Michigan: what the state licenses
Michigan licenses the homes where older adults live and receive care. Here is what each kind of home is, in plain words, so a name on a listing makes sense.
Michigan does not issue a license called assisted living. What families call assisted living is a home with one of the licenses below. A license is a fact about a home, not a rating of it.
The kinds of home we list
Assisted living (state-licensed residence)
A residence with its own state license that can offer room, meals, supervision and personal care. Families often know these as assisted living. Michigan does not issue a license called assisted living.
155 places in our list.
Assisted living, exempt from state licensing
The state record marks this residence as exempt from state licensing. We list it, and label it, so you can ask the community what that means for its care.
122 places in our list.
Adult Foster Care Family Home (1-6)
A home for a small number of adults, run in a family home, with room, meals, supervision and personal care.
79 places in our list.
Adult Foster Care Small Group Home (1-6)
A small group home with room, meals, supervision and personal care.
508 places in our list.
Adult Foster Care Medium Group Home (7-12)
A medium-size group home with room, meals, supervision and personal care.
30 places in our list.
Adult Foster Care Large Group Home (13-20)
A larger group home with room, meals, supervision and personal care.
73 places in our list.
Adult Foster Care Congregate Facility (more than 20)
The largest adult foster care setting: a congregate facility with room, meals, supervision and personal care.
2 places in our list.
Adult foster care homes are listed when the state record shows they serve older adults or people living with Alzheimer's disease. Where one address holds more than one license, we count it as one place.
Memory care
Memory care describes a service a home offers, not a separate license. The state record shows whether a home is licensed to serve people living with Alzheimer's disease, and each place says so. Ask any home what its memory care includes.
Questions worth asking any home
- Which license do you hold, and may I see it?
- What help with personal care is included, and what costs extra?
- What happens if care needs change?
Where this comes from
Licenses come from the public state record, shown as the state publishes it. Our copy of the state record was last loaded on October 30, 2026. See data and sources. This page describes kinds of homes in plain words. It is not legal advice, and the state's own rules are the final word.
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