on September 10, 2026

Michigan Dog Poop Laws

Quick answer: Michigan has no statewide pooper scooper law. Picking up after your dog is regulated city by city, and all three of the largest cities we checked have an ordinance requiring it. In Grand Rapids, the rule applies only in parks. Detroit publishes a set ticket of $200.

Why Michigan leaves it to cities

Michigan has no statute requiring dog owners to pick up after their dogs; pickup rules are local ordinances. The main state dog statute, the Dog Law of 1919 (MCL 287.261 et seq.), covers licensing, tags, leashing, kennels and livestock damage; none of its 41 section headings on legislature.mi.gov addresses waste. MCL 287.262 makes it unlawful for an owner to allow a dog to "stray unless held properly in leash," except working dogs such as leader, guard, farm and hunting dogs that are accompanied by the owner and actively engaged in the work they are trained for. Violating the act is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $10 to $100, up to 3 months in the county jail, or both (MCL 287.286). MCL 287.290 lets cities, villages and townships adopt animal control ordinances, and under MCL 287.289a a county animal control agency enforces the act only in local units without their own animal control ordinance. The Home Rule City Act caps criminal ordinance penalties at a $500 fine and 90 days (MCL 117.4i(k)). Detroit, Grand Rapids and Warren all use $500 and 90 days as their general criminal maximum.

  • Dog Law of 1919: licensing, tags, leash requirement: MCL 287.262 (read it)
  • Dog Law of 1919: penalties: MCL 287.286 (read it)
  • Local animal control ordinances authorized: MCL 287.290 (read it)
  • County animal control agency jurisdiction: MCL 287.289a (read it)
  • Home Rule City Act: $500 / 90-day cap on ordinance penalties: MCL 117.4i(k) (read it)

Pooper scooper laws in Michigan's largest cities

Each row comes from the city's own municipal code. "Up to" is the most a court can impose, not a standard ticket. Where a city publishes no amount, we say so rather than estimate one.

City Ordinance Fine Must carry a bag
Detroit Detroit City Code Sec. 42-2-26 (Animal and fowl excrement; blight violation), civil fines in Secs. 42-1-22 and 42-1-23; also Sec. 6-1-7(a)(4) and (e) (animal nuisance), penalty in Sec. 6-1-3(f) $200 No
Grand Rapids Grand Rapids City Code Sec. 3.15 (Domestic Animals), city parks only; no citywide pickup rule in the current code Up to $500 No
Warren Warren Code of Ordinances Sec. 7-73 (Defecation), penalty in Sec. 7-3; in city parks also Sec. 23-16(1)b.3, penalty in Sec. 23-19 Up to $500 No

The rule people miss: carrying the bag

None of the cities we checked in Michigan spell out a separate duty to carry a bag, but the pickup duty applies the moment your dog goes, and "I did not have a bag" is not a defense in any of them.

A bag holder on the leash solves that for good. Ours is the Walk Dispenser, which clips on and holds a full roll.

Worth knowing about Michigan

  • Detroit treats household pet excrement as domestic solid waste. Under its solid waste code, failing to remove animal waste (immediately on public property, within 24 hours on private property) is a blight violation with civil fines of $200, $300, $500 and $1,000, and leaving pet excrement on public or private property under Sec. 42-2-26(a) carries $1,500, $2,500, $5,000 and $10,000 fines (Secs. 42-1-22 and 42-1-23).
  • Grand Rapids removed its citywide pickup rule: former Sec. 9.209(2) (Ord. No. 2003-06) was in Chapter 155 "Animals," which Ord. No. 2023-47 (October 10, 2023) replaced with an "Urban Agriculture" chapter. The code now requires pickup only in city parks (Sec. 3.15), though the city's 2026 Neighborhood Living Guide still tells residents to dispose of pet waste from public places and private property.
  • The Kent County Animal Control Ordinance (Ord. No. 06-23-22-82, effective July 1, 2022) has a pickup rule (Sec. 11(e)) with a $100 / $200 municipal civil infraction fine, but by its own terms it does not apply in a city that has adopted its own animal control ordinance; whether it applies inside Grand Rapids after the 2023 change was not verified. Text read on a copy posted by Gaines Charter Township because kentcountymi.gov blocks automated access.
  • Warren rewrote its animals chapter on June 24, 2025 (Ord. No. 80-834) and requires dog handlers in city parks to carry a trowel, shovel or similar device and a container (Sec. 23-16).
  • Detroit exempts "a blind or disabled person with a service animal" from its animal nuisance waste rule (Sec. 6-1-7(e)) but not from the solid waste rule in Sec. 42-2-26; the Grand Rapids and Warren pickup rules have no service dog exemption.

Common questions

Is it illegal to not pick up dog poop in Michigan?

There is no statewide law, but every one of the largest cities we checked has a pickup rule, and most smaller towns have similar ordinances. In Grand Rapids, the rule applies only in parks. Check your own city or county code.

How much is the fine for not picking up dog poop in Michigan?

It depends on the city. Detroit: $200. Grand Rapids: Up to $500. Warren: Up to $500.

Do I have to carry a poop bag in Michigan?

Not as a separate rule in the cities we checked. You still have to pick up, so in practice you need one.

Other states in the Midwest

Illinois · Ohio · Indiana · Missouri · Wisconsin · Minnesota · Iowa · Kansas

See all 50 states · How scoop laws work in general

Sources

Checked 2026-09-10. Ordinances change, so if you are dealing with an actual citation, read the current code at the link rather than relying on this page.

This page is general information, not legal advice.