Michigan Concealed Pistol License Suspension and Revocation: How Charges Affect Your CPL

For a lawful gun owner in Michigan, a criminal charge threatens something beyond the sentence. A CPL can be suspended on a pending charge — before any conviction — and revoked on conviction for offenses many people would not expect to matter.

If you hold a CPL and are facing charges, this is what is at stake.

Who Qualifies for a CPL

Under MCL 28.425b, an applicant must be 21 or older, a Michigan resident, have completed approved training, and must not be disqualified. Disqualifiers include:

• Any felony conviction or pending felony charge,
• Certain misdemeanor convictions within specified lookback periods,
• A court finding of legal incapacity or involuntary mental health commitment,
• A pending Personal Protection Order,
• A finding of not guilty by reason of insanity,
• Dishonorable discharge from the armed forces,
• Being subject to a bond condition prohibiting firearm possession.

The Eight-Year Misdemeanors

A specified list of misdemeanor convictions disqualifies an applicant for eight years from the date of conviction. The list includes:

• OWI and operating while visibly impaired,
• Domestic assault,
• Assaultive misdemeanors generally,
• Reckless driving,
• Second-degree retail fraud,
• Various weapons offenses,
• Certain drug offenses.

Eight years is a long time. A single OWI at 30 means no CPL until 38.

The Three-Year Misdemeanors

A broader list disqualifies for three years, including third-degree retail fraud, certain trespass and property offenses, various traffic misdemeanors, and other lower-level offenses.

The practical point: a misdemeanor that produces no jail time at all can still cost you your carry license for years.

Pending Charges Suspend the License

This is what surprises people. Under MCL 28.428, a CPL is suspended when the holder is charged with a felony or with a disqualifying misdemeanor — before any conviction, before any hearing on the merits.

The suspension is not a penalty. It is automatic upon the charge. And because bond conditions in many cases independently prohibit firearm possession, the practical effect starts at arraignment.

If a CPL is suspended or revoked, the holder must return the license to the county clerk. Carrying on a suspended CPL is a separate offense.

Revocation on Conviction

A conviction for a disqualifying offense results in revocation. The person must wait out the applicable period — three years, eight years, or permanently for a felony — and then reapply from the beginning, including training and fees.

Domestic Violence Is the Permanent One

A domestic violence conviction — even a misdemeanor, even with no jail — triggers 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9), a federal prohibition on possessing firearms or ammunition. Key points:

• It is permanent.
• It applies to misdemeanors.
• A Michigan expungement does not remove it.
• It prohibits possession of any firearm or ammunition, anywhere, for any purpose.

For anyone who hunts, holds a CPL, works in law enforcement or armed security, or serves in the military, this is frequently the single most serious consequence of a domestic case — more than the fine, more than probation.

This is also the reason first-offense domestic cases should never be resolved with a quick plea. The MCL 769.4a deferral results in dismissal without a conviction, which means the federal prohibition never attaches. That door closes the moment a conviction enters.

Personal Protection Orders

A PPO triggers a federal firearm prohibition under 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(8) for as long as it remains in effect, and disqualifies a person from holding a CPL during that period.

PPOs are civil, can be issued ex parte without notice, and take effect immediately. A person can lose firearm rights without ever appearing in court. The respondent has 14 days from service to move to modify or terminate an ex parte PPO — and that deadline is why prompt legal action matters.

Felony Convictions

Any felony conviction results in loss of firearm rights under both state and federal law. Michigan has a restoration process under MCL 750.224f with waiting periods depending on the offense, but restoration is not available for all felonies, and federal law imposes its own limits.

Related Firearm Charges

• Carrying a concealed weapon (MCL 750.227) — a five-year felony. Frequently charged against people who believed they were transporting a pistol lawfully but did not meet the requirements of MCL 750.227d — unloaded, in a closed case, in the trunk or otherwise inaccessible.
• Felony firearm (MCL 750.227b) — possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony. A mandatory consecutive two years for a first offense, five for a second, ten for a third. It cannot be served concurrently and it cannot be probated.
• Brandishing (MCL 750.234e) — 93-day misdemeanor.
• Carrying under the influence (MCL 28.425k) — tiered by BAC, with CPL consequences at every level starting at .02.
• Pistol free area violations (MCL 28.425o) — civil infraction with six-month suspension for a first violation, escalating to a four-year felony on a third.

Appealing a Denial or Revocation

A CPL denial or revocation can be appealed to the circuit court in the county of residence. The court reviews whether the determination was authorized by law and supported by competent evidence. There are filing deadlines, and they are short.

What to Do If You Hold a CPL and Are Charged

• Tell your attorney immediately that you hold a CPL. It changes the strategy on which resolutions are acceptable.
• Comply fully with any bond condition regarding firearms — surrender them properly if required.
• Return a suspended or revoked license to the county clerk as required.
• Do not possess firearms while a disqualifying charge or PPO is pending.
• Understand which resolutions preserve the license and which do not — the difference between a reduction to a non-listed offense and a plea to a listed one can be eight years of carry rights.

Why the Charge Reduction Matters So Much Here

For a CPL holder, the goal in plea negotiations is often not just minimizing jail exposure. It is landing on an offense that is not on the disqualifying list. A reduction from OWI to a non-listed traffic offense, or from domestic assault to a 769.4a deferral, is worth far more to a gun owner than a slightly shorter probation term.

That is a strategic conversation that only happens if the attorney knows what is at stake.

Where These Cases Are Heard

Misdemeanors and firearm civil infractions arising in Plymouth, Plymouth Township, Canton, and Northville go to the 35th District Court in Plymouth. Felony firearm charges proceed through preliminary examination before bind-over to Wayne County Circuit Court. CPL appeals go to circuit court.

Protect the License With the Case

For a lawful gun owner, the criminal case and the CPL are one problem, not two. Handling them together — from the first conversation — is how people come out the other side with their rights intact.

Reach Boria Law at (734) 453-7806 if you hold a CPL and are facing charges. Attorney Aaron J. Boria defends firearm owners across Wayne County and understands what a conviction costs beyond the courtroom.