Sleeping in Your Car Too Long at a Michigan Rest Area Could Soon Be Illegal

The Michigan Department of Transportation wants to crack down on people living in their cars and leaving vehicles parked for days at rest areas and carpool lots.

MDOT is proposing new rules that would officially ban camping, panhandling, and staying longer than 48 hours at any MDOT property.

According to MLive, the rules would apply to rest areas, roadside parks, carpool lots, scenic turnouts, welcome centers, and even areas like overpasses and sidewalks owned by the department.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t even realize this was a real issue in Michigan. I guess even if it’s not a huge problem right now, it’s probably smart to get ahead of it before it turns into one.

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Right now, MDOT really doesn’t have much power to do anything about it, other than impound a vehicle that’s been sitting for three days. If these new rules get the green light, they’d kick in sometime in 2026, and police would be able to hand out misdemeanor charges to anyone breaking them.

Travelers and truckers could still sleep in their vehicles, but only up to 48 hours. Setting up tents or other camping gear would not be allowed.

MDOT says they’re getting more complaints about people camping out or living in parking areas for days at a time. They say the whole point of these new rules is to keep Michigan’s rest areas safe and easy to use for everyone just trying to hit the road and move on.

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The last thing you want is to be out traveling with your family and feel unsafe in a rest area, which, let’s be honest, already feels a little creepy sometimes.

You can weigh in on the proposed rules at the virtual public hearings on Wednesday, October 22, at noon or 6 p.m., or by emailing your comments to MDOT-PublicComments@Michigan.gov by November 20.