Definitions; certain individuals reported missing; preliminary investigation; entering information into LEIN, national crime information center, national missing and unidentified persons system, and clearinghouse; dental records; retaining and broadcasting information; forwarding information to registrar; notice and information to last known school district; request that registrar and school district be notified; emancipated missing child; cancellation of information; policy preventing immediate investigation prohibited; unidentified body; unknown identity of individual found.
MCL 28.258
in effect28.258. Definitions; certain individuals reported missing; preliminary investigation; entering information into LEIN, national crime information center, national missing and unidentified persons system, and clearinghouse; dental records; retaining and broadcasting information; forwarding information to registrar; notice and information to last known school district; request that registrar and school district be notified; emancipated missing child; cancellation of information; policy preventing immediate investigation prohibited; unidentified body; unknown identity of individual found.
Sec. 8.
(1) As used in this section and section 9:
(a) "Child" means an individual less than 17 years of age.
(b) "Clearinghouse" means the missing child information clearinghouse established under section 9.
(c) "Department" means the department of state police.
(d) "Law enforcement agency" means the department, a police agency of a city, village, or township, a sheriff's department, or any other governmental law enforcement agency in this state.
(e) "LEIN" means law enforcement information network regulated under the C.J.I.S. policy council act, 1974 PA 163, MCL 28.211 to 28.215.
(f) "Registrar" means the state registrar as defined in section 2805 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.2805.
(2) If an individual who is any of the following is reported missing, the law enforcement agency receiving the report, after conducting a preliminary investigation, shall immediately enter the information described in subsection (3) regarding that individual into the LEIN, the national crime information center, the national missing and unidentified persons system, and, if the individual is a child, the clearinghouse:
(a) An individual who has a physical or mental disability as evidenced by written documentation from a physician or other authoritative source. As used in this act, "mental disability" includes Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
(b) An individual who was in the company of another individual under circumstances indicating that the individual's physical safety may be in danger.
(c) An individual who disappeared under circumstances indicating that the disappearance was not voluntary.
(d) A child not described in subdivision (a), (b), (c), or (f).
(e) An individual not described in subdivision (a), (b), (c), or (f), who is believed to be incapable of returning to his or her residence without assistance.
(f) An individual who is missing as the result of a natural or intentionally caused catastrophe or extraordinary accident that causes the loss of human life.
(3) The information to be entered into the LEIN, the national crime information center, the national missing and unidentified persons system, and the clearinghouse under subsection (2) must include all of the following, if available:
(a) The name and address of the individual.
(b) The vital statistics of the individual, including a physical description, and if the missing individual is a child, the child's date of birth, state of birth, and if possible, mother's maiden name.
(c) The date the individual was missing and, if the missing individual is a child under subsection (2)(d), the date the child becomes 17 years of age.
(d) Any other information that may assist in the location of the individual and any other information required to be entered into the national missing and unidentified persons system, as determined by the department and the LEIN policy council.
(4) If subsections (2) and (3) have been complied with and the individual is not found within 30 days, the law enforcement agency that received the report under subsection (2) shall seek the dental records of the individual under section 2844a of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.2844a. The information from the dental records must be entered into the national crime information center, the national missing and unidentified persons system, and, if the individual is a child, the clearinghouse by the law enforcement agency.
(5) The LEIN must retain the information under subsection (3) reported to it until the law enforcement agency that entered the information cancels the information.
(6) The law enforcement agency receiving a report of a missing individual described in subsection (2) may, or if the individual is a child and subject to the policy established by the clearinghouse, or if the individual has Alzheimer's disease or dementia or is believed to be incapable of returning to his or her residence without assistance, shall, broadcast the information described in subsection (3) over the LEIN to all of the following:
(a) All law enforcement agencies having jurisdiction of the location where the missing individual lives or was last seen.
(b) Any other law enforcement agency that potentially could become involved in locating the missing individual.
(c) All law enforcement agencies to which the individual who reported the individual missing requests the information be sent, if the request is reasonable.
(7) If 14 days have elapsed since the law enforcement agency has received a report that a child who was born in this state is missing, and the agency has not been notified of the child's return, the LEIN must forward online the information described in subsection (3) to the registrar via the registrar's restricted access LEIN terminal.
(8) If 14 days have elapsed since the law enforcement agency has received a report of a missing child and the agency has not been notified of the child's return, the agency, if it has reason to believe that a missing child may be enrolled in a school district in this state, shall notify in writing the child's last known local school district or intermediate school district that the child is missing and shall provide the school district with the information described in subsection (3).
(9) A parent or legal guardian of a child missing before June 29, 1987, may notify a law enforcement agency that he or she wants the registrar and school district notified under subsections (7) and (8). Upon receiving the request, the law enforcement agency shall proceed as provided in subsections (7) and (8).
(10) On the seventeenth birthday of a child who has been reported missing under subsection (2)(d), any information entered into the LEIN regarding that child must be retained and the child must be considered to be an emancipated missing child until the information is canceled by the law enforcement agency that entered the information into the network. If the information entered into the LEIN regarding a child missing as under subsection (2) is canceled, the law enforcement agency that entered the information into the network shall inform the registrar and school district notified as prescribed by subsection (7) of the cancellation.
(11) A law enforcement agency shall not establish or maintain a policy that prevents an immediate investigation as soon as practical regarding an individual described in subsection (2) who is reported missing.
(12) When the unidentified body of a deceased individual is found, the law enforcement agency receiving the report, after conducting a preliminary investigation, shall immediately enter the following information, if available, into the national crime information center, the national missing and unidentified persons system, and, if the body is that of a child, into the clearinghouse:
(a) The physical description of the unidentified body and whether footprints, body X-rays, and fingerprint classifications are available.
(b) The date the body was found and the cause and manner of death.
(c) What body parts are found if the body is dismembered.
(d) Dental examination records obtained under section 2844a of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.2844a.
(e) Any other information that would assist in the identification of the body and any other information required to be entered into the national missing and unidentified persons system, as determined by the department and the LEIN policy council.
(13) When an individual is found whose identity is unknown and cannot be readily determined, the law enforcement agency receiving the report, after conducting a preliminary investigation, shall enter the following information into the national crime information center, the national missing and unidentified persons system, and, if the individual is a child, the clearinghouse:
(a) A physical description of the individual.
(b) Any other information that would assist in the identification of the individual and any other information required to be entered into the national missing and unidentified persons system, as determined by the department and the LEIN policy council.
Add. 1985, Act 204, Eff. Mar. 1, 1986; Am. 1987, Act 82, Imd. Eff. June 29, 1987; Am. 1995, Act 39, Imd. Eff. May 22, 1995; Am. 2002, Act 718, Imd. Eff. Dec. 30, 2002; Am. 2006, Act 450, Imd. Eff. Dec. 14, 2006; Am. 2018, Act 102, Eff. July 4, 2018
Source: Michigan Legislature (legislature.mi.gov)URL: https://legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-28-258Fetched: 10/20/2026