To work as a Certified Nursing Assistant in Michigan, you need to complete a 75-hour training program approved by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), pass a two-part competency evaluation, and clear a fingerprint-based criminal background check. After that, your certificate is good for two years, and renewal requires 24 hours of continuing education, at least 40 hours of paid CNA work, and a $40 fee. The CNA requirements in Michigan mirror the federal minimums set under 42 CFR 483.152, with a few state-specific rules layered on top.
Training Program
You have to train at a program that holds a current permit from LARA. Michigan sets the floor at 75 clock hours, the same minimum federal law requires for any nurse aide program serving Medicare- or Medicaid-certified facilities.1eCFR. Requirements for Approval of a Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program2Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Nurse Aide Trainers and Training Programs
Of those 75 hours, at least 16 must be supervised practical training, where a qualified instructor watches you perform skills in a lab or clinical setting.1eCFR. Requirements for Approval of a Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program The curriculum covers infection control, basic nursing skills, patient safety, and care planning. Some Michigan programs let you handle parts of the coursework online, but the hands-on practical hours and the clinical skills testing cannot be done remotely.3Michigan Legislature. Michigan Public Health Code Part 219
Instructors must be registered nurses who meet the qualifications in Michigan’s administrative rules. Anyone offering training without a LARA permit is operating illegally, and the department can investigate and act against programs that fall short.3Michigan Legislature. Michigan Public Health Code Part 219
Competency Evaluation
Once you finish training, you take the Michigan Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation. It has two sections: a written knowledge test (which can be given orally as an accommodation) and a clinical skills demonstration where you perform care tasks under direct observation.
You get three attempts to pass both sections. Fail all three, and you have to complete another state-approved training program before you can test again.4Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Regulations and Requirements The most recent published fee schedule from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services lists $115 per attempt for both sections combined; check with the current testing vendor because fees can change.5Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Nurse Aide Testing Fee Schedule
There is a time limit. To be eligible for certification, you must complete both the training program and the competency evaluation within the preceding 24 months.6Legal Information Institute. Michigan Administrative Code R 400.313 – Application for Nurse Aide Certification Wait longer than that and the training no longer counts.
Background Check
Michigan requires healthcare employers to run a fingerprint-based criminal history check through both state and FBI databases before a nurse aide can start work. The rule applies to employees, independent contractors, and anyone granted clinical privileges at a covered facility.7Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Workforce Background Check Information and Provider Responsibilities
Employers initiate the process, but the fingerprinting cost usually falls on the applicant or is split, depending on the workplace. Expect roughly $30 to $100 for Live Scan fingerprinting and processing, with exact pricing varying by vendor and location. Certain criminal convictions disqualify you from working in a healthcare setting, so this is not a paperwork step to shrug off.
Renewal Every Two Years
A Michigan CNA certificate is valid for two years.8Legal Information Institute. Michigan Administrative Code R 400.315 – Certificate Duration; Renewal Process To renew, you need three things:
- At least 40 hours of paid work providing nursing or nursing-related services as a CNA during the 24-month renewal period.9Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Michigan Certified Nurse Aide Registry FAQs
- At least 12 hours of continuing education per year, for a total of 24 hours per cycle. The content must maintain your competence and must include training on abuse, neglect, and care planning.10Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Michigan Administrative Code R 400.315
- A $40 renewal fee paid through the MI-NATES online system.11Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Nurse Aide Registry
You can renew up to 45 days before your certificate expires through your MI-NATES account.9Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Michigan Certified Nurse Aide Registry FAQs Let the certificate lapse and you cannot legally practice until you renew, or, if too much time has passed, retrain and retest. Forty hours over two years is not a demanding threshold, but if you take extended time away from the field, you can lose eligibility and end up starting the whole process again.
One small administrative rule worth flagging: you have 30 days to update LARA whenever your name or address changes.12Legal Information Institute. Michigan Administrative Code R 400.320 – Nurse Aide Requirements Miss that window and LARA may not be able to reach you about a renewal notice or an investigation.
Coming In From Another State
Michigan grants reciprocity to CNAs certified elsewhere, but only if the originating state’s program meets specific conditions. It must align with the federal training standards under 42 CFR 483.152, require at least 75 course hours before testing, and not allow candidates to skip training hours or test out.11Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Nurse Aide Registry
You also have to be in good standing on your current state’s registry. The transfer itself means creating a MILogin account, setting up a MI-NATES profile, submitting a nurse aide application, and paying a $40 registration fee.11Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Nurse Aide Registry If your original state isn’t on Michigan’s approved list, reciprocity isn’t available and you’ll need to complete a Michigan-approved training program and pass the competency evaluation. Michigan also runs a background check as part of the transfer, and any disciplinary history or criminal record can disqualify you.
Scope of Practice and What Puts a Certificate at Risk
Once you’re certified, Michigan’s administrative rules define what you can and can’t do, and stepping outside those lines is one of the quickest ways to lose your certificate. A CNA provides nursing and nursing-related services according to facility policies, the patient’s care plan, and duties delegated by a licensed health professional.12Legal Information Institute. Michigan Administrative Code R 400.320 – Nurse Aide Requirements That covers assisting with activities of daily living, monitoring vital signs, and carrying out tasks a supervising nurse has delegated. It does not cover administering medications, performing assessments that require nursing judgment, interpreting diagnostic results, or making clinical decisions. Those belong to RNs and LPNs.
LARA can revoke a certificate for the most serious findings. Substantiated patient abuse and misappropriation of a patient’s property both result in permanent revocation. Neglect also leads to revocation, though the department can end the revocation after one year if the neglect was a single event, was caused by factors outside your control, and there is no broader pattern. Other violations can bring suspension of one to three years or longer, probation, mandatory retraining, additional continuing education, or a written reprimand. LARA can also issue a summary suspension when patient safety is at immediate risk, and a sanctioned CNA must notify their employer and any hospital where they hold privileges within 10 days of the final order.4Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Regulations and Requirements13Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 333.16241 – Publishing List of Names and Addresses of Disciplined Individuals
There is also a strict financial rule most new CNAs don’t hear about until they run into it: you cannot accept, take, or borrow money, possessions, or valuables from a patient, even if the patient offers freely. The only exception is when a familial relationship exists.12Legal Information Institute. Michigan Administrative Code R 400.320 – Nurse Aide Requirements Serious misconduct, particularly abuse, can also lead to criminal charges under Michigan law, and the administrative and criminal tracks run independently.