Michigan No-Fault Law, section by section › MCL 500.3113
Person not entitled to personal protection insurance benefits.
In plain terms
PIP benefits are not available to a person who was willingly using a vehicle they knew or should have known was taken unlawfully, to the owner or registrant of an uninsured vehicle or motorcycle involved in the accident, to nonresidents (unless they owned a Michigan-registered and insured vehicle), to named excluded operators, or to the owner or operator of a vehicle covered by a section 3017 or 3018 exclusion.
How this section works in practice
Five groups of people are shut out of PIP even when section 3105 would otherwise apply. The first is anyone willingly using a vehicle they knew or should have known was taken unlawfully. The second, and by far the most litigated, is the owner or registrant of an uninsured motor vehicle or motorcycle involved in the accident. Because "owner" under section 3101 includes anyone who has had the use of a vehicle for more than 30 days, a person who regularly drives a relative's uninsured car can be an "owner" and lose PIP entirely, as the 2026 appellate decisions discussed on this site show.
The third group is nonresidents, unless they own a vehicle registered and insured in Michigan; since the 2019 reform an out-of-state visitor hurt in Michigan generally has no PIP claim here. The fourth is a person driving a vehicle from which they were excluded by name under section 3009(2). The fifth, added by the 2024 amendment effective October 17, 2025, is the owner or operator of a vehicle covered by a policy exclusion authorized under section 3017 or 3018. Section 3173 extends every one of these disqualifications to the assigned claims plan, so there is no fallback.
Text of MCL 500.3113
Sec. 3113.
A person is not entitled to be paid personal protection insurance benefits for accidental bodily injury if at the time of the accident any of the following circumstances existed:
(a) The person was willingly operating or willingly using a motor vehicle or motorcycle that was taken unlawfully, and the person knew or should have known that the motor vehicle or motorcycle was taken unlawfully.
(b) The person was the owner or registrant of a motor vehicle or motorcycle involved in the accident with respect to which the security required by section 3101 or 3103 was not in effect.
(c) The person was not a resident of this state, unless the person owned a motor vehicle that was registered and insured in this state.
(d) The person was operating a motor vehicle or motorcycle as to which he or she was named as an excluded operator as allowed under section 3009(2).
(e) The person was the owner or operator of a motor vehicle for which coverage was excluded under a policy exclusion authorized under section 3017 or 3018.
History: Add. 1972, Act 294, Eff. Mar. 30, 1973 ;-- Am. 1986, Act 93, Eff. July 8, 1986 ;-- Am. 2014, Act 489, Imd. Eff. Jan. 13, 2015 ;-- Am. 2016, Act 346, Eff. Mar. 21, 2017 ;-- Am. 2019, Act 21, Imd. Eff. June 11, 2019 ;-- Am. 2024, Act 224, Eff. Oct. 17, 2025
Source: MCL 500.3113 at legislature.mi.gov (official text). Text as published in the 2025 Michigan Compiled Laws; reviewed by Koussan Law on September 15, 2026.
Sections this one refers to
- MCL 500.3101: Who Must Carry No-Fault Insurance
- MCL 500.3103: Motorcycle Coverage Requirements
Practice pages
Important: This is not legal advice
This article is general information about Michigan personal injury law. It is not legal advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for consultation with a licensed Michigan attorney about your specific situation. The laws, deadlines, procedures, and frameworks here are general guidelines that may or may not apply to your case.
Every personal injury case turns on its own unique facts. The timing, the parties, the evidence, the jurisdiction, the insurance available, and dozens of other variables can change the legal analysis. Do not rely on anything written on this website to make decisions about your case.
If you have been injured in Michigan, the only responsible step is to speak with a licensed Michigan attorney about your specific facts. Call Koussan Law at (313) 800-0000 for a free consultation, or contact a different Michigan personal injury attorney of your choosing.
Reading this article does not create an attorney-client relationship with Koussan Law. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
