University of Michigan-Flint

In order to get a Michigan driver's license, you must pass a written test, a road sign test, a vision test, and a driving test.

The first step is to prepare for the written test and road sign test by studying the booklet What Every Driver Must Know. If you are younger than 18, be sure to read the section of What Every Driver Must Know that describes the special regulations that pertain to you. Information for those younger than 18.

The Written Test and Road Sign Test

TEST INFORMATION: You can take the written test and road sign test at any Michigan Secretary of State Office. (Tests are available in a number of different languages.) You will also be asked to take a vision test.  

LOCATION: The branch office closest to campus is:

 Secretary of State-Flint Downtown
408 S. Saginaw St.
Flint, MI 48502
(888) 767-6424

Identification Requirements

You will need the following documents

• Your Social Security card, or evidence that you have a valid Social Security number. See Column 1, Your Social Security number or letter of ineligibility for a list of documents you can use to demonstrate you have a valid Social Security number.
  If you are not eligible for a social security number (for example, you do not have a job) you can request a "letter of ineligibility" from the Flint Social Security Office. You will receive the letter right away; you will not have to make a second trip to the Social Security office.
• YOUR PASSPORT
• YOUR I-94 CARD
• PROOF OF YOUR MICHIGAN ADDRESS: Two documents showing your Michigan address are required. See Column 4, Proof of Michigan residency list for acceptable documents. Students can use an unofficial transcript printed by the Office of the Registrar as one of the two documents.
• YOUR I-20, DS-2019, or I-797: If your visa (the visa stamp inside your passport) is no longer valid, you will also have to bring your I-20 (F students), your DS-2019 (J students and scholars), or your I-797 (H-1B employees).

DOCUMENT VERIFICATION (if necessary): If the documents you give to the Secretary of State's office include the "Letter of Ineligibility for a Social Security Number" or an I-20, DS-2019, or I-797 (because your visa is no longer valid), the Secretary of State's office will fax copies of your documents to their head office in Lansing, Michigan for verification. Once your documents have been verified, the Secretary of State's office will contact you. You can then return to the Secretary of State's office to apply for your license.

PERMIT FEE: $25.00 that must be paid with cash, check or money order.

State of Michigan Personal Identification Card

If you do not need a driver's license, but do need extra identification, you can get a State of Michigan Personal Identification card at any Michigan Secretary of State office for $10. The identification requirements are the same as the identification requirements for a driver's license as described above. However, the Secretary of State office will not issue you an ID card if you have a Michigan driver's license, a driver's license from another state, or a driver's license from another country.