Michigan SOS Jocelyn Benson Hopes These Changes Will Fix Backlog

LANSING, MI — Michigan's Secretary of State Wednesday announced a slew of changes she hopes will aid in solving a backlog of transactions accumulated during the coronavirus pandemic.

Jocelyn Benson announced Secretary of State branches across Michigan will increase office hours beginning July 19 and ending on Sept. 30. All offices will stay open until 6 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, while branches on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays will open at 8 a.m.

"Right now anyone can access in-person services at our 130 branch offices by walking up, calling ahead or going online to schedule a visit, and no matter what they choose every Michigander is now provided accurate information on when they will be served and the certainty that their office visit will take on average just 20 minutes," Benson said. "This operating model moves the department forward, and I want to thank members of the Michigan House of Representatives who worked with us to craft bipartisan legislation in support of it and our post-pandemic plan to continue providing convenient and efficient in-person services for all Michiganders."

Related: Michigan SOS Adds 350,000 Appointments To Fix Backlogs

When people show up at offices unannounced, staff will serve them immediately if there is availability or tell them when the next opening is and invite them to wait inside or come back. They may also assist them to schedule a return visit.

A technology upgrade also is easing some backlog issues by allowing people to renew most driver's licenses and state IDs without an office visit, Benson said. More than 1,600 Michiganders have already taken advantage of the upgrade and renewed their license or ID online or at a self-service station now that in-person visits for new photos are only required every 12 years instead of every eight, according to the state.

Residents who recently received a renewal mailer saying they need to renew in person are encouraged to first try renewing online or at a self-service station, as mailers sent before July couldn't reflect the change until it took effect, Benson said.

"The extra office hours will provide in-person service to 120,000 additional Michiganders, and the technology upgrade will enable hundreds of thousands of residents to renew their licenses and IDs from the comfort of their own home," Benson said. "We have a strong plan in place to provide an abundance of in-person office availability in coming months, to work through the transaction backlog created by the pandemic, and to improve upon our service-driven operating model that provides the convenient, efficient and equitable service that Michiganders have sought and deserved for decades."