Speed Limits
MCL 257.627 — the basic speed law, and the limits where no sign says otherwise
Every driver has to drive at a careful and prudent speed, not greater or less than is reasonable and proper for the traffic, the road surface and width, and any other condition at the time, and never faster than will permit a stop within the assured, clear distance ahead. The statute calls this the basic speed law.
| Where | The limit unless another is set |
|---|---|
| WhereA limited access freeway | The limit unless another is set70 mph, with a minimum of 55 |
| WhereTrunk line and county highways, gravel county roads included | The limit unless another is set55 mph |
| WhereA business district, a public park, and the residential subdivisions and local residential streets the section describes | The limit unless another is set25 mph |
| WhereInside a mobile home park | The limit unless another is set15 mph |
| WhereA work zone where a lane is closed | The limit unless another is set45 mph, unless a different limit is set and posted |
Roads lined with driveways and intersections get limits by how many access points there are within 1/2 mile, from 25 mph at 60 or more down through 45 mph at 30 to 39.
A limit has to be posted, with four exceptions. Apart from the basic speed law, residential subdivisions, local residential streets and the general 55 mph limit, a limit set by this section is not valid unless properly posted. Where no sign is properly posted, the basic speed law is the limit in effect.
Trucks of 10,000 pounds or more and school buses may not exceed 65 mph on a freeway or trunk line where the posted limit is higher. Speeding is a civil infraction, and the points depend on how far over the limit the driver was.
Some freeways and trunk lines carry higher limits set after the engineering and safety studies the section required, and a modified limit set after a speed study under another section replaces these.
Sources for this section (2)
- MCL 257.627 — Speed limits, and the basic speed law
- MCL 257.320a — Points recorded for each violation
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Michigan attorney.