Michigan legislators introduce bills to make service of personal protection orders free, immediate

Kara Berg, The Detroit News on Oct 15, 2025

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DETROIT — Three Michigan legislators on Wednesday introduced bipartisan legislation to make it so a personal protection order will be immediately served by law enforcement at no cost to the victim.

Michigan law now requires that a person seeking a personal protection order for protection against domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault to organize service to the respondent themselves. That often comes at a cost, as law-enforcement will charge to deliver PPOs once they've been granted, and private servers cost even more.

Sens. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, and Ruth Johnson, R-Holly, introduced a bill in the Senate Wednesday that would eliminate these costs and would make it so the PPOs are served immediately. A House version of the bill will be filed by Rep. Helena Scott, D-Detroit.

The bill comes just weeks after the death of Latricia Green, who was killed in August allegedly by her ex-husband while Green was working at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Just weeks before her death, a Wayne County judge had granted Green’s request for a personal protection order, but the order had not been served before her murder.

“No one should have to forgo the safety provided under a Personal Protection Order simply because of the amount of money in their wallet,” Chang said in a statement. “By eliminating longstanding barriers that leave victims vulnerable to those who seek to harm them, our bipartisan legislation would save lives and make Michigan safer."

Chang said 43 states, Washington D.C., and two territories already require PPO service be free. The proposed legislation would make service of a PPO more accessible to domestic violence victims and safer, because law enforcement is serving the order instead of a friend or family member of the victim.

Michigan's only service options aside from having someone older than 18 deliver it are by way of the county sheriff, a process server or certified mail, all of which cost money. The sheriff's office charges by the mile. In Wayne County, it costs a $26 flat fee plus $2.10 per mile from Detroit, based on the ZIP code. That means if a PPO needs to be served in New Boston, it would cost nearly $100, according to the sheriff's office's fee chart.

“Michigan needs to join 43 other states to better protect our residents who are fleeing situations of domestic violence, stalking, and harassment,” Johnson said in a statement. “These reforms are critical, common-sense, and long overdue."

Chang and Johnson said they hope legislation like this can prevent tragedies like Latricia Green’s death.

“It’s become really crystal clear that we need to fix this," Chang said in September. "It’s clear this is a gap in the law that needs to be fixed. … (Latricia's death) has shed a light on the fact that this is something that has needed to change for a long time."

As part of the 2026 fiscal year state budget, $1 million has been marked for a PPO service fund within the Michigan State Police Department. It would be used to reimburse law enforcement who serve PPOs, according to Chang’s office.

“Michigan needs to enact legislation that would require law enforcement agencies to serve personal protection orders at no cost to survivors,” said Rebecca Shiemke, chair of the Michigan Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention and Treatment Board, in a statement. “Providing free service for the process of Personal Protection Orders would enhance the safety of victims by eliminating a financial barrier for those who need the assistance of the court system to avoid threats of violence."

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