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How the guarantee works →Michigan camp licensing requirements.
Who licenses day camps and overnight camps in Michigan, under which rules, and who is exempt. Last checked November 2, 2026.
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Day camps and overnight camps in Michigan
| Camp type | What the state asks | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Day camps | State license | Day camps need a children's day camp license from MiLEAP and must operate at a licensed children's camp site.Source: Do I need a Camp License?, Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). Checked November 2, 2026. |
| Overnight camps | State license | Residential, troop and travel camps need a license from MiLEAP; a residential camp stationed at a campsite also needs a camp site license.Source: Do I need a Camp License?, Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). Checked November 2, 2026. |
Who oversees camps in Michigan
| Agency | What it does |
|---|---|
| Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP), Camp Licensing | Licenses and regulates children's camps; the duty moved from the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs under E.R.O. No. 2023-2.Source: MCL - Section 722.111 - Michigan Legislature, Michigan Legislature. Checked November 2, 2026. |
Staff-to-camper ratios in Michigan
One staff member to the number of campers shown, as the rule sets it.
| Applies to | Group | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Day and overnight camps | Campers under 13, awake hours | 1:10Source: R 400.11101 to 400.11413 (Children's and Adult Foster Care Camps), Michigan Administrative Rules (State of Michigan). Checked November 2, 2026. |
| Overnight camps | Campers under 13, sleeping hours | 1:14Source: R 400.11101 to 400.11413 (Children's and Adult Foster Care Camps), Michigan Administrative Rules (State of Michigan). Checked November 2, 2026. |
| Day and overnight camps | Campers 13 years of age or older | 1:14Source: R 400.11101 to 400.11413 (Children's and Adult Foster Care Camps), Michigan Administrative Rules (State of Michigan). Checked November 2, 2026. |
| Day and overnight camps | Campers with disabilities, awake hours | 1:3Source: R 400.11101 to 400.11413 (Children's and Adult Foster Care Camps), Michigan Administrative Rules (State of Michigan). Checked November 2, 2026. |
| Overnight camps | Campers with disabilities, sleeping hours | 1:6Source: R 400.11101 to 400.11413 (Children's and Adult Foster Care Camps), Michigan Administrative Rules (State of Michigan). Checked November 2, 2026. |
| Day and overnight camps | Aquatic activities: certified aquatic supervisors | 1:50Source: R 400.11101 to 400.11413 (Children's and Adult Foster Care Camps), Michigan Administrative Rules (State of Michigan). Checked November 2, 2026. |
Exemptions
- Programs serving 4 or fewer children, or running fewer than 5 days in a 14-day period, are not children's camps.Source: MCL - Section 722.111 - Michigan Legislature, Michigan Legislature. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Day programs giving care 4 hours a day or less fall outside the day camp rules.Source: R 400.11101 to 400.11413 (Children's and Adult Foster Care Camps), Michigan Administrative Rules (State of Michigan). Checked November 2, 2026.
- Programs run outdoors less than 51% of the time do not meet the natural environment part of the camp definition.Source: R 400.11101 to 400.11413 (Children's and Adult Foster Care Camps), Michigan Administrative Rules (State of Michigan). Checked November 2, 2026.
Official rules
- MCL 722.111 et seq. (Child Care Organizations Act, 1973 PA 116)
DefinitionsMichigan Legislature. Checked November 2, 2026. - MCL 722.115
License required for a child care organizationMichigan Legislature. Checked November 2, 2026. - Mich. Admin. Code R 400.11101 to R 400.11413
Children's and Adult Foster Care CampsMichigan Administrative Rules (State of Michigan). Checked November 2, 2026.
Sources
Every source is an official government page.
- Do I need a Camp License?Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). Checked November 2, 2026.
- MCL - Section 722.111 - Michigan LegislatureMichigan Legislature. Checked November 2, 2026.
- MCL - Section 722.115 - Michigan LegislatureMichigan Legislature. Checked November 2, 2026.
- R 400.11101 to 400.11413 (Children's and Adult Foster Care Camps)Michigan Administrative Rules (State of Michigan). Checked November 2, 2026.
About this page
We read each source above on an official government site on November 2, 2026. Each fact links to the page it came from.
Rules change, and local rules can add to them. Confirm with the agency before you open or change a program.
This page is a summary of public rules. It is not legal advice, and Bloomily does not file license applications.
Camp licensing in other states
- Alabama
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Arizona
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
- Arkansas
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- California
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state camp rules.
- Colorado
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Connecticut
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Delaware
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Florida
Day camps: no state license. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Georgia
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- Idaho
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- Illinois
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Indiana
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state camp rules.
- Kentucky
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Louisiana
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Maine
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Maryland
Day camps: state certificate. Overnight camps: state certificate.
- Massachusetts
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Mississippi
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
- Missouri
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- Montana
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
- Nebraska
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: no state license.
- Nevada
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
- New Hampshire
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- New Jersey
Day camps: state certificate. Overnight camps: state certificate.
- New York
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- North Dakota
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- Ohio
Day camps: state registration. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Oregon
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- South Carolina
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- South Dakota
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- Tennessee
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Texas
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Vermont
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
- Virginia
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Washington
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state registration.
- West Virginia
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Wisconsin
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
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