Michigan’s MISS DIG law: give a dig notice at least 72 hours before augering or trenching for poles, gates and conduit

Michigan’s MISS DIG Underground Facility Damage Prevention and Safety Act requires excavators to give the MISS DIG notification system a dig notice at least 72 hours, but not more than 14 calendar days, before powered digging, and to expose marked facilities by soft excavation before using power equipment within 48 inches of the marks.

Source facts

MCL 460.725, part of Michigan’s MISS DIG act (2013 PA 174, effective April 1, 2014), requires an excavator to give the notification system a dig notice at least 72 hours, but not more than 14 calendar days, before excavating, excluding hours on nonbusiness days, with each excavator on a site giving its own notice. A ticket is valid for 21 days from the start date, or 180 days if the notice says the work will take longer.

The definitions make excavation any displacement of earth below grade with power tools or power equipment, including trenching, drilling, boring and augering, and define the caution zone as the area within 48 inches of either side of the facility marks. In a caution zone, marked facilities must be exposed by soft excavation, such as hand-digging or vacuum excavation, before power equipment is used.

Under MCL 460.727, orange marks identify communication, cable television, alarm or signal lines. An excavator who suspects an unmarked facility must stop and notify the system, must notify the owner immediately after contacting or damaging a facility, and must call 9-1-1 if the damage releases a flammable, toxic or corrosive gas or liquid or endangers life, health or property. Knowingly damaging a facility without notice, or concealing the damage, is a misdemeanor under MCL 460.731.

Applicability

Use this for powered digging in Michigan; other states have their own one-call laws. The act excludes replacing a fence post, sign post or guardrail in its existing location.

DSE recommendation

DSE recommends making a valid MISS DIG ticket and a positive-response check a hard stop before any powered digging on a Michigan site. White-line work areas that are hard to describe, photograph the marks before work starts, hand-dig or vacuum-excavate within 48 inches of every mark, and stop and request assistance when a mark is missing.

Verification

Before each dig, confirm the ticket number, start date and positive responses on the job record, and keep the photographs and ticket in the closeout file.

Official references

Michigan Legislature — MCL 460.725, MISS DIG Underground Facility Damage Prevention and Safety Act. Michigan Legislature — MCL 460.723, Definitions. Michigan Legislature — MCL 460.727, Marking facility location. Michigan Legislature — MCL 460.731, Prohibited conduct. Reviewed October 19, 2026.