MOBILE OFFICE: Secretary of State unveils traveling service

Apr. 11—TRAVERSE CITY — Getting a driver's license or state ID card in northern Michigan just got easier, thanks to a new traveling service from the Secretary of State's office.

A specially designed SOS van will travel throughout the region to provide services at specific locations, such as nursing homes, homeless shelters, foster-care facilities and community centers.

It's the sixth such van in Michigan and the first one in this area. A seventh van for the Upper Peninsula is coming later this spring.

The goal of the new service is to help people who have trouble traveling to regular SOS offices because they lack transportation or face other barriers, said Kelly Davis, mobile office coordinator.

"They may be elderly, disabled, homeless or returning to society after incarceration," she said. "They could be returning veterans, people in foster care or those who don't drive but need an ID card. We're working directly with local organizations to serve those people where they live."

Getting through life without a driver's license or state identification card is almost impossible today, Davis added. "You need that ID to cash a check, to get a job or even to visit a doctor. We want to help."

Each mobile office is staffed by two people — a mobile branch manager and a clerk. Instead of providing services out of the van itself, they carry laptops, scanners and other equipment into the meeting site for the day.

"The [temporary] office operates just like a regular branch, using the same process and skills," said Julie Black, the mobile branch manager based in Gaylord. "People are really grateful when we show up."

The service area for the new northern Michigan mobile office stretches from Traverse City to Alpena and points north, including both rural and populated areas. The new Upper Peninsula service will be based in Marquette.

In addition to issuing driver's licenses and state IDs, the mobile offices enable customers to update their legal address, register a vehicle, check records and take advantage of the state's automatic voter registration system.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson introduced the new regional service Wednesday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the governmental center in downtown Traverse City. She was joined by State Rep. Betsy Coffia, Traverse City Mayor Amy Shamroe and Michelle Krumm, senior services director for Grand Traverse County.

Helping Michigan's senior citizens and expanding services in rural areas are two key reasons for the new mobile offices, Benson said.

"Nearly 25 percent of Michigan's licensed drivers are over 65, and 400,000 are over 80," she said. "Many of our senior drivers are isolated and lonely. If they can't come to us, we'll come to them."

In the two years since the service began in southern Michigan, mobile office teams have visited more than 200 senior living centers, held more than 500 events, and completed nearly 14,000 transactions, she noted.

Coffia, Shamroe and Krumm all highlighted the growing senior population in Grand Traverse County during Wednesday's meeting, and they praised the SOS for focusing on that population.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 22.1 percent of county residents are over the age of 65, which is considerably higher than the 17.3 percent for the nation as a whole.

Delivering good service to rural areas is another SOS priority, Benson said.

"We want to make sure they are served just as efficiently and professionally as others in Michigan."

Noting her own rural upbringing in Kalkaska County, Coffia said she was proud to support the "expanded vision" of the SOS.

"Many years ago, I used to dread going to the Secretary of State Office," Coffia said. "I've been thrilled at how much progress has been made. A large portion of my district is very rural and this mobile office service is greatly needed."

Many political pundits believe Benson is setting the stage for a gubernatorial campaign in 2026, according to a report in the Michigan Advance. She used Wednesday's event to highlight improvements at the SOS since she took office in 2019.

"When I took office, I inherited a customer service system in abysmal condition," she said. "Now our services are much more efficient. Wait times at our offices are down to 20 minutes or less on average."

Today, Michigan has a total of 131 stationary branch offices, plus 160 self-service stations that are typically located in grocery stores. About 60 percent of license-related transactions are now completed without an office visit, officials said, often through mail-in renewals and kiosk payments.

Progress comes with some additional fees, however. When renewing a vehicle registration at a self-service station, motorists are charged the renewal fee (plus any applicable late fees), as well as a $3.95 service fee (per renewal) and a 2.3 percent processing fee if paying by credit or debit card.

The controversial topic of issuing driver's licenses or state ID cards to undocumented immigrants also came up during Wednesday's event.

Currently, 19 states offer some form of driver's licenses and/or state ID cards to "unauthorized immigrants," according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In Michigan, state law prohibits that practice, Benson said.

To be issued a new driver's license in Michigan, applicants must present a variety of documents to proof their identity and place of residence. A full list of those documents is available online at https://www.michigan.gov/sos/faqs/license-and-id/license-and-id-document-requirements.

In addition, many homeless shelters allow their clients to use the shelter's address as a person's official residence until they can obtain permanent housing, Kelly said.

"Before we hold an event at a specific location, we work with the local organization to provide those details so people know what to bring," she added. "We hope to have the mobile office at this summer's National Cherry Festival."

To learn more about the new SOS mobile office service, or to request a visit by the mobile office van, visit https://www.michigan.gov/sos/resources/initiatives/mobile-office.