Michigan CCW Lawyer

A carrying a concealed weapon (CCW) charge is a felony in Michigan, even for people who own their gun legally and never meant to break the law. A pistol under the seat, a CPL that lapsed a week ago, or a gun in a friend’s car can all lead to the same five-year felony. As a Michigan CCW lawyer and former Detroit police officer, Attorney Christopher Brown defends concealed weapon charges throughout the state, with a focus on Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties. He starts every case the same way: by examining whether police had the right to stop you and search you in the first place.

Recent Michigan CCW Results

Felony CCW Dismissed Through Gun Board Diversion — Wayne County Circuit Court

Our client faced a felony concealed weapon charge in Wayne County. We prepared and presented a diversion proposal to the Wayne County Gun Board, and the Board accepted it. The felony CCW was dismissed, and our client resolved the case with a misdemeanor for possessing an unregistered firearm.

3rd Circuit Court — Wayne County

CCW Dismissed After an Unlawful Stop — Troy

Police stopped our client and found a loaded firearm, then charged him with felony CCW. Our review of the officers’ video showed police had stopped the wrong vehicle. The court suppressed the evidence, and the case was dismissed.

52-4 District Court — Troy, Oakland County

Felony CCW Reduced to a Civil Infraction After an Expired CPL — Waterford

Our client’s concealed pistol license had expired just one week before a traffic stop. Police found his handgun, and he was charged with felony CCW. We presented the mitigating facts to the prosecutor, including how recently the license had lapsed. The felony was reduced to a civil infraction, and our client left with no criminal conviction.

51st District Court — Waterford, Oakland County

Forgotten Pistol at Detroit Metro Airport Reduced to a Civil Infraction — Romulus

A CPL holder forgot a pistol in a carry-on bag at a DTW checkpoint. We resolved the criminal charge as a civil infraction, protecting the client’s record.

34th District Court — Romulus, Wayne County

What Counts as Carrying a Concealed Weapon in Michigan

Michigan’s CCW law, MCL 750.227, covers two different situations:

• Carrying a pistol concealed on or about your person without a valid CPL
• Carrying a pistol in a vehicle you’re driving or riding in, whether it’s concealed or not, without a valid CPL

The vehicle rule surprises many people. A pistol sitting in plain view on the passenger seat can still be a CCW charge if you don’t have a valid license or a legal exemption.

Michigan CCW Penalties

CCW is a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $2,500, or both. That’s the maximum. The actual outcome depends on the facts, your record, the sentencing guidelines, and any other charges. Prosecutors sometimes add charges, such as felony firearm or a prohibited-person charge, so the full charging picture matters from day one.

What the Prosecutor Must Prove

For a gun found in a car, the prosecution generally must prove that:

1. A pistol was in a vehicle you were driving or riding in
2. You knew it was there
3. You carried it

Michigan courts treat “carrying” as its own element. Knowing a gun was in the car is not automatically enough. That distinction can decide a case, especially when there were several people in the car or the car belonged to someone else.

Transporting a Pistol Without a CPL

Michigan law allows a person without a CPL to transport a pistol in a vehicle, but only if the person meets every condition, including:

• A lawful purpose for transporting it
• The pistol is unloaded
• It’s in a closed case designed for firearms
• The case is in the trunk, or if the vehicle has no trunk, not readily accessible to anyone in the car

These conditions are strict. A pistol in the glove box, under a seat, in the center console, or in a case on the back seat within reach can lead to a felony charge, even if the gun was unloaded.

Expired CPL? You Can Still Be Charged

An expired CPL is not a valid license, and prosecutors can charge carrying a pistol on an expired license as felony CCW. Michigan courts have upheld convictions in this situation.

The details still matter. Was the license expired, or suspended or revoked? Was a renewal pending? In some cases, the receipt issued during the application process can count as a license after a waiting period, if you carried it with your ID. As our Waterford result shows, how recently a license lapsed can also make a real difference in what a prosecutor is willing to do.

When Police Stop You With a Gun: Advice From a Former Detroit Police Officer

As a Detroit police officer, Attorney Brown made many traffic stops and street contacts. Now he defends people charged after those encounters. His advice is the same either way: the street is not the place to win the argument. The courtroom is.

Provide Your Driver’s License, and Think Before Refusing ID

If you’re the driver: Michigan law requires you to have your driver’s license with you and to show it when a police officer asks during a traffic stop. Hand it over.

If you’re a passenger or on foot: you generally don’t have to show identification just because an officer asks. Police can approach anyone and ask questions, and in a voluntary encounter you’re free to decline. That changes if officers have a lawful reason to detain you or require your ID, such as specific facts suggesting your involvement in a crime, or writing you a ticket.

The problem is that in the moment, you may not know which situation you’re in. If you refuse and the officer did have a lawful reason, the officer can arrest you for obstructing an officer. An arrest gives police the right to search you incident to that arrest, which is exactly how police find many guns. Providing your ID often closes off that path. If the officer had no right to demand it, that’s a fight for the courtroom, where Attorney Brown can challenge it. It’s not a fight to have on the roadside.

Step Out of the Car if Ordered

During a lawful traffic stop, officers can order the driver and passengers out of the vehicle. Comply, calmly. Getting out of the car is not the same as agreeing to a search.

Do Not Consent to a Search

If an officer asks to search you or your car, you have the right to say no. Say clearly, “I do not consent to any searches,” and leave it there. Don’t argue, explain, or physically resist. If police search anyway, that refusal can become an important part of your defense later.

Disclose Your Pistol if You Have a CPL

If you’re a CPL holder carrying a pistol, Michigan law requires you to tell the officer immediately when police stop you, and to show your CPL and ID when the officer asks. Refusing consent to a search doesn’t change that duty.

Don’t Answer Investigative Questions

Beyond your ID and any required CPL disclosure, you don’t have to answer questions about where you’re going, whose gun it is, or what’s in the car. Politely say you’d like to speak with a lawyer. Statements made at the roadside are often the strongest evidence in a CCW case.

How a Michigan CCW Lawyer Challenges the Case

Was the Stop Lawful?

A traffic stop is a seizure, and police need a valid reason to make one. If the stop was unlawful, the court may suppress the gun, as it did in our Troy case. Attorney Brown reviews body-camera and dash-camera video, dispatch records, and the citation to test the officer’s stated reason.

Was the Search Lawful?

A lawful stop doesn’t automatically allow police to search your car or frisk you:

• A frisk requires specific reasons to believe you’re armed and dangerous, and the officer must limit it to a pat-down for weapons.
• A vehicle search requires a warrant, valid consent, or probable cause.
• Odor of marijuana alone no longer gives police probable cause to search a vehicle in Michigan, after a 2025 Michigan Supreme Court decision.
• A passenger’s bag or purse doesn’t automatically fall within the driver’s consent to search the car.
• An inventory search after a tow must follow the department’s written procedures. Police can’t use it as a cover for an evidence search.

Finding a gun doesn’t make an unlawful search lawful after the fact.

Did You Knowingly Carry the Gun?

Borrowed cars, shared cars, several passengers, and guns belonging to someone else all raise real questions about knowledge and carrying. Attorney Brown looks closely at where police found the gun, who owned and controlled the car, who had access, and what each person said.

The Wayne County Gun Board

In Wayne County, a group of prosecutors known as the Gun Board reviews many CCW cases and can approve reductions or diversion. The Board weighs factors such as age, lawful ownership and registration, prior record, and the facts of the police encounter. As a Michigan CCW lawyer, Attorney Brown has extensive experience presenting cases to the Board. But he challenges the stop and the search first, and turns to the Board when that’s the stronger path for the client. Learn more on our Wayne County gun crime lawyer page.

What a CCW Charge Means for Your CPL

• While the charge is pending: a felony charge against the holder suspends a CPL. If the charge is dismissed or you’re acquitted, the license can be reinstated, as long as it hasn’t expired and you still qualify.
• After a felony conviction: a felony conviction disqualifies you from holding a CPL and can trigger firearm-possession restrictions under Michigan and federal law.
• CPL violations that aren’t CCW:
  • Failing to disclose a pistol to police is a civil infraction, carrying a $500 fine and a 6-month CPL suspension for a first offense, and a $1,000 fine and revocation for a repeat offense within three years.
  • Carrying in a pistol-free zone (such as a school, stadium, bar, hospital, or church without permission) carries escalating penalties: a civil infraction and suspension the first time, a misdemeanor and revocation the second time, and a felony the third time.

Keeping a CCW charge from becoming a felony conviction is often the key to protecting your gun rights.

Michigan CCW FAQ

Is carrying a concealed weapon a felony in Michigan?

Yes. CCW under MCL 750.227 is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $2,500 fine. Many cases end in a reduction or dismissal, depending on the facts and how the stop and search happened.

The gun wasn’t mine. Can I still be charged?

Yes, but the prosecutor must prove you knew the gun was there and that you carried it. Being near a gun, or knowing it was in the car, isn’t automatically enough.

Does a locked glove box count as legal transport?

No. Without a CPL, a pistol must be unloaded, in a closed firearm case, and in the trunk (or not readily accessible if there’s no trunk). A glove box doesn’t meet those requirements.

Do I have to get out of the car if police tell me to?

Yes. During a lawful traffic stop, officers can order you out of the car. Comply calmly. Getting out doesn’t mean you’ve agreed to a search.

Can police search my car because they smell marijuana?

Not based on the odor alone. Under a 2025 Michigan Supreme Court decision, the smell of marijuana by itself isn’t probable cause to search a vehicle. Police need other facts.

Will a CCW charge suspend my CPL?

Yes. A felony charge suspends a CPL while the case is pending. If the case ends in a dismissal or acquittal, you can seek reinstatement.

Talk to a Michigan CCW Lawyer

A CCW charge can cost you your record, your CPL, and your right to own a gun, so choosing the right Michigan CCW lawyer matters. Attorney Christopher Brown brings the experience of a former Detroit police officer and years in Michigan’s courtrooms to every case. He also defends related charges on our Oakland County gun crime lawyer, Macomb County gun crime lawyer, Wayne County gun crime lawyer, and Michigan airport gun charge pages. If police are still investigating, see our criminal investigation page. You can also review more case results or read about Attorney Brown.

Call (248) 468-1468 for a free, confidential consultation, available 24/7.