The Michigan Department of Attorney General (DAG) works tirelessly to protect and serve the people of Michigan. The DAG handles a wide range of legal matters from civil and criminal cases, to providing legal counsel to state agencies and officers, to advocating for crime victims.
The Michigan Department of Attorney General utilizes the services of Special Assistant Attorneys General from time to time when the unique circumstances of a particular case create the need for specialized services not currently available within the department.
The Michigan Attorney General has determined that a full and complete investigation of what happened within the Catholic Church is required. This investigation is and will continue to be independent, thorough, transparent, and prompt. My department and this investigation will find out who knew what, and when.
The Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) reviews cases where someone is saying they did not commit the crime(s) of which they were convicted. There must be new evidence that shows they did not commit the crime. This new evidence must rise to the legal standard of "clear and convincing" evidence of innocence.
In Michigan, a victim is an individual who suffers direct or threatened physical, financial, or emotional harm as a result of the commission of a crime.
Elder abuse happens when someone hurts, ignores, or takes advantage of an older adult. This may be someone who is of advanced age or is vulnerable and unable to protect themselves due to a mental or physical issues.
An expungement removes a conviction from public view. Most employers, landlords, and background checks will not see it. Law enforcement and some licensing agencies may still access it. This page will help explain who qualifies, how the process works, and where to get help.
To investigate and prosecute hate crimes by following up on every credible tip and offer departmental resources to assist local and federal law enforcement partners in this effort.
The Michigan Attorney General is leading the fight against this horrific crime by prosecuting the state's first-ever criminal cases under state law banning human trafficking in Michigan. Victims of human trafficking are in bondage through force, fraud or coercion, for the purpose of sex or labor exploitation.
Knowing how to guard your personal information is your first line of defense against identity theft.
Michigan workers enjoy a wide variety of legal protections regarding issues at work. There are a number of state and federal statutes that protect their wages, safety, and well-being.
Opioid addiction knows no social or economic barriers; it doesn’t care about race or gender. It claims young and old alike. The Michigan Department of Attorney General is committed to fighting this crisis.
Michigan Attorney General's robocall initiative is leading several efforts to protect Michigan residents from the billion plus robocalls made to them every year.
Michigan's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), MCL 15.231 et seq, provides that requesters can receive copies or make inspections of most public records of public bodies upon written request.
The Open Meetings Act (OMA) took effect January 1, 1977. In enacting the OMA, the Legislature promoted a new era in governmental accountability and fostered openness in government to enhance responsible decision making.1 Nothing in the OMA prohibits a public body from adopting an ordinance, resolution, rule, or charter provision that requires a greater degree of openness relative to public body meetings than the standards provided for in the OMA. 2
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October 05, 2026
LANSING — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a coalition of 26 states, counties, and cities in filing a lawsuit (PDF) against the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) challenging its final rule weakening corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards for new passenger cars and light trucks. Historically, NHTSA’s standards have reduced consumer costs by improving fuel efficiency for vehicles, placed downward pressure on gas prices by reducing fuel consumption, protected the U.S. economy from global oil shocks, and reduced pollution from tailpipes and refineries. However, the final rule significantly weakens fuel economy standards and hurts both consumers and the environment.
In the lawsuit filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the coalition alleges that NHTSA’s new rule is contrary to law and that NHTSA contravenes its mandate from Congress to set fuel economy standards at their “maximum feasible” level. Far from “maximum feasible,” NHTSA’s backsliding standards for the next five years require less efficiency than what the U.S. fleet actually achieved in 2021.
“Michigan knows better than most what is at stake when it comes to fuel economy and the future of the auto industry,” said Attorney General Nessel. “The government should be encouraging automotive innovation that our workers, manufacturers and communities have helped drive for generations. This new rule leaves Michigan families more exposed than ever to the swings of global oil prices and I stand firmly with my colleagues in telling NHTSA it’s time to follow the Congressional mandate.”
In 1975, Congress enacted the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, which requires NHTSA to establish “maximum feasible” fuel economy standards for new vehicles that reflect technological feasibility, economic practicability, the effect of other motor vehicle standards of the government, and the need to conserve energy.
The final rule misinterprets NHTSA’s statutory authority and improperly forces the agency to ignore the presence of millions of electric vehicles in the nation’s existing fleet, leading to a flawed and dramatically distorted analysis of the “maximum feasible” fuel economy level that the auto industry can achieve. NHTSA’s novel reinterpretation of the law renders the federal fuel economy program toothless, unable to protect consumers against rising gas prices or the ongoing global oil shock from President Trump’s war.
In their lawsuit, the coalition alleges that NHTSA’s final rule is arbitrary and capricious and violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the Energy Policy and Conservation Act.
In filing this lawsuit, Attorney General Nessel joins the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the City and County of San Francisco, as well as the City of Chicago, the City and County of Denver, and the City of New York.
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