Michigan: artifacts

Private land: Without the landowner's consent a person may not remove relics or records of antiquity such as bones, shells, stone, bone or copper implements, pottery or sherds; with the owner's consent collecting is lawful. Deeds of tax-reverted state land reserve antiquities rights to the state. (MCL 324.76106; MCL 324.76104.) The landowner's permission is the baseline everywhere; Michigan's statute says how it must be given.

State land — Permit required: The state reserves the exclusive right to explore, survey and excavate aboriginal records and antiquities (mounds, earthworks, burial and village sites, relics) on state-owned land; exploration or excavation of aboriginal remains on state land is allowed only under a no-cost permit issued by the Department of Natural Resources with approval of the state historical agency. (MCL 324.76102(1), 324.76105.) ARPA §470ee(c) makes the interstate sale of anything taken against state law a federal offence, so a dealer in another state is bound by this rule too.

Navigable waters and submerged lands — State property: Abandoned property of historical or recreational value on state-owned Great Lakes bottomlands belongs to the state with a title superior to any finder's; recovering, altering or destroying it requires a joint permit, and violations range from misdemeanors to felonies (up to 10 years) depending on value. Removing or defacing human remains on bottomlands is a felony. Inland river and lake beds are not expressly addressed. (MCL 324.76102(2), 324.76107.)

Burials: Disinterring or removing a body from a burial place, or mutilating or carrying away parts of a body, without authority is a felony punishable by up to 10 years or a $5,000 fine; a stated exception lets representatives of established scientific institutions disinter prehistoric remains with the landowner's written consent. (MCL 750.160; MCL 324.76107(3).) Funerary objects are also NAGPRA cultural items under federal law and cannot be sold at all.

Sale: No statute found restricting sale of artifacts; property recovered from Great Lakes bottomlands remains state property unless permitted.

This article is generated from Stratum's state table as of 2026-09-20, from the statute pages listed below. It states the rule as written; it is not legal advice. Verify locally before relying on a permit route, and treat any penalty figure as a spot-check item.