Michigan Propane Training Requirements Under PEP — 2026 Guide
The short answer
No — Michigan does not name CETP or PEP anywhere in state law. Michigan regulates propane through two separate tracks: the Bureau of Fire Services (BFS) Storage Tank Division enforces the Storage and Handling of Liquefied Petroleum Gases rules (Mich. Admin. Code R 29.6101–29.6155, which adopt NFPA 58, 2014 edition by reference), and LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes licenses the piping side through the mechanical contractor license with an LP distribution piping classification (Skilled Trades Regulation Act, 2016 PA 407, Article 8). Neither track names a specific training curriculum — which means the CETP-to-PEP transition creates no statutory conflict in Michigan, but it also means your training obligation comes through NFPA 58's adopted training requirements, not a named state program. Keep training on PEP; it is the industry-standard way to prove NFPA 58 competency. Confidence: high that no CETP-by-name requirement exists (primary rules reviewed); verify your specific situation with BFS.
What does Michigan law say about propane training?
ichigan law actually says
Michigan splits propane regulation across two agencies, both inside the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA):
Track 1 — storage and handling. The Bureau of Fire Services, Storage Tank Division regulates LP-gas systems under the Michigan Fire Prevention Code (Act 207 of 1941, MCL 29.3c) and the Storage and Handling of Liquefied Petroleum Gases rules, Mich. Admin. Code R 29.6101–29.6155. The operative adoption rule, verbatim:
"The National Fire Protection Associations (NFPA) pamphlet entitled 'NFPA 58 Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code 2014 Edition,' pertaining to the storage and handling, but not transportation, of LP-gas, is adopted by reference as part of these rules." — R 29.6102
The Storage Tank Division requires plan review and certification for LPG systems with 2,000+ gallon individual capacity, 4,000+ gallon aggregate capacity, or any container-filling operation (Application Form BFS-3861; $203 per tank plan-reviewed at last verification). Citations verified at michigan.gov/lara and Mich. Admin. Code R 29.6102, 2026-07-13.
Track 2 — piping and installation work. Installing or servicing LP gas distribution piping requires a Michigan mechanical contractor license with the LP distribution piping classification under the Skilled Trades Regulation Act (2016 PA 407), Article 8 (successor to the Forbes Mechanical Contractors Act, Act 192 of 1984). Requirements: minimum 3 years of experience in each classification applied for, plus a PSI-administered exam per classification.
The plain read: no Michigan statute or rule names CETP, PEP, or "the certified employee training program of a national propane gas association." The employee-training obligation arrives indirectly — NFPA 58 (adopted in R 29.6102) requires that persons who handle LP-gas be trained in proper procedures, with refresher training on a three-year cadence. How you satisfy that training requirement is not prescribed by name in Michigan law.
What changed for Michigan operators?
PERC is archiving CETP on a rolling basis — each module retires roughly 12 months after its PEP replacement releases. PEP, the successor, is role-based and modular: employees complete only the learning paths their job requires, the credential is a PERC Learning Center transcript entry instead of a paper CETP certificate, and the proctored CETP exam is replaced by module knowledge assessments plus an OJT (on-the-job training) worksheet verified by a PEP-Recognized Field Trainer.
For Michigan, the transition is legally quiet: because no rule names CETP, nothing in Michigan law breaks when CETP retires. Your NFPA 58 training obligation is curriculum-neutral — CETP satisfied it yesterday, PEP satisfies it today. The practical shift is documentation: an insurance auditor, a BFS inspector reviewing a filling-plant incident, or a DOT auditor will ask how your people were trained, and the answer is now a Learning Center transcript, not a wall certificate. One wrinkle worth watching: Michigan's rules adopt the 2014 edition of NFPA 58 — an older edition than most states run — so if BFS updates the adopted edition, re-check whether any new training language rides along.
What is the Michigan compliance trap?
Michigan's trap is the two-agency split. Operators assume "the fire marshal handles propane" and miss that the piping side lives in a completely different bureau with a real license requirement: a mechanical contractor license with the LP distribution piping classification, 3 years of documented experience, and a passed exam. Training your techs on PEP does not license them to run LP piping in Michigan — and holding the piping license does not satisfy the NFPA 58 handling-and-transfer training the BFS rules adopt. The two tracks are independent; you need both squared away. The second, quieter trap: any filling operation triggers Storage Tank Division plan review regardless of tank size. A single autogas dispenser or cylinder-fill station added without BFS certification is a findable violation.
What should Michigan operators do now?
- Keep training on PEP. It is PERC's current program and the industry-standard evidence of NFPA 58 competency — which is exactly what Michigan's adopted code requires.
- Confirm your license coverage on the piping side. If your techs install or service LP distribution piping, verify the mechanical contractor license carries the LP distribution piping classification and the individual experience requirements are documented.
- Check your plan-review status. Any filling operation — regardless of tank size — and any system over the 2,000/4,000-gallon thresholds needs Storage Tank Division plan review and certification. If you've added a dispenser or bulk tank without it, fix that before an inspector finds it.
- Hold onto prior CETP certificates. They remain valid records in the PERC Learning Center — keep them.
- Ask BFS directly whether any training-documentation expectations changed. No published Michigan guidance addresses the CETP-to-PEP transition; a written answer from the Storage Tank Division is the only authoritative confirmation available today.
Who regulates propane training in Michigan?
Michigan Bureau of Fire Services, Storage Tank Division (LARA) — LPG plan review, certification, and storage/handling rules - michigan.gov/lara → Bureau of Fire Services → Storage Tanks (office address in rule: 3101 Technology Boulevard, Lansing, MI 48910) - Ask specifically: *"Our technicians are completing PERC's PEP program, the successor to CETP. Does the Storage Tank Division have any training-documentation expectations under R 29.6101–29.6155 / NFPA 58 that a PERC Learning Center transcript would not satisfy?"*
LARA Bureau of Construction Codes — Mechanical Section — mechanical contractor licensing, LP distribution piping classification - michigan.gov/lara → Bureau of Construction Codes → Mechanical
Michigan Propane Gas Association — the state association; the practical source for PEP class schedules and how Michigan operators are handling the transition.
Get answers in writing. Michigan has issued no PEP-transition notice, so a direct confirmation is the record you want in the file.
What should Michigan operators document?
- The completion date and PERC Learning Center transcript for each PEP-trained employee (PEP issues no paper certificate — the transcript is the record).
- Any prior CETP certificates — keep them; they stay in the Learning Center as valid history.
- Mechanical contractor license and classification records for anyone doing LP distribution piping work — license number, classification, and the 3-years-experience documentation behind it.
- Storage Tank Division plan-review certifications for every qualifying tank and filling operation (BFS-3861 approvals).
- NFPA 58 refresher-training dates — the adopted code expects retraining on a three-year cadence; track it per employee.
- OJT worksheets and who verified them. PERC's Learning Center auto-tracks eLearning only; hands-on OJT is yours to track and retain.
Will my insurer accept PEP in Michigan?
Separate from Michigan's rules, your insurance carrier may have its own training-documentation expectations — and some carrier materials still reference "CETP" by name because they predate PEP. In a state like Michigan where the law names no curriculum, carrier expectations are effectively the strictest training standard you face. We do not know your carrier's position on PEP, and no major propane carrier has published PEP-equivalency guidance. Verify directly with your carrier whether a PEP transcript satisfies whatever training documentation your policy or underwriter expects. Treat this as its own checklist item, independent of BFS and the mechanical licensing board.
---
*This is an information resource. Verify with your state authority before relying on this for licensing or employment decisions.*
Get your full Michigan PEP report — the two-agency map, the R 29.6101–29.6155 / NFPA 58 citations, the LP-distribution-piping license requirement, and the filling-operation plan-review trigger — at the PEP Checker. And if tracking PEP transcripts, license classifications, and OJT worksheets across your crew is the headache, see how TankSpotter's Training pillar tracks PEP completion and OJT verification in one place: book a demo at /demo-tankspotter.
Michigan — at a glance
CETP named in law
No
PEP recognized
Silent (no specific guidance)
Transition guidance published
No
Research confidence
High
Last verified
2026-07-13
Your regulator
Michigan LARA — Bureau of Fire Services (BFS)
Michigan: Training required; no specific program named in law. Verified 2026-07-13.
Verify with your regulator — always
State positions on PEP are changing. Even where we have a verdict, the operator with a dated written confirmation from their state authority is the one who’s protected. Ask your regulator: “Does PEP completion satisfy your state’s current training requirements for LP-gas licensing?” Get the answer in writing.
- Regulator: Michigan LARA — Bureau of Fire Services (BFS)
- PERC (training questions): 1-800-757-1554 · training.propane.com
Email me this Michigan report + put me on PEP Watch
You’ve read the full Michiganguide above. Get a saved copy you can forward to your owner or insurer, and we’ll alert you the moment Michigan’s status changes — plus your other states’ status, all in one place.
Email me the Michigan report →Tracking PEP completion and OJT worksheets for your crew?
PERC’s Learning Center tracks eLearning only — the hands-on OJT worksheets are yours to track. Tank Spotter’s Training pillar keeps both in one audit-ready place. In a demo, you’ll see your own Michiganrule card live inside Tank Spotter — every employee’s status against it.
Disclaimer: This is an information resource maintained by Tank Spotter. It is not legal advice and does not constitute a compliance determination. Verify with your state regulator and your own insurer before relying on any information here for licensing or employment decisions.