(A) Time to File. A motion for change of venue must be filed before or at the time the defendant files an answer.
Rule 2.221.Motion for Change of Venue
Current through May 1, 2026 · Last verified July 6, 2026
In one sentenceRule 2.221 requires any motion to change venue to be filed before or with the defendant's answer, allows a later motion only if its grounds could not reasonably have been discovered sooner, and treats a missed deadline as a waiver of the venue objection.
Full Text of Rule 2.221
(B) Late Motion. Untimeliness is not a ground for denial of a motion filed after the answer if the court is satisfied that the facts on which the motion is based were not and could not with reasonable diligence have been known to the moving party more than 14 days before the motion was filed.
(C) Waiver. An objection to venue is waived if it is not raised within the time limits imposed by this rule.
Amendment History
Michigan tracks the orders that adopt and amend its Court Rules in a separate administrative record rather than printing a history note beneath each rule in the compiled rules text reproduced here. The text above is verified current through the source’s own May 1, 2026 update; for the full order-by-order history of this rule, see the Michigan Supreme Court’s rules and orders page.
Plain-English Summary
A motion for change of venue, whatever its basis, must be filed before or at the same time as the defendant's answer. A later motion isn't automatically doomed: it can still go forward if the court is satisfied that the facts behind it weren't, and reasonably couldn't have been, known to the moving party more than 14 days before it was filed. Miss both the deadline and that excuse, though, and the objection to venue is waived.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do I have to ask for a change of venue?
Before or at the same time you file your answer.
Can I still raise a venue problem after I've answered?
Only if you show the facts supporting the motion weren't, and reasonably couldn't have been, known to you more than 14 days before you filed it.
What happens if I miss the deadline?
You waive your objection to venue.
Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Michigan Court Rules (MCR 2.221). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Michigan (Mich. Const. 1963, art. VI, § 5). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 6, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: motion to change venue Michiganvenue objection deadline Michiganwaiver of venue objection Michigan