Act 51 of 1951

Technically knwon as Michigan Public Act 51 or 1951, also known as "P.A. 51" or just "Act 51," is the basis for essentially all road-related funding in the state. This Michigan legislative act serves as the foundation for establishing a road funding structure by creating transportation funding distribution methods and means and has been amended several times since its original passage. To quote the Michigan Department of Transportation,

"Public Act 51 of 1951, as amended governs the created Michigan Transportation Fund (MTF) into which specific transportation taxes are deposited, prescribes how these revenues are to be distributed and the purposes for which they can be spent. Act 51 also establishes jurisdictional road networks, sets priorities for the use of transportation revenues, and allows bonded indebtedness for transportation improvements and guarantees repayment of debt."

Anyone in the State of Michigan dealing with highways, roads and streets on any level must be at least familiar with, if not extremely well-versed in, the details of Act 51. Presented below are several Act 51 resources, including the original verbiage of the statute as passed in 1951, as well as more recent verbiage and other analysis. Over the decades, Act 51 has been amended many times to keep up with the times. As an illustration of how much the law has changed, the original 1951 text contained 6,223 words and 31,000 characters, while the present-day version has grown to 57,161 words and over 300,000 characters!

• Act 51 of 1951 – the original text of the statute as was passed by the Michigan Legislature on May 23, 1951 and became effective June 1, 1951, and as archived courtesy of this website.
• State Trunk Line Highway System: Act 51 of 1951 – the current, present-day text of the law from the Michigan Legislature website.
• Act 51 Primer: A Guide to 1951 Act 51 and Michigan Transportation Funding – a document prepared in February 2007 by William E. Hamilton, Senior Fiscal Analyst of the House Fiscal Agency.
• Act 51 Made Simple – a page from the MDOT website, originally published in 2000, archived here verbatim with no changes, updates, or corrections.

Additional Information

For more information about Act 51, refer to:

• Act 51 – MDOT's primary Act 51 website
• Understanding Public Act 51 of 1951, as amended – from MDOT, November 2017
• Public Act 51 of 1951 Annual Reporting Guidance – from CRA, the County Road Association of Michigan, May 2018.
• Act 51 Mileage Certification Maps – from MDOT.