Last Updated on December 28, 2025 by The Insurance Pros
🛒 Michigan Price Scanner Bill of Rights (Scanner Law)
Michigan’s Price Scanner Bill of Rights, part of the Shopping Reform and Modernization Act (SRMA), protects consumers when a store’s scanner charges more than the price displayed on the shelf, sign, or tag. The goal is simple: the price you see should match the price you pay.
Michigan requires retailers to clearly display prices in the store at the place where the item is located. If the scanner rings higher, you may be entitled to a refund and a small bonus.
Official Michigan overview.
✅ Key Provisions of Michigan’s Scanner Law
- Price display requirement: Stores must clearly display the price for most consumer items using tags, signs, shelf labels, or other methods that reasonably convey the price where the item is located. MDARD pricing Q&A.
- Overcharge rights: If you are charged more than the displayed price, you can request a refund of the difference and may qualify for a “bonus” amount.
- Exemptions: Some categories are exempt from individual price display rules (examples below).
💡 Recent Update: The Law Is Still Being Enforced
Michigan’s Attorney General continues to emphasize scanner-law protections. In late 2025, the AG issued a notice of intended action to a national retailer over alleged repeated pricing violations, reinforcing that Michigan takes overcharges and inaccurate price displays seriously.
AG press release (Nov 2025).
🧾 What To Do If You Are Overcharged in Michigan
If you notice the register price is higher than the displayed shelf or sign price, take these steps:
- 📸 Take a quick photo of the shelf price or sign (if allowed).
- 🧾 Keep your receipt.
- 🗣️ Notify the store within 30 days (in person or in writing).
- ✅ Ask for the price difference + the bonus amount (when eligible).
- Notify the retailer: You must notify the seller within 30 days of the transaction (in person or in writing). Scanner Error Bill of Rights (PDF).
- Refund and bonus eligibility: Within 2 days after your notice, the seller may choose to refund the difference plus a “bonus” of 10× the difference, with a minimum of $1 and a maximum of $5. MCL 445.319.
- If the retailer refuses, you may file a lawsuit to recover actual damages or $250 (whichever is greater), plus reasonable attorney fees up to $300. MCL 445.319.
If you buy several identical items and they scan too high, you can typically recover the price difference for each item. The “bonus” is tied to the transaction and is commonly applied once per transaction under the statute’s structure. For specifics, review the law and MDARD guidance:
MCL 445.319 and MDARD Q&A.
🏷️ Items Commonly Exempt From Individual Price Display
Michigan’s scanner law includes several exemptions. Here are common examples shoppers run into:
- Unpackaged foods and items sold by weight or volume (such as bulk produce)
- Prepared foods intended for immediate consumption
- Items sold through vending machines
- Certain small, low-cost items (for example, very small items under specific weight/price thresholds)
- Live plants and animals
- Motor vehicles and certain motor vehicle parts
For a deeper list and details, see the statute section on price display exceptions:
MCL 445.317 (PDF).
📣 How To File a Complaint About a Scanner Error
If a retailer refuses to correct a scanner error, you can file a complaint with Michigan agencies that handle consumer protection and pricing issues.
Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD)
Weights & Measures supports item pricing/scanning accuracy issues:
MDARD Item Pricing & Scanning Accuracy Q&A
Michigan Attorney General, Consumer Protection
You can also file a consumer complaint with the Michigan Attorney General’s Consumer Protection team:
Scanner Law consumer info.
If you prefer your previously listed PDF form link, keep it, but consider confirming it remains current before relying on it long-term:
Consumer Complaint Form (PDF).
FAQs
Does the scanner law apply to sale items?
Yes. Michigan’s guidance confirms the scanner-law bonus still applies, including when pricing is displayed for sale items. MDARD Q&A.
What if there are two different prices displayed?
Michigan guidance generally states the lowest displayed price should be charged when pricing conflicts in-store. MDARD Q&A.
Final Thoughts
Michigan’s scanner law is one of those consumer protections most people do not think about until it happens to them. If something rings up higher than the shelf price, keep your receipt, notify the store within the required window, and use the official resources above if the issue is not resolved.
For more consumer protection resources, you can also visit:
Michigan Attorney General Consumer Protection.
Note: This article is for general informational purposes. For the most current details, review the official Michigan guidance and the statute directly.
What about clearance items? Does the Michigan bounty/scanner law apply to clearance items as well?
**I realized I was Overcharged for an item that was on clearance. I went back into Walgreens with my receipt and the hair product I was Overcharged on, After showing the clerk my receipt and where I was Overcharged, her uncertainty prompt me to grab the orange sticker and bring it up to her. Her negative attitude about the situation lead me to ask about the bounty law. She informed me it doesn’t apply to clearance items.
Afterwards I looked into it and can’t find anything that states the Michigan bounty law/scanner law does not apply to clearance items.