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New Michigan residents

  • New Michigan residents must title and register their vehicles immediately.  There is no grace period provided in Michigan law. The Michigan Vehicle Code defines "resident" as "every person who resides in this state and establishes that he or she is legally present in the United States."

    New residents need to visit a Secretary of State office to apply for a Michigan driver's license (or state ID card), vehicle title, and registration as soon as they establish residency in this state.

  • To convert your out-of-state license to Michigan, take all required documents to a local Secretary of State branch office – the list of required documents is available

    You do not need to take a written test.  You will be given a vision test and your photo will be taken. 

    A photo license will be mailed to you in about two weeks.

     
  • Take your out-of-state identification card and documentation of a valid Social Security number, U.S. citizenship or legal presence if not a U.S. citizen, identity and Michigan residency to a Secretary of State office. A state ID costs $10. This fee is waived for applicants who are age 65 or older or who are legally blind regardless of their age.

  • Under Michigan law, the Secretary of State is prohibited from issuing an original driver's license or state identification card to anyone who is not a legal resident of the state. If you have recently moved to Michigan and have a valid driver's license or state identification card from another state, these can be used in the interim until sufficient residency documents are established. Once residency is established, please visit a Secretary of State office immediately to apply for a Michigan driver's license or state ID. 

  • You can register to vote for federal, state and local elections by visiting your county, city or township clerk's office, at a voter registration drive, online at Michigan.gov/vote, by mail, or at a Secretary of State self-service station. Eligible citizens will be registered to vote automatically anytime they complete a Michigan driver's license or ID transaction at a Secretary of State office, unless they opt-out. In addition, specific agencies providing services through the Department of Human Services, the Department of Community Health and the Department of Career Development offer voter registration services to their clients. Military recruitment centers also provide voter registration services

    > Michigan Voter Application PDF

  • To convert an out-of-state title to a Michigan title, you will need to present your out-of-state title, proof of Michigan no-fault  insurance and proof of identity at a Secretary of State office.  If more than one vehicle owner is named on the out-of-state title, all owners must appear at the branch office when the application for a Michigan title is made. An appointment-of-agent form must be presented if one of the owners cannot attend. This will allow the other owner to sign on behalf of the absent person.

    If your out-of-state title is being held by a lien holder, you may take your out-of-state registration (expired less than 90 days) or proof of the out-of-state title to any branch office along with proof of Michigan no-fault insurance for the vehicle. Michigan will issue a "FOREIGN OWNERSHIP-REGISTRATION ONLY" registration for the vehicle. This will allow the State of Michigan to issue license plates without converting the out-of-state title to a Michigan title.