Michigan Secretary of State limiting office visits to appointments only for next three weeks

LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan Secretary of State will be limiting visits to branches around the state to appointment only for the next three weeks, in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Jocelyn Benson said Friday afternoon that they would be limiting the appointments to only critical services and asks anyone who doesn't need to the services right now to hold off. Benson said the types of transactions will be limited to three critical categories:

• All new drivers licenses and state ID's
• Title transfers
• Testing for commercial, motorcycle and mechanical licenses

The secretary said the decision to eliminate walk-in appointments was based on the need to reduce crowds. She also said that late fees tied to state-issued ID's would be waived. Michigan State Police have been notified of the decision and would pass along the message to local law enforcement agencies.

While the option of closing branch offices entirely was on the table, Benson said the state recognized the necessity to keep offering the most critical of services,

In response to the change in availability, SOS offices will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Branch offices will also be closed on Saturdays and for the remainder of today.

Benson also took the opportunity to emphasize the services offered online, as well as mail and self-service stations throughout the state.