Does Michigan require background checks for volunteers?

For four named settings, yes. We found no Michigan statute that requires volunteers in general to be checked; volunteers are named in licensed child care (MCL 722.111 and 722.115n and MiLEAP’s rules), children’s camps (MCL 722.119(5) and R 400.11109), area agencies on aging (MCL 400.586l) and child placing agencies (R 400.12206). Schools must check employees and regular contractors under MCL 380.1230, not volunteers. A church, youth sports club, co-op or mentoring program sets its own Michigan standard.

Is ICHAT free for Michigan nonprofits?

By statute, yes for volunteer checks. MCL 28.273(2) lets the Michigan State Police charge $10 for an ICHAT name-based check until October 1, 2027, but says the fee “must not be charged” if the requester is a government agency or nonprofit charitable agency performing employment or volunteer name-based checks through ICHAT. The statute doesn’t say how to set up fee-exempt access, so ask MSP before you open an account. ICHAT searches Michigan records only.

Which Michigan child care volunteers need MiLEAP fingerprints?

Unsupervised volunteers do. In a licensed center, group home or family home, an unpaid volunteer 16 or older with unsupervised care of or access to children is a “child care staff member” and needs MiLEAP’s eligibility determination — MSP and FBI fingerprints, registry checks and a Central Registry clearance — before any unsupervised contact, updated at least every five years. A volunteer who is supervised at all times instead needs a public sex offender registry clearance by the licensee before any contact with a child.

What do Michigan camp volunteers need?

Under MiLEAP’s camp rules, a volunteer with direct care or supervision of campers, or unsupervised contact with them, is a “staff member.” The camp keeps a personnel record collected before assignment, with three positive references from unrelated people and a documented record of any criminal convictions, plus a written evaluation of any conviction. Staff and volunteers 21 or older also need a Central Registry clearance before contact with campers (MCL 722.119(5)). Only the camp’s administrators are fingerprinted.

Do MiLEAP rules make Michigan volunteers mandated reporters?

In licensed child care, yes: MiLEAP’s rules require every volunteer to report suspected abuse or neglect immediately to CPS at 1-855-444-3911 and to sign a statement that they are mandated reporters. Outside licensed child care, MCL 722.623 names professions rather than volunteers. But the Child Protection Law defines child abuse to include harm by any adult “involved with a youth program,” so abuse by an adult youth-program volunteer can be CPS-reportable child abuse.

Does a VolunteerBadge check replace a MiLEAP fingerprint check or ICHAT?

No. A MiLEAP eligibility determination, a registry clearance, a Central Registry clearance or an area agency on aging check has to be obtained wherever Michigan law calls for it; a commercial report can’t be swapped in. ICHAT is free for nonprofit volunteer checks but covers Michigan records only; VolunteerBadge complements it with a national criminal search, all-50-state sex-offender registries and identity verification.

Free guide · 2026 edition · Michigan screens by setting, not title — and ICHAT is free

The Mitten Map: The Michigan guide to screening volunteers: why Michigan screens by setting, not by title — MiLEAP child care and camps, area agencies on aging, child placing agencies, the free ICHAT name check and the Central Registry

Michigan does not require every volunteer to be screened. It screens by setting, not by title: the law names volunteers in licensed child care, children’s camps, area agencies on aging and child placing agencies, and in each the check depends on what the volunteer does. Everywhere else your organization sets the standard — and Michigan’s own name check, ICHAT, is free by statute when a charitable nonprofit uses it to screen volunteers. The chapters take the four settings one at a time, with the MCL section and rule for each.

By the VolunteerBadge research team · Sources checked September 11, 2026

Written for Michigan child care and camp directors, aging-services and foster care staff, and the churches and leagues outside them
Why Michigan screens by setting, not by title — the four settings the law names
MiLEAP child care and camps, area agencies on aging and the free ICHAT check, with the MCL section behind each
A child care volunteer statement and a camp conviction evaluation you can copy

Who The Mitten Map is for

Executive directors, volunteer coordinators, child care and preschool directors, camp directors, senior-services and meal-program coordinators, foster care and adoption agency staff, church and youth-ministry leaders, league administrators and co-op leaders — anyone in Michigan who needs to know which of the four settings, if any, a volunteer works in.

22,634

child victims of abuse or neglect in Michigan in 2024 — 10.7 per 1,000 children, against 7.2 nationally.

ACF, Child Maltreatment 2024

26.4%

of Michigan residents volunteered through organizations — 2.14 million people giving 138.6 million hours, worth an estimated $4.4 billion.

AmeriCorps / Census CEV, 2023

The ICHAT fee for a nonprofit charitable agency’s volunteer name check: Michigan’s $10 fee “must not be charged” to it.

MCL 28.273(2)

Cited to primary sources

Michigan at a glance

Four settings name volunteers: We found no Michigan statute requiring volunteers in general to be checked. The law names volunteers in four settings: licensed child care, children’s camps, area agencies on aging and child placing agencies.; MCL 722.111(1)(a); R 400.11101(1)(o); MCL 400.586l(1); R 400.12206(4)
ICHAT is free for nonprofit volunteer checks: The State Police may charge $10 for an ICHAT name check until October 1, 2027, but the fee “must not be charged” to a nonprofit charitable agency running employment or volunteer name checks through ICHAT. ICHAT covers Michigan records only.; MCL 28.273(2)
MiLEAP, not LARA: Since December 1, 2023, MiLEAP licenses child care centers, group and family homes, and children’s camps. Foster care and child placing agencies are licensed by MDHHS.; E.R.O. No. 2023-2 (MCL 388.1283)
Unsupervised child care volunteers are fingerprinted: An unpaid volunteer 16 or older with unsupervised care of or access to children is a child care staff member. MiLEAP decides eligibility — MSP and FBI fingerprints, registries and a Central Registry clearance — within 45 days, before unsupervised contact; the person may serve only fully supervised meanwhile. Checks are updated at least every five years, with arrest notifications.; MCL 722.111(1)(a), 722.115n(1), (7), (8), (16), 722.115k(1); R 400.8201; R 400.1919
Supervised child care volunteers get a registry clearance: A volunteer 16 or older who is supervised at all times needs a public sex offender registry clearance by the licensee — the MSP registry or the national public website — before any contact with a child, with a copy on file.; R 400.8213(2) (centers, eff. May 7, 2025); R 400.1903(1)(r) (homes, eff. Apr. 27, 2026)
Camps: names, references, Central Registry at 21: Camp volunteers with direct care or unsupervised contact are staff members: a documented criminal record in the personnel file before assignment, three unrelated references, a written evaluation of any conviction, and a Central Registry clearance at 21 or older. Only administrators are fingerprinted.; MCL 722.115c, 722.119(5); R 400.11101(1)(o), 400.11109(7)
Area agencies on aging check volunteers: Volunteers with in-person or in-home client contact, or access to client property or confidential information, need a criminal check similar to ICHAT plus national and state sex offender registry checks before access, updated every three years. An arrest record alone does not disqualify.; MCL 400.586l(1)–(3), (7), (9)
Any volunteer organization can request a Central Registry clearance: An employer or volunteer agency whose work includes contact with children may request a Central Registry clearance from MDHHS on form DHS-1929. Child placing agency volunteers on the registry may not have unsupervised contact with children.; MDHHS, Central Registry Clearance Requests, Section III; R 400.12206(4)
The youth-program clause: Child abuse under the Child Protection Law includes harm by “an individual 18 years of age or older who is involved with a youth program.” Licensed child care volunteers must report to CPS immediately and sign a statement that they are mandated reporters.; MCL 722.622(g); R 400.8213(1)(c)–(d)

From the The Mitten Map executive summary

Six Michigan rules, from free ICHAT to the youth-program clause

1
Four settings, not one mandate.
We found no Michigan statute that requires volunteers in general to be checked. The duties sit in four settings — licensed child care, children’s camps, area agencies on aging and child placing agencies — and youth sports adds concussion training, not a check.
2
The state name check is free for you.
The State Police’s $10 fee for an ICHAT name check “must not be charged” when a nonprofit charitable agency runs employment or volunteer checks through ICHAT. The fee language runs until October 1, 2027; ask MSP how to set up fee-exempt access.
3
In licensed child care, supervision decides the check.
An unpaid volunteer 16 or older with unsupervised access to children is a “child care staff member” who needs MiLEAP’s fingerprint eligibility determination first, updated at least every five years. A supervised volunteer needs a public sex offender registry clearance before any contact.
4
Camps run on names, not prints.
A camp volunteer with direct care or unsupervised contact is a “staff member”: a criminal record in the personnel file, three unrelated references, and a Central Registry clearance only at 21 or older. Only the camp’s administrators are fingerprinted.
5
Area agencies on aging check volunteers with client contact.
Before a volunteer’s first client contact or access to client property or data, then every three years — against listed offenses with permanent, 10-year and 5-year lookbacks. An arrest record alone doesn’t disqualify.
6
Abuse by an adult in a youth program is child abuse.
The Child Protection Law’s definition of child abuse reaches anyone 18 or older “involved with a youth program,” and every licensed child care volunteer signs a statement that they are a mandated reporter.

Inside The Mitten Map, chapter by chapter

01
Four settings and a free state name check
Four settings and a free name check in brief, with Michigan’s 2024 maltreatment and volunteering figures.
02
The mitten map: four settings the law names
Where, and with what access: why one parent can need prints at a preschool and nothing at the pantry.
03
ICHAT: Michigan’s free name check
MCL 28.273, fingerprint fees, and what a Michigan name search leaves out.
04
Licensed child care: supervised or unsupervised
MiLEAP’s eligibility determination, the registry clearance and the clocks.
05
Who can’t serve in child care
Section 5r’s permanent, 10-year, 7-year and 5-year bars — and set-asides.
06
Children’s camps: a lighter track
Administrators’ fingerprints, the personnel record and the Central Registry at 21.
07
Older adults: area agencies on aging
Section 586l, its disqualifiers and the facility gap.
08
Child placing agencies and the Central Registry
MDHHS rules and how any organization requests a clearance.
09
Reporting: the youth-program clause
Who the statute names, the child care statement and the CPS line.
10
Schools, sports, churches and charities
Section 1230, concussion training and charity registration.
11
Set-asides, arrests and fair chance
Clean Slate, Elliott-Larsen’s arrest rule and FCRA notices.
12
The registry and what changed, 2023–2027
A dated timeline, including the bills still moving.
13
A national complement to free ICHAT
A national complement to free ICHAT — never a substitute for a required check.
A
Appendix A: Ticks for child care, camps and aging
The baseline, child care, camps, aging services and child placing.
B
Appendix B: A volunteer statement and a conviction evaluation
A child care mandated-reporter statement and a camp conviction evaluation.
C
Appendix C: Michigan pages and every MCL source
Free Michigan pages, guides and a reporting course, then every MCL, rule and agency source with its date.

Get the free guide

The Mitten Map: Michigan questions answered

Does Michigan require background checks for volunteers?: For four named settings, yes. We found no Michigan statute that requires volunteers in general to be checked; volunteers are named in licensed child care (MCL 722.111 and 722.115n and MiLEAP’s rules), children’s camps (MCL 722.119(5) and R 400.11109), area agencies on aging (MCL 400.586l) and child placing agencies (R 400.12206). Schools must check employees and regular contractors under MCL 380.1230, not volunteers. A church, youth sports club, co-op or mentoring program sets its own Michigan standard.
Is ICHAT free for Michigan nonprofits?: By statute, yes for volunteer checks. MCL 28.273(2) lets the Michigan State Police charge $10 for an ICHAT name-based check until October 1, 2027, but says the fee “must not be charged” if the requester is a government agency or nonprofit charitable agency performing employment or volunteer name-based checks through ICHAT. The statute doesn’t say how to set up fee-exempt access, so ask MSP before you open an account. ICHAT searches Michigan records only.
Which Michigan child care volunteers need MiLEAP fingerprints?: Unsupervised volunteers do. In a licensed center, group home or family home, an unpaid volunteer 16 or older with unsupervised care of or access to children is a “child care staff member” and needs MiLEAP’s eligibility determination — MSP and FBI fingerprints, registry checks and a Central Registry clearance — before any unsupervised contact, updated at least every five years. A volunteer who is supervised at all times instead needs a public sex offender registry clearance by the licensee before any contact with a child.
What do Michigan camp volunteers need?: Under MiLEAP’s camp rules, a volunteer with direct care or supervision of campers, or unsupervised contact with them, is a “staff member.” The camp keeps a personnel record collected before assignment, with three positive references from unrelated people and a documented record of any criminal convictions, plus a written evaluation of any conviction. Staff and volunteers 21 or older also need a Central Registry clearance before contact with campers (MCL 722.119(5)). Only the camp’s administrators are fingerprinted.
Do MiLEAP rules make Michigan volunteers mandated reporters?: In licensed child care, yes: MiLEAP’s rules require every volunteer to report suspected abuse or neglect immediately to CPS at 1-855-444-3911 and to sign a statement that they are mandated reporters. Outside licensed child care, MCL 722.623 names professions rather than volunteers. But the Child Protection Law defines child abuse to include harm by any adult “involved with a youth program,” so abuse by an adult youth-program volunteer can be CPS-reportable child abuse.
Does a VolunteerBadge check replace a MiLEAP fingerprint check or ICHAT?: No. A MiLEAP eligibility determination, a registry clearance, a Central Registry clearance or an area agency on aging check has to be obtained wherever Michigan law calls for it; a commercial report can’t be swapped in. ICHAT is free for nonprofit volunteer checks but covers Michigan records only; VolunteerBadge complements it with a national criminal search, all-50-state sex-offender registries and identity verification.

Beyond The Mitten Map

The Michigan sources behind The Mitten Map

Checked September 11, 2026. The guide cites each one where it is used.

General information, not legal advice. Laws and agency practice change. Confirm anything you rely on with the agencies named here, your licensor, your insurer or qualified counsel. Spot an error? Tell us and we will fix it.

VolunteerBadge is owned and operated by ScreenForge Labs, LLC, an FCRA-regulated Consumer Reporting Agency that has obtained its FCRA Certificate from the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA). This guide is general educational information and is not legal advice. Laws change; this guide's sources were checked as of September 11, 2026.