Road to Restoration clinic puts Mt. Pleasant-area residents on path to safely get back behind the wheel

MT. PLEASANT, Mich. - The Michigan Department of State and partners in the public and private sectors have teamed up for a second year to assist residents eligible to have their driver’s license restored. A free Road to Restoration legal clinic was held at Mid Michigan College in Mt. Pleasant Thursday, with more than a hundred people attending to learn how to get their driver’s license reinstated.  

Expert staff and a large team of volunteer attorneys met one-on-one with visitors to the clinic, reviewed their cases, and advised them on their next steps to get back safely behind the wheel. Staff also assisted in taking payments to clear outstanding fines when applicable and provided Secretary of State office services, including written driving tests, at the clinic. 

“At every Road to Restoration clinic, Michiganders have embraced the effort of our staff and volunteers to help navigate them through the process of getting safely back on the road," said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. “We are making government work for the people of Michigan by bringing services directly to communities all over the state, impacting thousands of lives in a meaningful way.” 

The Road to Restoration program was created after changes to state law in 2021 lifted suspensions for drivers who failed to pay tickets for court fines or failed to appear in court for certain non-moving and other violations. While the new laws removed suspensions for more than 150,000 Michiganders, many must still take further action to get their driver’s license restored. 

Joseph Givhan of Detroit passed his knowledge test during his visit to the Mt. Pleasant clinic. He planned to take his birth certificate to a branch office later in the day, pay the reinstatement fee and get his permit, putting him on the path to get his driver's license restored.  

"It’s been a long time. I think when I first got my license, I can't even remember the year. I know I was like 18 and I lost them. I got pulled over and I ended up following too close to somebody or something,” Givhan said. “But I really didn't know like how the system worked, like going to court and stuff, so I avoided doing all of that, and in the process, they suspended it, and I never got them back since. The reason why I'm trying to get my license back is because I'm trying to start doing truck driving and stuff like that. That's one of the main reasons that motivated me to come all the way out here. Yeah, I'm really trying to just get my life together.” 

Each clinic is equipped to provide immediate access to driving records and many Secretary of State office services, including the written driving test, to help people get back safely behind the wheel as quickly as possible. Participants leave Road to Restoration clinics with a plan to return to the road after taking additional steps based on their personal circumstances, or in many cases, with their restored driver’s permit in hand.  

The next Road to Restoration clinic will be held on Sept. 13 in Detroit at DSTDFI Headquarters, 24760 W. Seven Mile Rd.  

The clinics do not provide DUI/OWI expungement services and license reinstatement is not guaranteed. 

Michiganders can learn more about the Road to Restoration program or sign up for a future clinic at Michigan.gov/R2R.