What Drivers Need To Know About Funeral Processions In Michigan

Losing a loved one is never easy.

But when it happens, we come together to remember them and say goodbye as we pay our final respects at their funeral.

After the ceremony is over family, friends, and other people who knew the deceased will pack into their vehicles and proceed together from the funeral home to the cemetery where the person will be laid to rest.

In the funeral processions I've joined, we typically use a flag magnet on our car, and funeral home staff instruct us to activate our running lights and hazards for visibility.

I've often wondered if people in Michigan are required by law to stop or if it's just the right thing to do.

Are Michigan Drivers Required To Yield To Funeral Processions?

According to Michigan Compiled Laws (MCL 257.654) You are not legally required to stop or pull over to the side of the road when you see a funeral procession.

However, you are legally required to yield the right-of-way to the procession and not to drive through it.

The law also confirms what I mentioned earlier about my past experiences in processions that all vehicles must display a flag (typically orange with a religious symbol) and may only have the word "Funeral" on it.

If you were unsure, as I was, hopefully this clarifies what to do and what not to do when encountering a funeral procession in Michigan.