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Non-Compete Laws in Michigan

Michigan enforces employee non-competes that protect reasonable competitive business interests and are reasonable in duration, area and type of work, and a court may narrow an unreasonable one.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Michigan at a glance

Status
Enforceable if reasonable (statute)
Courts may limit an unreasonable agreement to make it reasonable.
Enforceable against employees
Yes, if reasonable
Salary threshold
No salary threshold
MCL 445.774a sets no salary minimum.
Advance notice required
No
MCL 445.774a contains no advance notice requirement.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Michigan

Are employee non-compete agreements banned, restricted or enforceable in Michigan?

Status in Michigan: Enforceable if reasonable (statute). Courts may limit an unreasonable agreement to make it reasonable.

Can an employer enforce a non-compete against an employee in Michigan?

Yes, if reasonable. Enforceable against employees in Michigan: yes, if reasonable.

Is there a minimum salary for a non-compete to be enforceable in Michigan?

Salary threshold in Michigan: No salary threshold. MCL 445.774a sets no salary minimum.

Does Michigan require employers to give advance notice of a non-compete?

No. Advance notice required in Michigan: no. MCL 445.774a contains no advance notice requirement.

Where do the Michigan non-compete laws come from?

The rules above come from MCL 445.774a. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

What this means in practice

Read the restriction closely before signing. Note how long it lasts, the area it covers, which activities it bars and which state's law the contract says applies. A choice-of-law clause does not always control, because some states refuse to apply another state's law to their own residents or workers.

Salary thresholds are often adjusted every year for inflation. If a state uses a threshold, check the figure for the year the agreement was signed or is being enforced, and how the statute defines earnings.

A non-compete is different from a non-solicitation or confidentiality agreement. Many states that limit non-competes still allow narrower clauses that protect trade secrets or customer lists. An employment lawyer can explain how the rules apply to a specific agreement.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.