Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson today announced the Road to Restoration program is growing and would help even more Michiganders regain suspended driver’s licenses.
“In the last year, the Department of State and our great partners in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors have helped thousands of Michiganders take the necessary steps to regain their driver’s license,” said Benson in a news release. “This program is supporting families, businesses and our economy because it is a true public-private partnership and we’re looking for additional business, organization, and municipal leaders who want to join the initiative, create jobs and build our economy.”
In 2021, changes to state laws lifted driver’s license suspensions for more than 150,000 Michiganders who failed to pay court fees or appear in court for many non-moving and other violations. The vast majority of those affected need to take further action before they can regain their driver’s licenses.
At Road to Restoration clinics, Department of State staff and volunteer attorneys provide expert one-on-one assistance understanding and navigating each person’s case, as well as immediate access to driving records and other Secretary of State office services to help participants learn what they need to do to get back behind the wheel.
Since its launch in 2022, the Road to Restoration program has assisted more than 5,200 Michiganders at 23 clinics in 14 cities including Detroit, Taylor, Flint, Saginaw, Lansing, Benton Harbor, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Traverse City, and Alpena. Hundreds of participants have fully restored their driving privileges, while others learned the additional steps they need to take and left with a plan to return to the road. In 2023, the growing program will visit new locations in the Lower and Upper Peninsula to serve more Michigan residents.
Benson also announced that three new mobile Secretary of State offices will hit the road this summer, serving the Great Lakes Bay region, Northern Michigan, and the Upper Peninsula. The new mobile offices will expand the reach of the Road to Restoration program while delivering other needed services directly to communities.
Benson shared the potential the program holds for Michigan’s economy – if just one-third of the 150,000 people eligible to regain their licenses were to purchase vehicles, they would increase state revenues by approximately $300 million in the next decade through state fees and gas taxes. These Michiganders would likely generate millions more in additional economic activity once they could drive to jobs, shopping, restaurants, and entertainment venues.
“Access to a driver’s license is a crucial leg-up for anyone looking to rejoin the workforce or find financial security in their community, and restoring licenses further enriches the potential talent pool for local employers,” said Attorney General Dana Nessel. “The Road to Restoration program is a great example of public-private partnership that makes a difference in peoples’ lives and livelihoods, and our department is proud to partner with the Department of State on this program.”
“Driver’s license restoration is one of the keys to people being able to be active citizens and productive members of communities,” said City of Lansing Mayor Andy Schor. “A driver’s license not only helps to get a car and use it for needed transportation, but it also ensures that people can get services they need. A person’s form of identification is very important to them being able to live their best lives. Lansing was proud to put dollars into driver’s license restoration and reduce fines and fees, and it was exciting to join the Secretary of State staff as they organized assistance for Lansing-area residents to get this important tool back.”
The City of Lansing paid court fees and transportation costs for city residents attending the Road to Restoration clinic hosted there last month, significantly increasing the number of residents able to restore their licenses at the clinic. Benson said she’s hoping additional partners similarly provide this extra support to residents statewide as the program grows in the months ahead.
For more information about the program visit Michigan.gov/RoadtoRestoration or dial 211.
