Is Toilet Papering or Egging a Crime in Michigan?

With Halloween coming up this Friday, some kids might think it’s funny to toilet paper a neighbor’s yard or egg a friend’s house. Do kids even still do that anymore?

Back in the day, it used to be the ultimate Halloween move, but before you grab a few rolls of TP or a carton of eggs, you might want to think twice.

What Michigan Law Says About Toilet Papering and Egging

There is no specific law that mentions toilet papering or egging, but both can fall under Michigan’s malicious destruction of property laws. That means if you intentionally damage or make a mess on someone’s property, you could be charged with a misdemeanor or even a felony, depending on the cost of the damage.

One thing to keep in mind is that local city ordinances can vary. Some towns treat pranks like this more seriously than others, so what gets a warning in one place could mean a fine somewhere else.

If cleanup or repairs are under two hundred dollars, it is usually just a misdemeanor, not a huge deal. But once the damage passes that mark, the penalties increase fast, and anything over one thousand dollars can be considered a felony.

 Why Egging Can Get You Into Bigger Trouble

Egging might seem funny in the moment, but it can cause real damage. The acid in eggs can eat away at car paint, siding, and windows, leading to hundreds or even thousands of dollars in repairs.

At the end of the day, what might have been a laugh years ago could now land you with fines and charges.

I’m not going to lie, back in my day, we did plenty of TPing, but back then, there weren’t cell phones to catch us in the act.