Department of State partners with local organizations to serve Northern Michigan residents at Road to Restoration clinics in Petoskey, Gaylord

Volunteer attorneys, MDOS staff offer expert advice on restoring driving privileges

GAYLORD, Mich. - This week, over 110 people received free, expert advice on how to regain their driving privileges at Road to Restoration clinics in Petoskey and Gaylord. Hosted by Michigan Department of State (MDOS) and community partners, the program is now in its third year and over 9,000 people have attended a clinic to learn the steps to restore their driver's license.

Volunteer attorneys and MDOS staff held one-on-one sessions with attendees to check their current license status, answer questions on how they can safely return behind the wheel and provide services like vision testing and the written driver's exam on site. Participants also learned about the administrative hearings process at information sessions held at the clinics.

"A valid driver's license is essential for residents of Northern Michigan, who need to be able to drive to work, to school, to medical appointments, and to meet their everyday needs," said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. "Our Road to Restoration clinics provide people with one-on-one sessions that are individualized to their personal circumstances. Together with our valued community partners, we have helped thousands of Michiganders on their journey back to safe driving."

"Living in rural communities with very limited public transportation options, restoring driving privileges for people in recovery is a vital step in many people's recovery journeys," said Caitlin Koucky, executive director of the Community Recovery Alliance (CRA), a lead partner of the two clinics. "Driving not only gives people back a sense of freedom, but opens up important job opportunities and facilitates getting to appointments for health, family, and court obligations, which are all important to building a sustainable life in recovery."

"One of the struggles that we have here in Petoskey is that we do not have public transportation, so we are here to try and allow people to get their licenses back so they can have transportation to gaining better employment for their futures," said Stephanie Hector, peer recovery coach and program coordinator at CRA. "I hope this event answers anybody's questions and reduces barriers for individuals to gaining their license because that helps their independence, and it really builds their own character."

The Road to Restoration program is a public-private partnership created after state laws that took effect in 2021 lifted license suspensions for drivers who failed to pay tickets and court fines or who failed to appear in court for certain non-moving violations. MDOS canceled infractions on the driving records of more than 350,000 Michiganders under the law, but many people still need to take additional steps before their driving privilege can be restored. The clinics are free of charge, but some participants may be required to pay past fines.

This week's clinics were operated in partnership with City of Petoskey, City of Gaylord, CRA, Harbor Hall, the Northern Michigan Opioid Response Consortium, Petoskey Library Notary, Smart Start, Michigan Indian Legal Services, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Michigan Department of Attorney General, Michigan 2-1-1, Michigan WORKS!, Detroit Justice Center, DTE Energy, Michigan Association of United Ways, Miller Canfield, Behavior Health Group, Women's Resource Center, Face Addiction Now, Angel Program/Michigan State Police, Catholic Human Services, Up North Prevention, Habitat for Humanity, Nationwide Interlock, Ronan's Place, Community Mediation Services, Grandma's Purse, Otsego Food Pantry, Versiti Blood Drive, and 217 Recovery.

This week's clinics were the ninth and 10th Road to Restoration clinics in the state this year. Upcoming clinics currently scheduled for 2024 include:

• Aug. 13 - Hancock
• Aug. 14 - Kingsford
• Aug. 16 - Marquette
• Aug. 28 - Dearborn Heights
• Sept. 13 - Kalamazoo

For more information about the program, to find a clinic near you, and to sign up for an upcoming clinic, visit Michigan.gov/R2Ror dial 2-1-1. Space for clinics may be limited and preregistration is strongly recommended. The clinics do not provide DUI expungement services and license reinstatement is not guaranteed.

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