A Guide to Renewing Your Driver’s License in Michigan

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From getting your learner’s permit in Michigan to renewing your license, every state has its own set of rules and guidelines as to how these things work.

Whether you’ve just moved to Michigan or it’s the first time your license has come up for renewal in the state, what should you know?

When Do You Have to Renew Your License in Michigan?

In Michigan, there are three general ways you can renew your license—you can do it online, by phone, or in-person. You’ll receive a renewal notice from the Secretary of State, and that letter will detail what the options are in your particular situation.

There is a required in-person renewal every eight years in Michigan, and if you have an enhanced driver’s license, there’s never the option to renew online.

Every four years on your birthday, your license will expire in Michigan, unless you’re under 21. If you’re under 21, your license expires on your 21^st birthday, no matter what.

You should receive your renewal notice from the Secretary of State around 45 days before your license is set to expire.

What Could Stop You From Getting a Renewal

While a license renewal is typically fairly easy to renew, there are some things that could impact your renewal.

First, if you have a change in your physical or mental condition that may impact your driving ability and this is a change since you last got your license renewed, you need to go to a Secretary of State office for renewal, regardless of what your renewal notice could say. You may need a special form filled out by your physician to renew your license.

If this is the case, you should give yourself at least three weeks before your renewal date.

If you have three or more unpaid parking tickets on your driving record, you can’t get your license renewed, and your renewal will be turned down if your license has been suspended or revoked as well.

What Do You Have to Do for a Renewal?

In Michigan, for standard license renewals, you need to pass a vision test. You are also required to show proof of a valid social security number.

If you don’t have a Social Security number, you’ll need to bring a letter of ineligibility from the Social Security Administration showing you have a legal presence in the country.

If your license has been expired four years or more, you will have to take your driving test over, including the written and road skills portions.

When you go for license renewal in Michigan, the Department of State verifies your Social Security number, so it has to match what’s on your license.

REAL ID Requirements

In 2017, Michigan started allowing residents to get their new REAL ID driver’s license or ID card.

This change was mandated in 2005 under the REAL ID Act, but implementation across the country has been slow.

When you have the REAL ID-compliant license or ID card, you can board domestic flights and enter federal buildings.

The federal government deadline for this license is October 1, 2020. If your renewing your license in Michigan at the time it’s due, you can get your REAL ID at no additional cost. If your license isn’t set to renew yet, but you want the ID anyway, it’s $9.

In order to get the REAL ID, you’ll need to have your birth certificate, and if you’re not a citizen you’ll need to show your visa documents.

In Michigan, if you already have the enhanced license with an American flag on it then you’re compliant and don’t have to get the REAL ID.

If you are up for renewal of your license, but you don’t want to get a new ID, you can also get a standard ID that will be printed with the words “Not for federal identification.”

If you need to change your name when you’re renewing your license Michigan, you need to show your valid license as well as proof of your name change. The proof of name change must be established through the official record.

Finally, if you want to renew your in-state license early in Michigan, you can. You can renew up to 12 months early if you go to a Secretary of State Office. You can also renew a standard Michigan license early online if you have a valid Social Security number, and you’re a U.S. citizen.