Michigan Driver's License Guide 2026

Everything below is taken from the Michigan SOS’s own pages. Where the SOS does not publish a figure, this guide says so rather than inventing one.

The first licence is an office visit, and the test happens there

The Michigan Secretary of State does not offer a first-time licence or ID online, by mail or at a self-service station. You schedule an office visit, which the department says takes about 20 minutes on average. If you are 18 or older and applying for a first licence, you take the driver knowledge exam during that visit. Everyone applying for a licence also completes a vision exam.

What happens after you pass

If you are 18 or older, you practise with a licensed adult for at least 30 days after passing the knowledge exam before you may take the driving skills test. If you are under 18 you complete and pass Segment 2 of driver’s education and then the on-road driver skills test.

What to bring

You need documents proving legal presence, your social security number, your identity and Michigan residency, plus a name-change document if one applies. Photocopies are not accepted, and every document must be in English or come with an English translation. The Secretary of State also lets you pre-apply online before the visit.

Practising before you go

Our free Michigan practice questions cover the same topics as the Michigan Driver's Manual, and every question shows the correct answer. They are practice questions written to those topics - they are not the SOS’s own test questions.

• Michigan practice tests
• Michigan car practice test