Michigan Psychiatric Hold: 24-Hour Exam, 7-Day Hearing Rules

In Michigan, a person admitted to a hospital on a petition and a clinical certificate must be examined by a psychiatrist within 24 hours (excluding legal holidays), and must be released immediately if that psychiatrist does not find that the person requires treatment. If the psychiatrist does certify the need for treatment, hospitalization can continue while court hearings are pending, and the first hearing must be convened within 7 days. This guide walks through each step, what each deadline means, and what to do today, whether you are the person being evaluated or a family member trying to help. Questions? Call 866-644-7911 to talk through treatment options.

The Michigan timeline in one paragraph

Michigan’s Mental Health Code runs on four clocks. A petition for hospitalization must have been signed no more than 10 days before the person is presented to the hospital (MCL 330.1423). A clinical certificate attached to a court petition must have been signed within 72 hours before the petition is filed (MCL 330.1434). A psychiatrist must examine a hospitalized person within 24 hours, excluding legal holidays (MCL 330.1430). The court must convene a hearing promptly, and not more than 7 days after it receives the petition and certificates (MCL 330.1452). An initial court order for hospitalization can last up to 60 days (MCL 330.1472a). Statutes change, so confirm the current text with the hospital or an attorney.

How a Michigan hold starts

Michigan does not use a single "hold form." There are two common starting points, and which one applies changes who is involved in the first hours.

Petition plus clinical certificate: A hospital can admit a person on a petition and a clinical certificate from a physician or licensed psychologist, together with an authorization from a preadmission screening unit (MCL 330.1423).

Peace officer custody: If an officer observes conduct that leads the officer to reasonably believe a person requires treatment, the officer can take the person into protective custody and bring them to a preadmission screening unit. The officer completes a petition on arrival, and the unit arranges an examination by a physician or licensed psychologist (MCL 330.1427).

Court petition: Any individual 18 or older can file a petition with the court asserting that someone requires treatment. It must state the supporting facts and witnesses, and usually comes with a clinical certificate (MCL 330.1434).

The unit must also offer to contact an immediate family member and document the person’s decision about that contact. That offer is the moment a family member may first hear anything.

What happens in the first 24 hours

Once a person is hospitalized on a certificate, a psychiatrist must examine them as soon as practicable and within 24 hours, excluding legal holidays. That psychiatrist cannot be the physician who signed the clinical certificate. If the psychiatrist does not certify that the person requires treatment, the person must be released immediately. If the psychiatrist does certify, hospitalization can continue while the court process (sections 451 to 465) moves forward (MCL 330.1430).

The detail that surprises people is the phrase "excluding legal holidays." The statute does not stretch the clock for ordinary evenings, but an admission just before a legal holiday can mean a longer wait for that psychiatric exam than 24 clock hours. Ask the unit for the exact time the clock started and for who will perform the exam. We checked this text at the Michigan Legislature’s website on October 26, 2026.

What happens in the first 7 days

After a petition and the required certificates reach the court, a hearing must be convened promptly, and not more than 7 days later. A separate petition type for assisted outpatient treatment alone has a longer window, 28 days, unless the person is already an inpatient, in which case it is 7 days (MCL 330.1452). If a court finds the person requires treatment, an initial order of hospitalization can last up to 60 days, and an initial combined hospitalization and outpatient order can last up to 180 days, with the hospital portion capped at 60 (MCL 330.1472a).

If you are the person being evaluated: five things to do today

• Ask for the paperwork. Ask which document authorized the admission and the date it was signed. A petition signed more than 10 days before presentation is a question to raise.
• Ask who the examining psychiatrist is. The psychiatrist who examines you should be a different clinician than the one who signed the certificate.
• Ask when the 24-hour examination clock started, and when it will be done.
• Ask for your hearing date in writing, and ask how to reach a lawyer or the court before that date.
• Ask for one phone call to a person you trust, and write down the hospital’s unit phone number so someone can call you.

If you are a family member: what you can and cannot do

You can file a petition: Any adult can ask the court to evaluate someone, but the petition must state specific facts and witnesses, not just worry.

You can bring facts: Write down what you saw and when, with dates. Specific observations help clinicians more than general descriptions.

You cannot demand discharge: Hospitals decide based on the psychiatric exam and the court process, not on a request from family.

You can ask for contact: The preadmission unit must offer to contact an immediate family member. Ask the person if they agree to it, and tell the unit your number.

If you are unsure what to ask next, or want to compare treatment options after discharge, call 866-644-7911.

After release or a hearing: the first week

Whether the person is released after the psychiatric exam or after a court hearing, the days that follow matter. Before leaving, ask for the discharge paperwork, a list of any follow-up appointments with dates, and the name of the clinician who will see the person next. Ask the unit what warning signs the treatment team wants the family to watch for, and who to call if those appear. Write a short safety plan together: who to call, where to go, and which steps help when distress rises. Plan the first appointment within days, not weeks, and put it on a calendar both people can see. If alcohol or other substances were part of what led to the hospital visit, tell the follow-up clinician, since co-occurring conditions change which level of care fits best. Our inpatient versus outpatient decision guide can help structure that conversation.

What a hold can mean afterward

Questions about what follows are common. Our guides cover whether a psychiatric hold goes on your record, how federal law treats gun rights after a hold, and who pays for a hold. To compare Michigan with other states, see our involuntary psychiatric hold by state guide, or read how Pennsylvania’s process works in our PA 302 guide and how Wisconsin’s differs in our Chapter 51 guide.

When to call 988 or emergency services

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. If you are having thoughts of suicide or are in emotional distress, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, any time. The guide to going to the ER for a mental health crisis explains what to expect. This site is not an emergency service.

For background reading, see the National Institute of Mental Health on suicide prevention and on finding help for mental illnesses, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s 988 Lifeline page. The statute text cited above is on the Michigan Legislature’s site: MCL 330.1430, MCL 330.1452, and MCL 330.1472a.

Frequently asked questions

Can a hospital keep someone longer than 24 hours without a psychiatrist’s exam? The statute sets the exam within 24 hours of hospitalization, excluding legal holidays. Ask the unit how the time is being counted.

Does the person have to stay until the hearing? Only if the examining psychiatrist certifies that the person requires treatment. If not certified, the person must be released immediately.

Does a long order mean 60 days in a hospital? Not necessarily. 60 days is the maximum for an initial order of hospitalization, and the court can order less or combine hospital and outpatient care.

This article is for education only and is not legal or medical advice. Laws change and apply differently to each situation. Talk with a licensed attorney or a qualified clinician about your circumstances. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 or call 911. To talk about treatment options, call 866-644-7911.