Filing for office, including petition signature requirements and political party status.
Elections administration, including the Election Inspector's Guide; absentee voting; and the Michigan Qualified Voter File.
Find information about the Board of State Canvassers and its meeting notices.
Title and registration requirements; special titles; name changes; address changes; license plate fees; insurance requirements; new Michigan residents; lost titles; lost license plates; and deceased vehicle owners.
Disability parking and placard information, disability parking, disability plate, disabled parking permit, and wheelchair.
Recreational vehicles such as snowmobiles, watercraft, ORVs, and trailers.
The International Registration Plan (IRP) - a program for registering and licensing of commercial vehicles in interstate operations among member jurisdictions (states or provinces).
The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) online service for customers filing financial statements and liens through the Secretary of State.
Operating requirements for agricultural vehicles on public roads - lighting, slow-moving vehicle emblems, and more.
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Michigan's new driver's licenses and IDs with higher security features are now in circulation. Residents will receive the new license or ID design if applying for their first card or when renewing/replacing their current card. There is no additional cost for the new card and all valid features, designations, and endorsements on a current license or ID will transfer to the new one. Michigan's old card design featuring the Mackinac Bridge is valid until expiration and will phase out over the next five years.
To receive your first-time REAL ID-compliant license or ID, an office visit and further documentation are required.
Renew some endorsements online
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Beginning February 7, 2022, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has established new minimum training standards for individuals applying for:
These new minimum training standards are referred to as Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT). Drivers must complete the required ELDT from a training provider registered with FMCSA before being scheduled for CDL skills or knowledge tests to obtain one of the licenses or endorsements listed previously. Once implemented, the FMCSA Training Provider Registry (TPR) will retain a record of which CDL applicants have completed the new training and certification process outlined in the ELDT regulations. A CLP may be issued prior to ELDT being completed. First-time hazardous applicants including those applying for a Class A, B, or C CDL must complete the hazardous portion of ELDT prior to a written knowledge test being administered at a branch office. Customers who received their Class A or B CLP prior Feb. 7, 2022, are exempt from these regulations until the CLP is expired.
To apply for a CDL endorsement, visit a Secretary of State office to provide your:
Additional documents are required for hazardous materials (hazmat), passenger, and school bus endorsements.
Starting November 18, 2024, the State of Michigan must check the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (DACH) before carrying out any licensing transactions related to commercial driver's licenses (CDL) or commercial learner's permits (CLP). The DACH is an online database managed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and its main purpose is to provide compliance information on drug and alcohol program violations committed by CDL or CLP holders to law enforcement, state licensing agencies (DMV), and employers in the transportation industry.
If a driver tests positive or refuses to undergo a DOT drug test, the State of Michigan will be required to downgrade their CLP or CDL upon receiving notification of a DACH violation from the FMCSA. Afterwards, the driver must successfully complete the return-to-duty (RTD) process with a substance abuse professional (SAP) who is qualified by the Department of Transportation (DOT).
To be issued a CDL endorsement, you must pass the following at a Secretary of State office:
If you are applying for a hazardous materials (hazmat) endorsement, visit a Secretary of State office and provide the following in addition to your valid, unexpired license and CDL Certification form:
More information on background check requirements is available on the TSA website.
During your Secretary of State office visit, provide payment for the endorsement using cash, check, money order, or credit or debit card (additional fees apply).
To renew your commercial driver’s license online, you will need:
Note: If you have a hazardous materials (hazmat) endorsement, you can’t renew online.
This transaction isn’t available by mail.
This transaction isn’t available at self-service stations.
To renew your CDL at a Secretary of State office, you will need your:
If you self-certify as a non-excepted interstate driver, you must also present a completed and signed Medical Examiner's Certificate (DOT Medical Card).
You will be required to take and pass a vision test to renew your CDL endorsement(s).
If you are renewing a hazardous materials (hazmat [H]) endorsement, visit a Secretary of State office to provide the previously listed documents as well as:
You will be required to pass a written knowledge test for the renewal of your H endorsement, in addition to the vision test.
Human traffickers often use truck stops, bus stations, rest areas, and transit centers for coordinating and moving victims. Signs of human trafficking may include:
If something looks suspicious, trust your instincts, and contact local authorities by a call or text (calls may be made anonymously). If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911. Never attempt to confront a trafficker or victim.
When reporting a suspected human trafficking situation, describe specifically what you observed, including:
More information is available at the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Call (888) 373-7888 or text HELP or INFO to BeFree at 233733. The NHT hotline is a non-governmental agency funded by the federal government. It is not a law enforcement or immigration authority.
In addition to the appropriate CDL group designation, endorsements are required for the following:
All Secretary of State offices can accept payment by cash, credit or debit card (additional fees apply), or money order or check made payable to the State of Michigan.
You will need to pass knowledge exams about any CDL endorsements for which you are applying. To help you prepare the exams, the Michigan Commercial Driver's License Manual is available on our website.
Michigan Commercial Driver's License Manual
If you are applying for a hazardous materials (hazmat) endorsement, you will need proof of U.S. citizenship (certified birth certificate, U.S. passport, etc.) or proof of your immigration status. Immigration documents must be verified through the federal government’s SAVE application. Verification may take more than one day.
Beginning February 7, 2022, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires customers applying for a first-time CDL or upgrading a CDL to complete Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) through an approved driver education provider. Information about finding a provider can be found on FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry.
ELDT must be completed before you can take a hazardous materials endorsement knowledge test. For other CDL classes and endorsements, you may take knowledge tests and obtain a commercial learner’s permit (CLP) but you must complete ELDT before scheduling a CDL skills test through a driver testing business.
Proof of completion of ELDT will show up in our system automatically through the federal government’s Commercial Skills Test Information Management System.
FMCSA Training Provider Registry
There are no minimum training hours for completing entry-level driver training. For more information about specific classes, contact an approved provider listed on FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry.
FMCSA Training Provider Registry
You cannot apply for a hazardous materials endorsement and request a federal background record check if:
Universal Enrollment Services (UES) is responsible for coordinating the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) approved fingerprint office locations in Michigan. Please visit UES at universalenroll.dhs.gov/ or you may call the UES call center at their toll-free number 855-347-8371 to help you preregister for a background record check, inquire about enrollment statuses, or answer any questions. UES' call center hours of operation are from 8:00am to 10pm Eastern, Monday through Friday.
You should complete a federal background record check application 45-60 days before you need your hazardous materials endorsement. However, you will first be required to complete ALL of the following before the TSA fingerprint collection offices listed at universalenroll.dhs.gov/ can collect your fingerprints:
* Walk-in renewals are also accepted. The customer service agent will confirm that the membership is eligible for renewal, upload identity verification documents, make any necessary updates to the individual’s biographic information, and process payment.
Yes. Entry-level driver training is required by the federal government to add an original hazardous materials endorsement to your CDL.
Entry-level driver training isn’t required if you’re renewing a CDL that already has a hazardous materials endorsement.
If you already have a CDL, you don’t need to complete entry-level driver training to add a tanker (N) endorsement, or double / triple trailer (T) endorsement.
For passenger and school bus endorsements, you can take the required knowledge exams and apply for a commercial learner’s permit. You must then complete entry-level driver training before scheduling a CDL skills test through a driver testing business.
For hazardous materials endorsements, entry-level driver training must be completed before you take a knowledge exam to apply for an original endorsement.
If you dropped the endorsement within the last two years, you can reapply for the endorsement without taking a CDL knowledge exam.
If your license is misplaced, you will need to provide multiple documents to prove your identity (U.S. passport, birth certificate, etc.) and your citizenship.
The commercial driver’s license (CDL) knowledge skills test and on-road driving skills test requirements are waived for military service members who are trained and have been employed in the past year to operate the military equivalent to a commercial vehicle. Eligible veterans and service members may apply to convert their Michigan license to a CDL Class A or B at any Secretary of State office by completing the Application for Military Waiver Even Exchange.
The Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (DACH) is an online database administered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Its primary objective is to provide law enforcement, state licensing agencies (DMV), and employers in the transportation industry with up-to-date compliance information regarding drug and alcohol program violations of commercial driver’s license (CDL) and commercial learner’s permit (CLP) holders.
Yes. Beginning November 18, 2024, the State of Michigan will be required to check the DACH prior to completing licensing transactions, such as the issuance, renewal, transfer, and upgrade of a CLP or CDL.
A driver's Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP) or Commercial Driver's License (CDL) will be required to be downgraded by the State of Michigan upon notification of a Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (DACH) violation by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
A CDL driver who tests positive on a DOT test or refuses to take a DOT test, must successfully complete the return-to-duty (RTD) process with a DOT qualified substance abuse professional (SAP). The requirements for the RTD are found in [49 CFR Part 40, Subpart O].
For more information visit clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov or call the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, 1-844-955-0207. For a more detailed FMCSA overview of the DACH process for employers visit DACH Employer Instructions.
