International Residential Code
Michigan enforces the 2015 IRC
The 2015 International Residential Code (IRC) has been in force in Michigan since Feb 8, 2016. It applies statewide. Adopted by Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes. The legal citation is Mich. Admin. Code, Construction Code Part 5 (Residential Code).
Record of adoption
Edition in force
2015 IRC
2015 Michigan Residential Code
Verified
- In force since
- Legal citation
- Mich. Admin. Code, Construction Code Part 5 (Residential Code)
- Adopted by
- Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes
- Second reading
- Applies
- Statewide
- Also called
- Part 5, MRC
Rules adopting the 2021 IRC were filed May 1, 2025, for effect Aug 29, 2025, but are held up by a stipulated Court of Claims order, so the 2015 code stays in force.
Coming next
- 2021 IRCPartialAdopted; start date not setAdopted, not yet in forceMich. Admin. Code, Construction Code Part 5
Filed with the Secretary of State May 1, 2025, scheduled for Aug 29, 2025; LARA stopped from implementing under a Jul 7, 2025, stipulated order in Home Builders Assoc. v LARA. No 2026 update was found on LARA’s pages.
How Michigan adopts the IRC
Same rulemaking path as other parts: LARA rules, JCAR review, filing. The residential code is to be updated at least every 6 years and no more often than every 3. A court order, not the legislature, is currently holding up the 2021 update.
Cycle. Statute: residential code updated not less than every 6 years nor more than every 3; Michigan is on the 2015 edition.
Laws, rulings, and other actions
- Court rulingHome Builders Assoc. et al. v LARA et al. (Michigan Court of Claims, stipulated order)
Temporarily bars LARA from implementing the 2021-based Part 5 Residential Code and Part 10 energy rules while litigation continues, so the 2015 versions stay in force.
How it was checked
Verified
Two separate readings of the state’s own record agree, and the passage is on file word for word.
Read twice: a second, blind reading of the state’s record agreed with the first on .
The state’s record was last read on , from two source pages.
Evidence 3 sources
Sources for the record itself come first, the state’s own records ahead of others. A label marks a source about something else, such as an exception. A source marked secondary is not the state’s own record.
“2015 Michigan Residential Code Current Code – Effective February 8, 2016”
Code BooksMichigan LARA, Bureau of Construction Codesmichigan.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved “the 2015 versions of the IRC and residential provisions of the IECC”
Notice on the Court of Claims order, Residential Part 5 and Energy Part 10Michigan LARA, Bureau of Construction Codesmichigan.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved About a coming change
“On July 7, 2025, an order was issued by the court in two cases before the Michigan Court of Claims”
Notice on the Court of Claims order, Residential Part 5 and Energy Part 10Michigan LARA, Bureau of Construction Codesmichigan.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved
Tracker cross-checks
Code adoption trackers are a cross-check. They are not Michigan’s own record.
ICC’s code adoption mapCross-checkAgrees with the record
Row Michigan 21 15 X ...; IRC = second value (2015)
BCAP’s code status pageCross-checkDoes not agree with the record
Residential: 2021 Michigan Residential Code, based on the 2021 IECC, effective 3/1/2024