Verify a Michigan CNA Registry Record and Know What the Status Means
Use this Michigan CNA verification guide to check an official Nurse Aide Registry record, confirm active status and expiration, understand substantiated findings, renew through MI-NATES or fix a lapsed certificate.
Michigan commonly uses the terms Certified Nurse Aide, nurse aide registration and certificate of registration. The public Registry is the correct verification source—not the professional RN/LPN license search.
Quick Answer: How to Verify a Michigan CNA
Open the official Michigan Nurse Aide Registry maintained by LARA’s Bureau of Community and Health Systems. Find the matching nurse aide record and confirm the registration number, current status, expiration date and any substantiated finding shown before treating the person as eligible to work as a CNA.
Only a person with an active Michigan nurse aide registration can work as a certified nurse aide. Michigan states that lapsed, expired, inactive, voluntarily surrendered or revoked registrations do not authorize CNA work.
Use the Nurse Aide Registry
The Registry contains active nurse aide registrations and some lapsed records. It is the official public source employers and the public should use to verify Michigan CNA status.
Use MI-NATES
MI-NATES is different from the public Registry. A CNA uses MI-NATES through MILogin for renewal, applications, certificate printing and registration updates.
CNA is not RN or LPN licensure
Do not use Michigan’s professional nurse-license search to prove CNA registration. Nurse aides have their own Registry and certification workflow.
Michigan says verification of current CNA certification through the online Nurse Aide Registry is sufficient documentation during State of Michigan onsite inspections.
Choose the Right Michigan CNA Route
Public verification, personal renewal, testing and reciprocity are separate tasks. Start with the route that matches what you actually need to do.
Michigan CNA License Verification: Step-by-Step Registry Lookup
Use this process for hiring, facility onboarding, agency staffing, compliance review, reciprocity confirmation or your own status check.
Open the official Michigan Nurse Aide Registry
Start with the LARA-hosted public Registry rather than a private directory, staffing profile, old paper certificate or search-engine result.
Find the correct nurse aide record
Use the identifying information available in the Registry and compare it carefully with the person you are checking. A registration number is especially useful when available.
Confirm the registration status
Michigan allows CNA work only when the Registry shows an active registration. Do not interpret lapsed, expired, inactive, surrendered or revoked status as work eligibility.
Check the expiration date
Use the expiration date for renewal reminders and onboarding decisions. A certificate that expires without a timely complete renewal lapses the following day.
Review any negative finding shown
The Registry can display substantiated findings involving abuse, neglect or misappropriation of resident property. Do not ignore this information during an employer or safety review.
Save dated proof
Employers should document the official Registry source, date checked, aide’s name or registration number, current status, expiration date and whether a finding was displayed.
Michigan CNA Status: What the Registry Result Means
The status controls whether the aide can currently work as a Michigan CNA. Use the exact Registry result instead of relying on an old certificate or employment history.
| Status or result | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Active | Michigan currently shows the nurse aide registration as active. | Match the identity, expiration date and any negative finding before relying on the record. |
| Lapsed | The certificate was not renewed completely and on time. | The aide cannot work as a CNA. Determine whether late renewal is still available under the less-than-24-month rule. |
| Expired | The certificate is outside its current registration period. | Do not schedule CNA work until Michigan shows an active registration again. |
| Inactive | The registration does not establish current CNA work eligibility. | Use MI-NATES or contact the Nurse and Medication Aide Section for the correct return-to-active route. |
| Voluntarily surrendered | The certificate has been surrendered and is not active. | Do not treat the person as currently certified. |
| Revoked | Certification authority has been removed by the regulator. | Review Registry findings and official enforcement information before any employment decision. |
| Substantiated finding | The Registry contains a finding involving abuse, neglect or misappropriation of resident property. | Read the official information and follow federal, state and employer requirements. |
The Registry includes active registrations and some lapsed records. Always read the actual status instead of assuming that appearing in search results proves current CNA eligibility.
Michigan CNA Renewal: Current 2026 Requirements
Michigan CNA renewal is completed electronically through MI-NATES. A certificate normally renews for 24 months, but the aide must meet the current work, CE and payment requirements before expiration.
45 days before expiration
A renewal cannot be initiated earlier than 45 days before the certificate expiration date.
At least 40 paid hours
The CNA must acknowledge at least 40 hours of paid nursing or nursing-related services during the required 24-month period.
12 hours each year
For applicable 2026 renewals, Michigan requires at least 12 CE hours annually, which equals 24 hours across the two-year renewal period.
$40 renewal fee
The current Michigan CNA renewal fee is $40 and is paid electronically in MI-NATES.
Confirm your expiration date
Check your certificate or Registry record before beginning. Renewal opens no earlier than 45 days before expiration.
Sign in through MILogin and open MI-NATES
MI-NATES is the state system used for CNA applications, renewals, certificate printing and registration-profile changes.
Complete the renewal application
Review your registration information carefully and keep your email current because Michigan sends the electronic renewal notice approximately 45 days before expiration.
Attest to qualifying paid employment
You must satisfy the minimum 40 hours of paid nursing or nursing-related services during the applicable 24-month period.
Attest to the required continuing education
If your certificate expires on or after March 23, 2026, complete the required annual CE before expiration and keep records supporting the courses you used.
Pay the $40 renewal fee
Complete payment through MI-NATES rather than a third-party website or unsolicited renewal message.
Recheck the public Registry
After renewal processing, verify that the new active registration and expiration information appear correctly before relying on the renewal for work.
If renewal is late or incomplete, the certificate lapses the day after expiration. Michigan states that a CNA may not work with a lapsed or expired certificate.
Michigan CNA Continuing Education Rules Effective in 2026
Michigan’s CNA CE requirement became effective March 23, 2026. Any CNA whose certificate expires on or after that date must satisfy the CE requirement before renewal.
12 hours per year
Michigan requires at least 12 hours of continuing education annually. Across a normal two-year certificate period, that means 24 hours of qualifying CE.
Abuse, neglect and care plans
Continuing education must support ongoing competence and include education addressing abuse, neglect and care plans.
Use CE from the current period
Courses already used for one renewal cannot simply be reused for a later renewal period. Keep documentation showing when each course was completed.
If a certificate expires during a two-year renewal cycle subject to the 2026 rule, the CNA should have the required 12 hours for each year of that cycle rather than treating the rule as only 12 hours total for two years.
Michigan specifically identifies care plans as a required CE topic. LARA also offers a care-plan educational module that can count for one nursing contact hour when its completion requirements are met.
Michigan CNA Certificate Lapsed? Use the Correct Rule
What happens after expiration depends heavily on how long the certificate has been lapsed and whether the CNA can document the required paid nursing-related employment.
| Lapse situation | Michigan route | Important consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 24 months after expiration | Use the standard renewal process if the employment requirement can still be satisfied. | The aide cannot work as a CNA while the certificate remains lapsed. |
| Qualifying work occurred within the required period | Complete late renewal through MI-NATES, including current renewal requirements. | A late renewed certificate is valid for 24 months from the previous certificate’s expiration date, not simply 24 months from the late application date. |
| No qualifying work in the required period | Normal renewal is not available. | The individual must return through the new-candidate pathway, including training and competency examination. |
| More than 24 months after expiration | Retake a state-approved nurse aide training program and competency examination, then apply for initial certification. | The old certificate cannot simply be renewed back to active status. |
Because Michigan calculates a renewed lapsed certificate from the prior expiration date, waiting many months to complete an eligible late renewal can leave significantly less than a full two years before the next expiration.
MI-NATES and MILogin: Account, Browser and Login Problems
MI-NATES is the Michigan Nurse Aide, Training, and Enforcement System. The public Registry is for verification; MI-NATES is the account system CNAs use to manage their own registration.
Use it for personal CNA actions
- Submit nurse aide applications.
- Submit registration renewals.
- Pay applicable CNA fees.
- Print a certificate of registration.
- Review or update registration information.
- Submit reciprocity applications.
Do not use Safari for MI-NATES
- LARA says MI-NATES is not compatible with Safari.
- Use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.
- A personal computer is recommended over a handheld device.
- If a MILogin account is temporarily locked, wait 30 minutes before retrying.
- Accounts unused for 18 months or longer can be automatically deactivated.
LARA currently warns that some users may receive ERROR ID: 2029 when signing into MILogin or launching MI-NATES. If it occurs, LARA instructs users to report the issue to BCHS-CNA-Registry@michigan.gov with their first and last name, MILogin username-ID, phone number and a short description of the problem.
Passed the Michigan CNA Exam but Not on the Registry?
Passing the Michigan CNA competency exam does not by itself place a person on the Nurse Aide Registry. Testing and state registration are separate steps.
Complete a permitted Michigan training program
New candidates generally begin with a Michigan-permitted nurse aide training program before scheduling the required competency examination.
Pass Headmaster testing
Michigan contracts with Headmaster to administer the nurse aide competency exams, including the written or oral component and the clinical skills demonstration.
Create or access MILogin
After passing the examination, create the state login needed to request MI-NATES access.
Create the MI-NATES profile
Request access to the nurse aide system and make sure your identity and registration information are entered correctly.
Submit the new nurse aide application
Michigan currently lists a $40 initial nurse aide registration fee submitted through MI-NATES.
Check the public Registry after issuance
Do not rely only on the exam pass result or application receipt. Confirm that the Michigan Registry now shows the official active registration.
Michigan CNA Employer Verification Checklist
Facilities and staffing employers should repeat the official Registry check themselves rather than accepting applicant-supplied proof as the final verification.
Employer verification file
- Michigan Nurse Aide Registry used as the source.
- Date the Registry was checked.
- CNA’s legal name.
- Registration number when displayed or provided.
- Current active status.
- Certificate expiration date.
- Any substantiated finding displayed on the Registry.
- Name or initials of the staff member who completed the check.
Weak proof examples
- Old paper certificate.
- Resume or job application.
- Applicant-provided screenshot.
- Private CNA lookup website.
- Headmaster exam pass notice.
- Training-program graduation certificate.
- RN or LPN professional-license lookup.
Michigan explains that a graduate of a state-permitted nurse aide training program may work in a skilled nursing facility as a temporary nurse aide for up to four months while awaiting completion of competency testing. If testing is not passed within that period, the individual cannot continue working as a nurse aide until Registry placement is achieved.
Michigan CNA Abuse, Neglect and Misappropriation Findings
The Registry is more than an expiration-date tool. Michigan uses it to display substantiated findings involving abuse, neglect or misappropriation of resident property.
Serious enforcement consequence
Michigan enforcement guidance states that nurse aides found to have abused a resident can face revocation, with the finding reflected on the Registry.
Resident-property finding
A substantiated finding involving misappropriation of resident property can also lead to revocation and permanent Registry disclosure.
Different petition rule may apply
Michigan describes a separate procedure for certain neglect findings. After at least one year, an eligible aide may petition the Bureau for review under the applicable rule.
For employment or compliance decisions, use the exact state record and applicable facility policy. A short Registry label should not be rewritten into a different legal conclusion.
Michigan CNA Reciprocity: Coming Into or Leaving Michigan
Reciprocity direction depends on whether an out-of-state CNA is seeking Michigan certification or an active Michigan CNA needs another state to confirm Michigan status.
Name or Address Changed? Update Michigan CNA Records Promptly
Michigan nurse aide rules require CNAs to update BCHS after a name or address change rather than waiting until the next renewal cycle.
Update within 30 calendar days
Michigan’s administrative rule requires nurse aides to report address and/or name changes to BCHS within 30 calendar days.
Renewal notices depend on current contact data
LARA sends renewal notices electronically. An outdated email or profile can make it easier to miss the 45-day renewal notice and certificate deadline.
Michigan CNA Scam and Privacy Warning
Michigan LARA currently warns licensees and certificate holders about fraudulent communications impersonating department staff.
LARA will not demand card details by message
LARA states that it will not ask you to provide credit-card numbers or other personal information by phone, text, email or mail. Use the official state portal for payments.
Do not upload private documents to verify a CNA
A basic public Registry check should not require you to upload a Social Security card, driver license, passport, bank details or payment information to a private directory.
Michigan Nurse Aide Registry Contact Information
Contact the state after checking the public Registry and MI-NATES guidance if a record, renewal, account or registration issue still cannot be resolved.
Bureau of Community and Health Systems
Nurse and Medication Aide Section
Phone: 517-284-8961
Email: BCHS-CNA-Registry@michigan.gov
Headmaster Michigan CNA Testing
Phone: 888-401-0462
Email: Michigan@hdmaster.com
Use Headmaster for competency-exam questions, not Registry renewal or MI-NATES account changes.
Official Michigan CNA Verification and Renewal Links
Use the resource that matches your task. Public Registry verification, personal renewal and competency testing are separate services.
Public CNA status search.
Use to verify current Michigan CNA registration, expiration and Registry information before hiring or relying on a certificate.
Main state guidance hub.
Use for MI-NATES instructions, renewal, CE, testing, reciprocity, findings, employer guidance and Registry contacts.
Personal registration account.
Use for Michigan CNA applications, renewal, payments, certificate printing, profile updates and reciprocity applications.
Headmaster exam route.
Use for written/oral and clinical skills competency-exam scheduling and testing questions.
Choose the correct Michigan record system.
Use when you are unsure whether the credential is CNA, medication aide, trainer, facility or another Michigan-regulated record.
Michigan CNA License Verification FAQs
These answers cover Registry lookup, active status, 2026 continuing education, renewal fees, work requirements, lapsed certificates, MI-NATES, reciprocity and employer checks.
How do I verify a CNA in Michigan?
Use the official Michigan Nurse Aide Registry maintained by LARA’s Bureau of Community and Health Systems. Find the nurse aide record and confirm the registration status, expiration date and any substantiated finding displayed.
Is a Michigan CNA actually licensed?
Michigan generally refers to the credential as nurse aide certification or a certificate of registration rather than a professional nursing license. Users often search for “Michigan CNA license verification,” but the official verification source is the Nurse Aide Registry.
What status must a Michigan CNA have to work?
The Registry must show an active registration. Michigan states that a person cannot work as a CNA with a lapsed, expired, inactive, voluntarily surrendered or revoked registration.
How often does a Michigan CNA certificate renew?
A renewed Michigan CNA certificate is normally valid for 24 months from the prior certificate expiration date.
How much does Michigan CNA renewal cost?
Michigan currently lists a $40 CNA renewal fee. Payment is submitted electronically through MI-NATES.
When can I renew a Michigan CNA certificate?
Renewal can begin no earlier than 45 days before the certificate expiration date. Michigan also sends an electronic renewal notice about 45 days before expiration when the email address in MI-NATES is current.
How many work hours are required to renew a Michigan CNA?
The current renewal process requires the aide to acknowledge at least 40 hours of paid nursing or nursing-related services during the applicable prior 24-month period.
How many continuing education hours does a Michigan CNA need in 2026?
For certificates expiring on or after March 23, 2026, Michigan requires at least 12 hours of continuing education each year. That is 24 hours across a normal two-year renewal period.
What topics must Michigan CNA continuing education include?
Michigan states that CNA continuing education must support ongoing competence and include abuse, neglect and care-plan training.
Can I reuse old CE courses for another Michigan CNA renewal?
No. Michigan’s CE FAQ says courses already used for one renewal period cannot be counted again for a later renewal. New qualifying CE must be completed for the next period.
What happens if my Michigan CNA certificate lapses for less than 24 months?
You may be able to follow the standard renewal process if you still satisfy Michigan’s employment requirement and other current renewal rules. You cannot work as a CNA while the certificate is lapsed.
What happens if my Michigan CNA certificate has been expired for more than 24 months?
Michigan requires the individual to retake a state-approved nurse aide training program and competency examination and then apply as a new initial certification candidate.
What is MI-NATES?
MI-NATES stands for Michigan Nurse Aide, Training, and Enforcement System. CNAs use it through MILogin for applications, renewals, payments, certificate printing and registration-profile updates.
Why is MI-NATES not working on my iPhone or Safari browser?
LARA states that MI-NATES is not compatible with Safari. The state recommends using Google Chrome, with Microsoft Edge also supported, and recommends using a personal computer rather than a handheld device.
What should I do if MI-NATES shows ERROR ID: 2029?
LARA currently instructs affected users to report the error to BCHS-CNA-Registry@michigan.gov with their first and last name, MILogin username-ID, phone number and a brief explanation of the problem.
I passed the Headmaster test. Why am I not on the Michigan Registry?
Passing the competency test is only part of the process. A new candidate must also establish MI-NATES access, submit the Michigan nurse aide application and complete the state registration process before appearing as an active CNA on the Registry.
How does Michigan CNA reciprocity work?
A CNA certified and in good standing in another qualifying state may be eligible to apply for Michigan reciprocity through MI-NATES. Michigan currently lists a $40 registration fee for the application.
Does Michigan complete paper reciprocity forms for CNAs moving out of state?
No. Michigan states that BCHS no longer completes reciprocity forms for active Michigan CNAs leaving the state. The receiving authority should verify the CNA through Michigan’s online Registry.
Is verificationlicense.org the Michigan Nurse Aide Registry?
No. This is an independent information guide. It does not issue, renew, revoke, reinstate, verify on behalf of Michigan LARA or change any CNA registration record.
Ready to Check a Michigan CNA?
Start with the official Michigan Nurse Aide Registry. Confirm that the registration is active, match the aide carefully, check the expiration date and review any substantiated finding before relying on the record for employment or compliance.
If you are the CNA renewing your own certificate, use MI-NATES through MILogin, complete the paid-work and 2026 continuing-education requirements, pay the current $40 renewal fee and then recheck the public Registry after processing.