Allstate Ins., 505 N.W.2d 553 (Mich. 1993).
Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment
Clevenger v. Allstate Ins., 505 N.W.2d 553 (Mich. 1993). · cites it 2× “The code also encompasses provisions for situations in which the registered vehicle is sold: If the owner of a registered vehicle transfers or assigns the title or interest in the vehicle, the registration plates issued for the vehicle shall be removed [transferred to an…”
Redmond v. Sanders, 858 F. Supp. 2d 809 (E.D. Mich. 2012). · cites it 2× “3102 (2) (providing that a vehicle owner is “guilty of a misdemean- or” if he operates an uninsured vehicle “or permits it to be operated upon a public highway”), nor may it be operated without a valid vehicle registration (which Plaintiff failed to produce during the traffic…”
Nashville Eagle, Inc. v. Ford Motor Credit Co. (In Re Superior Ground Support, Inc.), 140 B.R. 878 (Bankr. W.D. Mich. 1992). · cites it 2× “Mich.Comp.Laws Ann. § 257.-217(2). As a penalty, the vehicle code provides that it shall be a misdemeanor to operate a vehicle without procuring the appropriate certificate of title and registration.”
Gold v. Harper (In re Ambrose-Burbank), 563 B.R. 820 (Bankr. E.D. Mich. 2017). · cites it 2× “As with automobiles generally in Michigan, the Vehicle in this case is subject to Chapter II of the MVC, which is codified at Mich. Comp. Laws Ann. §§ 257.201 through 257.”
Coffey v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins., 455 N.W.2d 740 (Mich. Ct. App. 1990). “MCL 257.215; MSA 9.1915. If the vehicle cannot be registered because it does not meet the registration requirements, then it should not be driven on the highway.”
In re Klein, 486 B.R. 853 (Bankr. E.D. Mich. 2012). · cites it 2× “, Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 257.215 , 257.216, 257.”
People v. Carey, 383 N.W.2d 81 (Mich. Ct. App. 1985). “2302(1), and of operating an unregistered motorcycle on a public street, MCL 257.215; MSA 9.1915. We affirm the dismissal of the charges.”
People of Michigan v. Daryl Gene Robtoy (Mich. Ct. App. 2025). · cites it 2× “MCL 257.215. A motorized scooter, similar to a moped, is included in the definition of a motor vehicle for the purposes of registration.”
Dubreuil v. St. Clair 72nd Dist. Court (E.D. Mich. 2025). · cites it 2× “Clair County, Michigan for operating an unregistered motor vehicle, MCL § 257.215. Petitioner was sentenced to serve ninety days in jail or to pay a $500.”
People of Michigan v. Nicholas Joseph Ferrazza (Mich. Ct. App. 2018). “904(1); and operating an unregistered vehicle, MCL 257.215. Defendant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his OWI conviction as well as the admission of a neighbor’s testimony as improper propensity evidence, again related only to his OWI conviction.”
People of Michigan v. Nicholas Joseph Ferrazza (Mich. Ct. App. 2018). “904(1); and operating an unregistered vehicle, MCL 257.215. Defendant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his OWI conviction as well as the admission of a neighbor’s testimony as improper propensity evidence, again related only to his OWI conviction.”
People of Michigan v. Damontae Demetrious Calvin (Mich. Ct. App. 2019). “12, to 30 months to 15 years’ imprisonment for the resisting or obstructing conviction, and concurrent jail terms of 90 days each for the DWSL, operating a motor vehicle without security, operating an unregistered vehicle, and failure to stop convictions.”
Show all 15 citing cases →
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.