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State Guide
Last reviewed

Michigan Exhibit Stamps

Professional exhibit labeling for Michigan Circuit Courts

  • Michigan plaintiffs mark exhibits with P-1, P-2..., and defendants use D-1, D-2....
  • Michigan's primary exhibit rule is MCR 2.401(I), MCR 2.302.
  • Michigan courts e-file through MiFILE, with a maximum file size of 25 MB.
  • Exhibits are typically exchanged 14 days before trial (final pretrial conference deadline, per case management order) in Michigan courts.
  • Wayne County is one of Michigan's largest civil dockets.
  • Mcr 2.401(i) exhibit and witness lists are mandatory at the final pretrial conference -- unlisted evidence risks exclusion absent good cause.
  • Mifile e-filing is available statewide, though individual circuits set their own local e-filing requirements.
  • ExhibitPrep generates court-compliant Michigan exhibit stamps entirely in the browser, with files never leaving the user's device.
MCR 2.401(I), MCR 2.302MiFILE25 MB limit

Stamping a full exhibit set by hand takes hours. ExhibitPrep applies Michigan-compliant labels in minutes — preview free, pay only to download.

Opens the tool set up for Michigan — plaintiff: Prefix: "P-", Numbers starting at 1; defendant: Prefix: "D-", Numbers starting at 1.

Quick Reference

Plaintiff MarkingP-1, P-2...
Defendant MarkingD-1, D-2...
Exchange Deadline14 days before trial (final pretrial conference deadline, per case management order)
E-Filing SystemMiFILE
File Size Limit25 MB
Primary RuleMCR 2.401(I), MCR 2.302

Key Requirements for Michigan

  • MCR 2.401(I) exhibit and witness lists are mandatory at the final pretrial conference -- unlisted evidence risks exclusion absent good cause
  • MiFILE e-filing is available statewide, though individual circuits set their own local e-filing requirements
  • Circuit courts with three or more judges must designate a Business Court under MCL 600.8031 for business/commercial disputes over $25,000 in controversy
  • Wayne County (Third Circuit, Detroit) is Michigan's largest and busiest civil docket by a wide margin
  • 83 counties statewide -- exhibit deadlines are typically set by the assigned circuit's scheduling order, not a single statewide date

Major County Rules

Wayne County

Third Circuit Court (Detroit) -- Michigan's largest circuit by caseload. Business Court division handles qualifying commercial disputes under MCL 600.8031.

Oakland County

Sixth Circuit Court (Pontiac), covering Detroit's northern suburbs. Second-largest circuit docket in the state.

Macomb County

Sixteenth Circuit Court (Mount Clemens), Michigan's third-largest county by population, northeast of Detroit.

Kent County

Seventeenth Circuit Court (Grand Rapids), the largest circuit outside metro Detroit and West Michigan's commercial hub.

Ready to Stamp Your Michigan Exhibits?

ExhibitPrep creates professional exhibit stamps compliant with Michigan court requirements. Preview free—pay only when you're ready to download.

Typical Michigan Exhibit Timeline

Discovery
Gather exhibits
Pre-Trial
Mark & exchange
Trial
Present exhibits

MCR 2.401(I) governs the final pretrial conference: parties must file and exchange witness and exhibit lists, and evidence left off the list can be excluded at trial absent good cause. MCR 2.302 sets the underlying scope of discovery those exhibits are drawn from.

Michigan Exhibit FAQs

What happens if I forget to list an exhibit before a Michigan trial?

It can be excluded. MCR 2.401(I) requires witness and exhibit lists to be filed and exchanged at the final pretrial conference, and evidence left off that list may be barred from trial unless the party shows good cause for the omission.

Does Michigan have specialized business courts for commercial exhibits?

Yes. Under MCL 600.8031, any circuit court with three or more judges must designate a Business Court for qualifying commercial and business disputes exceeding $25,000 in controversy. Wayne, Oakland, and Kent counties all operate Business Court dockets.

Which Michigan circuit court has the busiest civil docket?

Wayne County's Third Circuit Court (Detroit) handles by far the largest civil caseload in the state, followed by Oakland County's Sixth Circuit Court and Macomb County's Sixteenth Circuit Court.

Is e-filing required in Michigan circuit courts?

MiFILE is available statewide, but whether e-filing is mandatory depends on the individual circuit's local administrative order -- some circuits require it for attorneys, others make it optional. Check your assigned circuit's e-filing page before relying on paper filing as a fallback.

Last updated: 2026-07. Always verify current requirements with your court.