CPS Central Registry 

Michigan Department of Human Services 

In Michigan, if you have been charged with child abuse or child neglect (Category I or II), you will be placed on Michigan’s Central Registry. The Central Registry contains your name and the child abuse or child neglect allegation against you. Within 30 days of classifying your alleged abuse as Category I or Category II, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (or Children’s Protective Services) must notify you in writing that you are on the Central Registry. Furthermore, they must notify you that it will be possible for certain people to access that information.

Note: Recent amendments to the Child Protection Law MCL 722.621 significantly changed the criteria for placement on the Central Registry. These amendments will become effective on November 1, 2022. We will continue to give updates as more information becomes available.

a screen full of code

The Central Registry is a document that is internal to the government and not available to the public. However, there are a few people who do have access to the Michigan CPS Central Registry.

The following is a list of people authorized to access the Central Registry:

  • A physician treating a child suspected to have been abused or neglected
  • Law enforcement or a child protective agency investigating a report of known or suspected child abuse or neglect
  • The person listed as the perpetrator of child abuse or neglect
  • The victim of child abuse or neglect, so long as that victim is an adult
  • A court or grand jury, when the information is necessary to decide an issue
  • An adoption agency or foster care placement agency

The identity of the person who reported the child abuse or neglect is kept confidential, unless that person consents to release of their name, or if the release has been ordered by a judge. 

Two smiling children peeking over a hedgeEven though the DHHS / CPS Central Registry is internal to the government, it is understandable that people do not want to be listed on the Central Registry.

Being listed on the Central Registry in Michigan prevents people from adopting a child, being a foster parent, licensing a daycare, working in a school, and more.

Contact a Michigan Child Protective Services Defense Attorney
Know Your Rights – Speak with an Experienced CPS Lawyer
1 (866) 766-5245 | Email Us

An erasure on the end of a pencilYou will automatically be deleted from the Central Registry if CPS investigated you, but found no evidence of abuse or neglect. You will also be automatically deleted from the Central Registry if you die.

If you are currently and correctly listed on the Michigan Central Registry, you may request the Michigan Department of Human Services amend an inaccurate CPS report or record. You may also request that the Michigan Department of Human Services expunge your record. This means they remove your name and the evidence against you from the Central Registry, if they find that it is in the best interest of the child to do so. 

If the Michigan Department of Human Services (or CPS) refuses your request for amendment or expungement, or fails to act within 30 days of your request, they must hold an administrative hearing regarding the proposed amendment or expungement. There are also appeals available if you do not agree with the decision from the administrative law judge. 

A hand holding an iPhoneAt The Kronzek Firm, we are experienced in representing clients who request removal from the CPS Central Registry. We can be reached at 1 (866) 766-5245 to discuss your removal from the Michigan Central Registry. Our firm works throughout Michigan’s lower peninsula, helping families and people with CPS and Central Registry problems.