MAY 31, 2005

Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land today announced that the branch office at 221 W. Washtenaw St. in Lansing will relocate to a more convenient downtown site on Monday, June 13.

The office will reopen at 108 S. Washington Square, site of the former Rite Aid pharmacy. The Office of the Great Seal and the Department of State’s regional office also will move to the Washington Square site.

"This is an excellent opportunity to better serve our customers," Land said. "The new location offers more room, accessible parking and a closer proximity to shops and restaurants. In addition, putting our branch office, regional staff and Office of the Great Seal under the same roof generates greater operating efficiencies for the department. This is an ideal arrangement and we look forward to serving our neighbors in the heart of Lansing."

About 12 department employees will work in the new location.

The customer service schedule is as follows:

• Branch office: The Washtenaw Street office is closed Wednesday, June 8 through Friday, June 10 before reopening at the new location on Monday, June 13.
• Office of the Great Seal: The office currently is in Suite 100 of the Capitol Tower Building at 110 W. Michigan Ave., Lansing. It relocates to 108 S. Washington Square on Monday, June 13. 

The majority of services will be provided during the transition period, Wednesday, June 8 through Wednesday, June 15, with the exception of the availability of public records.

Friday, June 10 - Walk-in service is available from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Office will close for the day at 11:30 a.m.

Monday, June 13 - Office will be closed in the morning but will offer walk-in service from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the new location.

Customers needing branch office services in the meantime may visit the following nearby offices:

• Lansing Area PLUS
  5827 W. Saginaw
• East Lansing
  400 Albert St., Suite C 409
• Mason
  N. Cedar, Suite B

Hours for these branch offices are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Wednesday, the Lansing Area PLUS Office is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. while East Lansing and Mason are open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For greater customer convenience, the Department of State Information Center at (517) 322-1460 has been created to serve as a single point of contact to answer questions about branch office services.

The regional office currently is in the state Secondary Complex.

Land reminds customers who need to renew vehicle tabs that they can "skip the trip" to a branch office by using the Internet, mail or touch-tone telephone.

Visit the department Web site at www.Michigan.gov/sos for more information about offices and services.