Road to Restoration is a free clinic program that connects Michigan residents with restricted and suspended driving privileges with members of Department of State staff and volunteer attorneys. At the clinics, residents work with experts to review their driving record and discuss the steps for reinstating their driver’s license. Please note that license reinstatement is not guaranteed for all residents, but rather is evaluated on an individual basis in accordance with the law.
The Road to Restoration clinic series was started by the Michigan Department of State after the enactment of the Clean Slate to Drive laws, which terminated certain violations and infractions from the records of thousands of Michigan drivers in 2021. The clinics are a partnership between the Department of State, the Michigan Department of the Attorney General, DTE Energy, Miller Canfield Law Firm, the Detroit Justice Center, the Michigan Association of United Ways, 211, and host locations.
Any resident with a restricted or suspended Michigan driver’s license may attend to learn more about their path to restoring their driving privileges.
In 2021, the Michigan Department of State contacted drivers who had infractions or violations terminated from their record when the Clean Slate to Drive laws were enacted. Residents who received this letter are especially encouraged to attend if they still have questions about their driving privileges.
Residents whose license is revoked because of multiple alcohol (DUI) or substance-related (DWI) driving offenses or felony driving offenses can attend the clinics to learn more about the process of applying for a license reinstatement administrative hearing. However, the clinics do not offer expungement services or hearings for these types of violations.
Residents who are interested in attending Road to Restoration clinics should note the following:
No, attending a clinic does not guarantee nor will it influence the future reinstatement of a driver’s license. License reinstatement is evaluated on an individual basis in accordance with state law.
Those who qualify to have their driving privileges reinstated have the option to complete their written driver knowledge exam at the clinic and may apply for their temporary instruction permit (TIP) for $25 at the Mobile Office on-site at the clinic.
Because space at clinics is limited, signing up in advanced is strongly encouraged. Those who do not schedule their visit in advance may be able to walk in on the day of the clinic during set hours if that option is offered. Some clinics do not have the walk-in option due to space or other limitations. Check details for the clinic you are interested in attending. Please note that those who walk in may have to wait longer than those with pre-scheduled visits depending on staff and attorney availability at the clinics.
By signing up in advance, you can choose the time that you would like to arrive at the clinic to meet with a member of the Michigan Department of State staff or a volunteer attorney. If a walk-in option is offered at a clinic, those participants should expect to wait some time before consulting with someone about their driving record.
Upon scheduling a visit at a clinic (which can be done online or by calling 2-1-1), a confirmation message will be sent to your email address used to book the appointment. The email will include a confirmation code and a link to cancel or reschedule up to the day of the clinic.
You may also reschedule or cancel their visit by visiting Michigan.gov/SOS and selecting “Manage Visit” from the menu of options under Popular Services. To reschedule or cancel a visit, simply enter in the confirmation code with the email address or phone number used to schedule your visit. Or enter in your email or phone number used for scheduling to receive a follow up email with the confirmation code.
Those who are unable to reschedule or cancel their visit using the previously listed options can receive assistance by calling 888-SOS-MICH (888-767-6424) or emailing MDOS-R2R@Michigan.gov.
Upon arriving at the clinic, stop by the check-in table. Michigan Department of State staff and hosts will do their best to make sure those who arrive late for their appointment are seen as soon as possible. Please be mindful that you may be required to wait past the time of your scheduled visit if they miss your appointment time.
If you are running behind for your visit, contact MDOS-R2R@Michigan.gov to inform our staff that you will not be able to arrive in time for your scheduled appointment.
Yes, if you scheduled your clinic visit in advance and are no longer able to attend, please cancel your visit using the link provided in your confirmation email. You can also visit Michigan.gov/SOS to cancel your visit under the “Manage Visit” or by calling 888-SOS-MICH (888-767-6424) to cancel.
Please be sure to bring your ID or driver’s license (or another form of government-issued ID) and if possible, a paper or electronic copy of your driving record. Instructions for obtaining your driving record are available at Michigan.gov/RoadToRestoration.
In the event that you may be eligible to have their license reinstated at a clinic, you may also bring the following documents with them to apply for their temporary instruction permit (TIP) on-site at the Secretary of State Mobile Office:
Those whose license is revoked as a result of multiple alcohol or substance-related (DUI/DWI/OWI) or felony driving offenses are required to apply for a driver’s license reinstatement administrative hearing through the Michigan Department of State (MDOS) before their license may be reinstated. Resident cannot apply for, nor can they get an attorney to represent them at an administrative hearing through the clinic.
You may attend the clinic to get more information on the process of applying for a hearing.
No. Volunteer attorneys are available to educate drivers at the clinics about their driving record and the process of reinstating their driving privileges. However, this is a one-time, pro-bono service connected with the clinic program. Attorneys will not provide services to attendees after the clinic concludes.
Occasionally, certain fines and fees are sponsored and paid for by a third-party organization at the clinics. Coverage of fines and fees is not guaranteed at all clinics, and not all attendees may qualify for this sponsorship.
If you are interested in attending a clinic are advised to prepare to pay for all fines and fees in advance but will be notified by staff at the clinic if an organization has agreed to cover costs on-site.
Attorneys who are interested in volunteering at a Road to Restoration clinic can sign up using the form at Michigan.gov/RoadToRestoration. All volunteer attorneys will receive training ahead of time. Additionally, clinic attendees are required to complete an agreement prior to discussing their driving record with an attorney to clarify their understanding that no attorney-client relationship has been formed.
The Michigan Department of State, Department of the Attorney General, and several statewide and local partners will host more than a dozen Road to Restoration clinics across Michigan in 2023. Clinic locations are determined based on geographic area and population, as well as the overall number of residents impacted by the Clean Slate to Drive laws in each of these areas, based on data from 2021.
The Michigan Department of State is proud to bring Road to Restoration to every corner of the state this year, including in Southeast Michigan (Detroit, Taylor, Macomb County), Mid-Michigan (Lansing, Saginaw, Mt. Pleasant), West Michigan (Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek), Northern Michigan (Traverse City, Alpena), and the Upper Peninsula (Escanaba, Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie). For more information about clinic locations, visit Michigan.gov/RoadToRestoration.
There are more than 100 violations that qualify for termination under these new laws. For example, many are license suspensions for failing to pay a ticket or court fee (FCJ), or for failing to appear in court (FAC). Also, drivers with unpaid parking violations (FCPV) or disability parking tickets (FCDV) had the hold on their licenses removed and were able to renew their driver’s licenses.
The process for determining which violations and licensing actions were cleared involved several factors, including the type of violation, the sanctions and suspensions that were levied, and how other sections of the law affect their implementation.
Drivers were informed by the Michigan Department of State via letter if they were impacted and are encouraged to purchase a copy of their driving record when seeking legal advice.
Residents impacted by these changes were sent a letter by the Michigan Department of State to address on their driving record. The letter was also posted to their Secretary of State Online Services account. The letter outlined that the driver was eligible to have qualifying sanctions, FCJ/FAC suspensions and/or FCPV/FCDV holds cleared from their record. It also clarified whether additional action is required prior to restoring your full driving privileges.
Sanctions and suspensions that aren’t eligible to be cleared under the Clean Slate to Drive laws will remain on your record, and you are responsible for any reinstatement fees, fines or other actions related to the original violation. Please follow up with the appropriate court that handled the case if you have any questions about fees and fines.
The reinstatement of your license depends on whether there are any other licensing violations, sanctions, or holds on your driving record that otherwise prohibit the restoration of your license. Violations, fines, and reinstatement fees that aren’t addressed by the Clean Slate to Drive laws will need to be resolved before your driving privileges and license may be restored.
If you need to schedule a hearing with our Office of Hearings and Administrative Oversight, please submit your request through our online services at Michigan.gov/SOS.
While license sanctions resulting from qualifying violations and FCJ/FAC suspensions have been cleared and are no longer in effect under the Clean Slate to Drive laws, they will still appear as entries on your driving record.
The implementation of automatic expungement in April 2023 applies only to criminal records and not driving records. Therefore, it will not impact driver’s license reinstatement.
To obtain your driving record, please visit Michigan.gov/SOS and select Online Services. On this page, locate the panel titled Driver’s License and ID and select the More Driver Services link. Then, follow the prompts to create or log into your account.
Once you are past the MiLogin screen, pull up your profile page in online services and select Request Driving Record from the menu. Please follow the prompts to purchase your record.
After submitting your payment information, you will land on a screen summarizing your transaction and providing the option to print your receipt and view transaction documents. Select the “View Transaction Documents” button to access your driving record (ignore the button labeled “Request Driving Record” – this will take you back to the beginning of the transaction).
Please note: The link for your electronic driving record is only accessible for seven days. During the seven-day period, you may view your driving record as many times as you need to. Log into your account and choose the option to “View Transaction History” to access it. We recommend you save your driving record to your computer, laptop, tablet, or phone so that you may conveniently view it at any time.
Questions may be directed to 888-SOS-MICH (888-767-6424) or via email to MDOS-R2R@Michigan.gov.
