Who Picks Up Dead Animals in Michigan?
Responsibility follows location, not the nearest city. Which office covers which ground, what is free, and where the line falls at your property boundary.
- $300–$1,000
- Flat rate, by animal size
- Under 4 hr
- Same-day response target
- No trip fee
- Quoted on the call
- ✓ Right-of-way vs private property
- ✓ Free DNR salvage permit for deer
- ✓ Reviewed against legislature.mi.gov
Who picks up dead animals in Michigan?
It depends entirely on where the animal is. Municipal DPW handles the public right-of-way. MDOT handles state trunklines and interstates. The county road commission handles county roads. Private property is the owner’s responsibility, and no agency will enter to collect it.
The four jurisdictions
Almost every wasted call on this subject comes from guessing the jurisdiction. Michigan has one structural quirk worth knowing: county roads are the responsibility of a county road commission, a distinct body, rather than a county engineer as in some neighbouring states.
| Who | Covers | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Municipal DPW | City streets, sidewalks, boulevards, parks | Free in most Michigan cities |
| MDOT | State trunklines (M-, US- and I- routes) | Free |
| County road commission | County-maintained roads | Free |
| You, the property owner | Yard, drive, garage, attic, walls, crawlspace, under deck | DIY, or paid operator |
Two limits before you call: municipal crews generally will not enter private property, and many will not handle rabies-vector species, referring those to the local health department or a licensed operator.
Roads: it follows who maintains them
- Interstates and state trunklines — Michigan Department of Transportation
- County roads — that county’s road commission
- City and village streets — that municipality’s DPW
- Private property — the owner, regardless of which road it adjoins
Note that a road-killed small mammal, deer or bird is exempt from the Bodies of Dead Animals Act’s 24-hour disposal duty under MCL 287.671(3)(b). That removes the statutory clock; it does not change who maintains the road.
Keeping a deer you hit — the salvage permit
Michigan allows it, and the permit is free. You may obtain one from the DNR, from a police officer investigating the collision, by notifying the DNR or a local law enforcement agency of your intent to keep the deer, or — if you are the driver calling 911 to report the collision — by stating that intent on the call. The application is at michigan.gov/RoadKillPermit.
Two limits people miss. First, the salvage permit cannot be used for a long list of species, including bear cub, bobcat, elk, moose, wolf, wild turkey and spotted fawn deer. Second, a salvaged deer carcass may not be moved outside the county where it was killed — except deboned meat, quarters, antlers or a skull cap cleaned of brain and muscle tissue, hides, upper canine teeth, or a finished taxidermy mount. That restriction is a chronic wasting disease control measure.
Dogs and cats are a separate route
| Situation | Call first | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Your own pet, at home | Your veterinarian | Private cremation is usually available; burial is lawful at two feet |
| Stray, owner unknown, public property | Municipal or county animal control | They scan for a microchip and can notify an owner |
| Stray, on your property | Animal control first | Same chip-scan reason; a private operator cannot identify the owner |
Note that Michigan’s Act does cover pets — the definition of “animal” at MCL 287.653(4) reaches vertebrates generally — so the two-foot burial rule applies to a dog or cat as much as to wildlife.
What is free and what is not
You should not pay a private company for a carcass in the public right-of-way. MDOT, county road commission and municipal DPW removal are already funded. Paid service is for private property, where no agency has authority to act.
Michigan private-property pricing runs roughly $300–$400 for small animals, with attic, wall and crawlspace recoveries at the upper end because of access and sanitation labour, and $600–$1,000 for deer and other large animals. These are planning ranges quoted on the initial call, not fixed prices.
By metro
- Grand Rapids (Kent County): Grand Rapids DPW for city right-of-way; MDOT for I-96, I-196 and US-131; Kent County Road Commission for county roads.
- Lansing (Ingham County): Lansing DPW for city streets; MDOT for I-96, I-496 and US-127; Ingham County Road Department for county roads.
- Flint (Genesee County): Flint DPW for city right-of-way; MDOT for I-69, I-75 and I-475; Genesee County Road Commission for county roads.
- Ann Arbor (Washtenaw County): Ann Arbor public services for city streets; MDOT for I-94, US-23 and M-14; Washtenaw County Road Commission for county roads.
- Kalamazoo (Kalamazoo County): Kalamazoo public services for city right-of-way; MDOT for I-94 and US-131; Kalamazoo County Road Commission for county roads.
Contact details for these offices change. Confirm the current number on the county or municipal website before relying on it, and tell us if one here is out of date.
When a licensed operator is the right call
A paid operator is the right answer for a carcass inside a structure, a rabies-vector species, a large animal, or a private-property location no agency covers. Michigan regulates nuisance wildlife work through DNR wildlife damage and nuisance control permits under NREPA part 401 — ask what the operator holds, and ask for proof of insurance, before work starts. What a licensed operator does and what it costs.
Frequently asked questions
Will the city pick up a dead animal from my yard in Michigan?
Who handles a dead deer on a Michigan road?
Can I keep a deer I hit with my car in Michigan?
Are there limits on a Michigan salvage permit?
Who handles a dead dog or cat when the owner is unknown?
Is dead animal pickup free in Michigan?
Official sources
Every legal statement on this page traces to one of the sources below. Each was retrieved and read on the date shown. Where a source is agency guidance rather than law, it is labelled as such in the text.
- Bodies of Dead Animals Act (MCL 287.671) — Disposal duty, six methods and the two-foot burial depth
- Michigan DNR — Wildlife Permits — Road-kill salvage permit and wildlife damage and nuisance control permits
- Michigan DNR — Road Kill Salvage Permit application — The permit application itself; the short link redirects to the current form
- Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) — Maintenance responsibility for state trunklines and interstates
- Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD) — Administers the Bodies of Dead Animals Act
- CDC — Rabies — Federal guidance on handling potential rabies-vector species
Accuracy and review
- Last reviewed
- Reviewed against
- Michigan Compiled Laws · Michigan DNR · MDOT
- Editorial process
- See our editorial policy
This page is general information for Michigan homeowners, not legal advice. Statements of law are quoted from the state's own code or administrative rules and linked to the official text. Statements of agency guidance are labelled as guidance, not law. Local ordinances, county health rules and waste-hauler policies vary and can be stricter than state law — confirm locally before acting. Road-maintenance responsibility is the practical allocation used by Michigan agencies rather than a single statutory provision; confirm with the maintaining authority in a disputed case.
Think something here is wrong? We would rather be corrected than be cited incorrectly. Tell us what is inaccurate and, if possible, the official source that says otherwise — send a correction or call (616) 612-2122. Corrections to law or agency contact details are reviewed and, where verified, applied and dated.
If it is on your property
Michigan Dead Animal Removal is an advertising service, not a removal company. We route calls to independent licensed operators across 26 Michigan cities. If the animal is in the right-of-way, call the office named above instead — that service is free.