Michigan makes licensing easier for veterans

Michigan helps former armed services members by allowing them to use occupational licenses earned in the military or in other states to satisfy state requirements. But the state falls short in how it manages its facilities that care for veterans.

Many states, including Michigan, have entered into compact agreements for licensing reciprocity, which makes an occupational license issued in one state valid in the participating states.

More than one-third of military spouses work in fields that require a state-mandated license, and many of those licenses do not transfer across state lines, according to a 2020 blog post by Jarrett Skorup, vice president of marketing and communications at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

This exacerbates the 24% unemployment rate among military spouses.

In 2021, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law Senate Bill 157, Senate Bill 312, House Bill 4376, and House Bill 4377. These bills expedited occupational licensing for active-duty service members, veterans, and qualifying dependents who hold licenses from another state or country. The package also waived the fee for registration, according to a press release from the governor’s office. The Michigan Licensing and Regulatory Agency must issue qualifying licenses to military members, veterans, and their dependents without examination.

“Combined with tuition assistance, job training and leadership development, these bills demonstrate the commitment we have made to ensure state government recognizes the tremendous sacrifice made by our military members, veterans and their families,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul Rogers, adjutant general and director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veteran Affairs.

One area where Michigan has failed, however, is with the Michigan Veterans’ Facility Authority, according to a 2025 auditor general report.

The authority inaccurately stated the number of resident complaints, reporting 30 and 41 complaints in two quarterly reports. By contrast, auditors found 56 and 84 complaints in facility logs. The authority reported seven deaths at a facility for veterans, while auditors found 16 .

A total of six abuse-and-neglect complaints reports were either not submitted or were submitted late, and the complaints often did not contain the required information about how residents could file abuse and neglect complaints.

The same report concluded that the position of Michigan Veterans’ Facility ombudsman, created in 2016, had remained vacant since December 2021.

The ombudsman’s job is to investigate complaints involving medical treatment of veteran residents, administrative actions, health and safety concerns, and alleged violations of the law in these homes.

MIRS News reported in April 2025 that the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency said veteran services would be substantially cut, from $8.8 million to $5.1 million for fiscal year 2026.

The cut occurred after counties had begun to budget around the original projection.

While the federal government has authority over national service, Veterans Day is a time to assess how Michigan ensures that veterans get the best care for injuries, illness, and other challenges related to their time in the military.