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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In Michigan, you drive at age 16, vote in elections at age 18, and are required to renew your license or ID in person at a Secretary of State office at age 21. The following information provides an overview for young people who are preparing to start driving, become a registered voter, and complete other Secretary of State transactions during this time.
To be eligible to vote, you must be:
If you have a Michigan license or ID and are eligible to register to vote, you’ll be registered automatically when you turn 17.5 or if you complete a license or ID transaction after this age, unless you opt-out.
If you’re eligible, you can register to vote online, by mail, or in person at your local city, township, or village clerk’s office.
Before Election Day, check to make sure your voter registration is accurate. You can correct your address on your voter registration online or by mail up to two weeks before an election or visit your clerk’s office to provide official proof of residency up to and on Election Day.
Per Michigan law, to vote in an election, you must be:
As a registered Michigan voter, you can vote in person at your designated polling place or request an absentee ballot to vote from home or at your local clerk’s office.
Any registered Michigan voter can request an absentee ballot and isn’t required to provide a reason for doing so.
You can request an absentee ballot online, by mail, or at your local clerk’s office up to 40 days before an election or by signing up to receive an absentee ballot application automatically before every election.
To ensure your absentee ballot is counted, it needs to be returned to your local clerk’s office by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
You can vote in person at your polling place between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Election Day. If you’re in line to vote at 8 p.m. when polls close, you still have the right to cast a ballot and vote.
Bring a photo ID with you to the polls. If you don’t have one, you can instead sign an affidavit of identity to cast a ballot.
You can locate your designated polling place at Michigan.gov/Vote.
Per state law, you can start driver’s education as early as age 14-and-8-months and can apply for your first graduated driver's license at age 14-and-9-months.
Regardless of your age, in most cases, you will only need to visit a Secretary of State once to provide all required documents and take a photo for your license.
The Michigan Department of State will mail you a corrected vertical driver’s license when you successfully complete GDL.
Driver’s licenses and IDs expire every 4 years. You’re required to visit a Secretary of State office to renew your license or ID in person to take a new photo when you turn 21.
In most cases, you will only be required to renew your license or ID at a Secretary of State to take a new photo every 12 years after renewing in person at 21.
The next time you need to renew your license or ID, you may do so online, by mail, or at a self-service station.
As a policy, the Michigan Department of State will send any necessary mail or correspondence to the residential address on your license/ID or registered address on your vehicle registration, if you have a vehicle that’s registered in Michigan.
If you’re moving or need to use a different a mailing address, update the address on your license, ID, vehicle registration, and/or voter registration, or add a mailing address online or by mail.
If you are a registered Michigan voter, updating your address on your license or ID will automatically update the address on your voter registration, and vice versa.
Most Secretary of State services can be completed online or by mail, and many are available at self-service stations across the state. There are only a handful of transactions that require you to visit a Secretary of State office, including:
When you are required to visit a Secretary of State office it’s strongly recommended that you schedule a visit in advance. You can schedule a visit up to 6 months ahead of time or for the next business day.
