? ? ? ? ?Department of State, community partners serve more than 150 local residents at St. Clair Shores driver?s license restoration clinic
?7,400 Michiganders served in the program throughout the state so far
ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich.- The Michigan Department of State (MDOS) joined partners in St. Clair Shores on Saturday for a?Road to Restoration clinic, serving more than 150 Michiganders looking to understand the necessary steps to regain their driver's license.?
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Area residents visited the clinic at South Lake High to meet with MDOS staff and volunteer attorneys to determine their pathway to reinstating their driver?s license, continuing a successful public-private partnership that has served about 7,400 Michiganders throughout the state.
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?The Road to Restoration program makes state government accessible to those who need our services the most, meeting people where they are in their communities,? said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. ?A driver?s license opens doors to jobs, education, and other opportunities. We?re proud to be part of that effort, and grateful to our partners who help make our work possible.?
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In 2021, new state laws lifted license suspensions for drivers who failed to pay tickets or 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.
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The Road to Restoration clinics, staffed by MDOS, the Department of Attorney General and volunteer attorneys, help residents determine how they can restore their license and when possible, provide the services they need to do so on site. The clinics are made possible by numerous partner organizations including DTE Energy, Miller Canfield, Detroit Justice Center, Michigan Association of United Ways, and Michigan 2-1-1 as well as location partners who provide the space for the clinics.
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Lisa Weed of Detroit had gone without a driver?s license for 20 years. She is grateful for the opportunity to safely get back behind the wheel after visiting the Road to Restoration clinic Saturday.
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?This is going to mean way less anxiety and a lot more freedom. This is going to have career repercussions,? said Weed. ?I'm really thankful for the Secretary of State to set this up. This has been easy, everyone was really kind, really pleasant. Everyone should know about this. If anyone needs this kind of help, it's so much less daunting than having to go into a branch and not knowing what's going to happen. This has been a great experience today.?
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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 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.
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Preregistration for upcoming Road to Restoration clinics in Battle Creek on Oct. 18 and Dearborn Heights on Nov. 16 is now open at?Michigan.gov/R2R.
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Lisa Weed of Detroit takes her written driver's test on site. She left the St. Clair Shores clinic with her driving privileges restored for the first time in 20 years.?
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A participant at the clinic has his photo taken by MDOS staff for his restored driver's license.?
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An MDOS employee administers an eye exam to a clinic participant.?
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Volunteer attorneys and staff are on hand at every Road to Restoration clinic to review participants' driving record and walk them through the next steps.?
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