Going to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in any state can be a dreaded trip for many individuals. In Michigan, everything is housed under the Secretary of State (SOS), which are offices that can complete a wide variety of services from renewing your driver’s license to officially registering to vote. Therefore, there isn’t a specific establishment that just takes care of car-related activities like you would assume at most typical DMV offices. The SOS office is your one-stop shop to get what you need done and luckily Michigan has 131 branches statewide that you can visit. If you aren’t able to visit in person, you also have options to complete services online, at self-service kiosks or renewals by mail. We will go through some of the basic services that are offered at the SOS office along with other helpful information you may want to know.

Services

You will find a wide variety of services offered at Michigan SOS offices including:

• Driver’s license and state ID
• Voting registration
• Business services
• Vehicle title and registration

These are standard services that you will find at each SOS branch, regardless of which location to visit. If you have a learner’s permit and you’re moving from out of state you’ll need to take the Michigan driver’s license test, your previous state’s results will not be valid.

Express SOS

The Express SOS is a unique online feature where you can complete a handful of services through an online portal without having to physically visit a SOS branch location. The motto behind this option is “Anytime. Anywhere.” as most individuals live busy lives and don’t always have spare time to visit a SOS branch during normal scheduled hours. In order to complete services, you have the ability to pay with a debit or credit card and process the request from wherever you are. A few of these online services include:

• Renewing/Replacing a driver’s license
• Renewing/Replacing a state ID card
• Updating your address
• Joining the organ donor registry
• Vehicle services

At some SOS locations, you can opt to place yourself in line at a location without physically being there when you get in line. This allows you to save time and know right before you are supposed to be next when to come in. This is a very convenient way to know that you are in line for a service and be able to do other things before arriving at the SOS office.

Helpful information

Before going to the SOS office, it’s important to be fully prepared and have all the necessary documents with you. To get answers to more specific questions you might have, the FAQ page on the Michigan SOS website serves as a very useful tool. Alternatively, if you’ve been in a motor accident and are looking for an attorney, you won’t find these services here. For a local attorney click here. Or for a motorcycle attorney in Illinois, we recommend Chicago based Biker Justice USA.

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