The Michigan Child Protection Registry, created by Public Act 241 of 2004 and in effect since September 1, 2004, lets parents, schools, and guardians register email addresses and other contact points accessible to minors. The registry itself has been operational since July 2005.
What the Michigan Child Protection Registry Prohibits
It is illegal to send a message to a registered contact point if the message advertises a product or service that a minor cannot legally purchase or view, such as alcohol, tobacco, gambling, illegal drugs, or adult content. Consent of the minor is not a defense, and each message counts separately.
Scrubbing Obligations and Penalties
Senders of covered messages must scrub their lists against the registry through the state’s compliance mechanism, which charges a small per-address fee, before each send. Violations are crimes, with penalties escalating for repeat offenses, and the Act also supports civil enforcement and private claims. Any marketer of age-restricted products running email or SMS campaigns into Michigan must build registry scrubbing into the send process itself, not treat it as an occasional cleanup task, because the obligation applies before every covered message goes out.
Source: Michigan Legislature: Public Act 241 of 2004
Report a violation: If you believe a business is violating this law, you can file a complaint with the Michigan Attorney General Consumer Protection Team.
