Licensed driver education and testing businesses and their employees can access tools, resources, and industry bulletins through their CARS e-Services account. Instructions for setting up an account are available under Forms and publications.
To operate a driver education business in Michigan, you must be certified by the Michigan Department of State in at least one of the following classifications:
The provider certification application process and fees vary for each classification.
To apply for a provider certificate, submit the Provider Certification Application and a Live Scan Fingerprint Background Check Request form to the Driver Education and Testing Section after you have been fingerprinted by an approved Michigan State Police private live scan vendor. To request a copy of the Background Check Request form, please send an email to MDOS-drivertesting@michigan.gov.
Submit both forms with all required documents and fees online through your CARS e-Services account or by mail to:
Michigan Department of State
Driver Education and Testing Section
430 W. Allegan St., 3rd Floor
Lansing, MI 48918
Prior to applying, you review all of the requirements and laws within the Driver Education Provider Manual, in addition to the Michigan Curriculum Guide (if applicable).
Provider Certification Application (DES-P01)
Additional application materials may be required depending on the classification(s) for which you are applying.
Ahead of your certificate expiration date, the Michigan Department of State will send you a renewal notice via email. Your certificate renewal form will list the certificate expiration date.
To renew your driver education provider certificate online, you will need your:
To renew your provider certificate by mail, you will need your:
Update any information as necessary. Some updates may require that you include additional documentation with your application. Failure to fill out the form correctly or completely may delay or prevent your certificate renewal.
Mail all documents and payment to:
Michigan Department of State
Driver Education and Testing Section
430 W Allegan St
Lansing, MI 48918
If you haven’t received your renewal materials within 45 days of your certificate expiring, contact the department for assistance.
To change or correct the information on your provider certificate, complete the applicable form and provide all necessary documentation as directed:
Locate a Driver Education Provider or Classroom location or Instructor
Instructor classroom materials
Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT)
Beginning February 7, 2022, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has established new minimum training standards for individuals applying for:
A) Class A or B Commercial Driver License (CDL) for the first time
B) An upgrade of an existing CDL (e.g., Class B CDL holder seeking a Class A CDL)
C) A Hazardous Materials (H), Passenger (P), or School Bus (S) endorsement on a CDL for the first time
These new minimum training standards are referred to as Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT). Drivers must have completed 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 above.
Individuals applying for a CDL are required to complete a knowledge test and behind the wheel (BTW) instruction provided by a certified training provider. The prescribed ELDT training curriculum is outlined in 49 CFR 380 and must be completed prior to an applicant being scheduled for a skills test. Individuals applying for the H endorsement must complete their ELDT prior to taking the knowledge test. The new ELDT training requirements incorporate performance-based concepts by requiring driver-trainees to demonstrate proficiency in both behind-the-wheel (BTW) instruction and knowledge portions of the curriculum during classroom and range training sessions.
ELDT regulations will impact current CLP holders in the following ways:
Drivers subject to ELDT can find training providers from the public list located on the Training Provider Registry (TPR) website later this year. Drivers will contact the training provider and secure their services outside of the Registry.
Once operational, the FMCSA TPR will retain a record of which CDL applicants have completed the new training and certification process outlined in the ELDT regulations. The ELDT regulations and the Training Provider Registry are mandated under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21).
Note: Training providers are subject to state oversight and are encouraged to register as a truck provider prior to signing up on the TPR.
Additional Recourses:
To serve as a driver education instructor, you must be certified by the Michigan Department of State, at least 21 years of age, and meet all driving record and legal requirements. Certifications are issued for the following classifications:
The provider certification application process and fees vary for each classification(s).
To apply for an instructor certificate, complete an Instructor Certification Application and a Live Scan Fingerprint Background Check Request Form completed by an approved Michigan State Police live scan vendor. Submit both forms with all required documents and payment for the $45 application fee online through your CARS e-Services account or by mail to:
Michigan Department of State
Driver Education and Testing Section
430 W. Allegan St., 3rd Floor
Lansing, MI 48918
Prior to applying, you review all of the requirements and laws within the Driver Education Provider Manual, in addition to the Michigan Curriculum Guide (if applicable).
Instructor Original Certification Application Packet (Truck)
Instructor Conditional Certification Application Packet (Adult/Teen)
Driver Education Live Scan Fingerprint Background Check Request
Approved Instructor Preparation Program Agencies & Professional Development Courses
Conditional Instructor Application
Conditional Instructor to Original Instructor Application
Additional forms
Ahead of your certificate expiration date, the Michigan Department of State will send you a renewal notice via email.
To renew your driver education instructor certificate online, you will need your:
To renew your instructor certificate by mail, you will need your:
Update any information as necessary. Some updates may require that you include additional documentation with your application. Failure to fill out the form correctly or completely may delay or prevent your certificate renewal.
Mail all documents and payment to:
Michigan Department of State
Driver Education and Testing Section
430 W Allegan St
Lansing, MI 48918
If you haven’t received your renewal materials within 45 days of your certificate expiring, contact the department for assistance.
Approved Instructor Preparation Program Agencies & Professional Development Courses
To change or correct the information on your provider certificate, complete the Instructor Request of Change form (DES-N06) and provide all necessary documentation as directed.
To reapply for a driver education instruction certificate, submit a new certificate application, all required documents, and payment for the $45 application fee by mail to:
Michigan Department of State
Driver Education and Testing Section
430 W Allegan St
Lansing, MI 48918
Examiners are required to periodically submit the following forms to the Driver Education & Testing Section:
Upon establishing a CARS e-Services account, reference the following materials to access and manage your account:
The Michigan Department of State will contact drivers who are eligible to enroll in the Basic Driver Improvement Course (BDIC). Those who are eligible have 60 days to enroll in, complete, and pass the course. Upon passing, the department won’t make the points or information from the ticket available to insurance companies for drivers who take and pass the BDIC through an approved course sponsor. Approved course sponsors must the Michigan Department of State whether a driver passes or fails the course.
BDIC courses must meet the following conditions:
A list of approved sponsors is available through Online Services under Driver Education and Testing Businesses, located in the Business Services section.
To become to an approved BDIC course sponsor:
To change or correct the information on your provider certificate, complete the BDIC Sponsor Account Change Request Form and provide all necessary documentation as directed.
Upon establishing a CARS e-Services account, reference the following materials to access and manage your account:
If you are an experienced rider with good riding and communication skills, you may qualify to become a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) certified RiderCoach. Becoming a MSF RiderCoach is a great way to improve your own abilities while helping others to learn or enhance their riding skills.
To become a MSF certified RiderCoach you must, at a minimum:
The RiderCoach Preparation Course is approximately 80 hours of classroom and range activity. This course is periodically offered at various locations throughout the state and may be held over several consecutive days or a few weekends.
As part of this course, you will be required to attend and participate in every session, pass a riding-skill test and a knowledge test. You will learn how to teach in the classroom, how to manage the range exercise, and how to evaluate and coach students as they develop their riding skills. The final requirement for certification as a RiderCoach is successful completion of student teaching to a group of BRC new riders.
If selected as a candidate, there is a $75 course fee required to cover the registration fee and materials. If you are interested in this rewarding opportunity to train future motorcyclists, please contact an approved public or private organization that offers rider safety training courses.
State law gives the Michigan Department of State the authority to deny, suspend, or revoke a license or certification if the licensee or applicant has not complied with the provisions of the acts or rules that regulate the industry. Driver education providers and instructors, testing businesses, and other driver program sponsors may receive a written warning, be placed on probation, be fined, or have their license suspended if the actions cannot be resolved.
All administrative actions are reported through Online Services under Driver Education and Testing Businesses. You can also file a complaint against a driver education or testing business through Online Services.
Additionally, driver education providers and instructors are required to be certified by the Michigan Department of State. It is a misdemeanor offense to own and operate a driver education business or provide driver education instruction without being certified. Violations are punishable by law and may result in imprisonment or up to a $2,000 fine in addition to administrative fines.
Michigan Department of State
Driver Education and Testing Section
430 West Allegan Street, 3rd Floor
Lansing, Michigan 48918
Driver Education
Email: DriverEd@Michigan.gov
Driver Testing
Email: MDOS-Drivertesting@Michigan.gov
Phone: 517-241-6850
Fax: 517-335-3155
Brandon Cannon
Michigan Rider Education Program (Mi-REP) State Coordinator
Michigan Department of State
430 West Allegan Street, 3rd Floor
Lansing, Michigan 48918
Email: Motorcycling@Michigan.gov
Phone: 517-335-3159
