MARCH 13, 2006

The Southwest Oakland County PLUS Office opened its doors today, providing new customer conveniences such as expanded Wednesday hours and a Self-Service Station for vehicle tab renewals, Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land announced.

The office is at 31164 Beck Road, Novi, in the new Shoppes at the Trail mall at the southeast corner of the Pontiac Trail and Beck Road intersection. It is one of more than 20 PLUS offices being created by Land to deliver enhanced services. This is the second enhanced Secretary of State office for Oakland County. The Central Oakland County PLUS Office in Pontiac opened in August 2005.

"We’re excited to bring these modern conveniences to southwest Oakland County," Land said. "Customers across the state are enjoying PLUS office benefits and we are confident that area residents will appreciate them as well. Whether it’s expanded Wednesday hours or a speedy self-service option for license plate tab renewals, the Southwest Oakland County PLUS Office is making it easier to do business with us."

Benefits of the PLUS office include:

• Expanded Wednesday hours from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• An optional Self-Service Station that lets customers renew vehicle tabs without waiting for service at the counter. The ATM-style machine accepts Visa, MasterCard and Discover credit and debit cards. It also is available for use around the clock.
• The ability to pay with a Discover credit card at the counter.
• The option for customers to buy copies of their own driving record on-site.

In addition to PLUS offices, Land has launched five Secretary of State SUPER!Centers. SUPER!Centers offer many of the same features as PLUS offices as well as Saturday hours and certain specialty services. SUPER!Centers are in Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Livonia and Macomb County’s Clinton Township.

The enhanced offices are part of Land’s initiative to modernize branch office operations.

The Southwest Oakland County PLUS Office is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

Land reminds residents that they can "skip the trip" to a branch office by renewing vehicle and watercraft registrations online. Browsing the department Web site at www.Michigan.gov/sos also helps customers determine fees and requirements before they visit a branch office.