By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- Michigan State Police confirmed 948 of nearly 10,400 certified officers statewide had Intoxilyzer 9000 certifications that lapsed before recertification, including 41 cases flagged in Grand Traverse County.
- The Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office first identified the issue and alerted the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police on Aug. 20; MACP then confirmed the concern with state police.
- A review found the Intoxilyzer 9000 would accept dates other than an operator’s actual certification date and still allow testing to proceed, and that lapsed officers had improperly renewed via an online course meant only for those still current.
- Michigan switched training platforms Jan. 1, 2026, adding automated alerts at 90, 60 and 30 days before certification expiration; the previous system gave no such notice.
- State police, MACP and the Michigan Sheriffs Association are working with local agencies statewide to correct training records; Grand Traverse County and Traverse City police have made internal changes to prevent future lapses.
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — A total of 948 law enforcement officers across Michigan had their Intoxilyzer 9000 certifications lapse before completing required recertification, state police said, a gap that could affect alcohol-related criminal cases statewide, including at least 41 in Grand Traverse County.
Michigan State Police reviewed three separate training databases covering nearly 10,400 certified officers statewide and confirmed the lapses, according to Spl/Lt. Ashley Miller, the department’s 7th District public information officer. State police are legislatively responsible for managing Michigan’s breath alcohol testing instruments and for training and certifying the officers who operate them.
The issue came to light Aug. 20, when the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office contacted partnering agencies and the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police around the same time. “We found out that they were” warranted, MACP Executive Director Ronald Wiles Jr. said of the concerns. Wiles said his organization has been coordinating with police departments statewide to ensure they understand the recertification steps required.
A review found that the Intoxilyzer 9000 would accept dates other than an operator’s actual certification date and still permit a breath analysis to proceed. Miller said it remains the operator’s responsibility to confirm their certification is valid before use. Investigators also found that some officers had renewed lapsed certifications through an online course intended only for officers whose certification had not yet expired; once lapsed, state rules require in-person training.
The state previously used a learning management system that did not notify officers when their certification was set to expire, requiring them to track the two-year renewal period themselves. On Jan. 1, 2026, the state switched platforms to one that now alerts officers 90, 60 and 30 days before their certification lapses. State police said they immediately worked with the Michigan Sheriffs Association and MACP to notify member agencies and help them obtain the data needed to correct affected training records.
The Intoxilyzer 9000 was adopted statewide in 2023, introducing a two-year recertification cycle that did not exist under the previously used device — meaning many officers trained at rollout saw their certifications expire within the past year. Officials at the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office and Traverse City Police Department said they have made internal changes to ensure staff certifications stay current going forward.