SOS - Obtaining a Michigan Driver License

Study

What Every Driver Must Know will help you prepare for the written knowledge test you'll be required to take at a Secretary of State office. Pay special attention to chapters 1 and 6-10.
The Driving Skills Test Study Guide provides you with all the information you'll need to schedule and pass a driving skills test.

Copies of these booklets are also available at any Secretary of State branch office. Use the Branch Office Locator to find a branch office near you.

If you have a valid driver's license from another state or Canada and have moved to Michigan, visit a Secretary of State office and:

Present documentation of a valid Social Security number or letter of ineligibility, U.S. citizenship or legal presence if not a U.S. citizen, identity and Michigan residency
Take a vision test and pass the physical standards
Have your photograph taken
Pay a $25 fee and obtain a Temporary Operator's Permit. The TOP allows you to drive until your Michigan driver's license arrives in the mail.

(A written test is required for anyone converting an out-of-state license with a hazardous materials endorsement.)

Individuals with a valid out-of-state operator's license applying for a Michigan chauffeur's license, Commercial Driver License or a motorcycle endorsement, or whose license has been expired for at least four years, must pass the required written or driving skills tests before a license can be issued.

Only U.S. citizens and residents with temporary or permanent legal presence may apply for a Michigan driver's license.

Residents who have temporary legal presence are issued a limited-term driver's license. A limited-term license is valid for only as long as the person is authorized to remain in the country.