ADRIAN — The Michigan Department of State is bringing its Road to Restoration program to the ProMedica Ebeid Center at Comstock, 801 E. Maumee St. in Adrian, for a free driver’s license restoration clinic on Thursday, July 31, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The clinic includes a fully equipped mobile Secretary of State unit. The most valuable benefit of the clinic is the assistance provided to residents in Lenawee and surrounding counties in determining the steps they need to take to regain their driving privileges.
The team on-site includes attorneys who will be available at no charge. Residents are encouraged to register in advance at michigan.gov/R2R but there will also be a walk-in option for those who don’t sign up ahead of time.
The Department of State is partnering with a host of local and statewide organizations on the clinic, including ProMedica’s Adrian Ebeid Neighborhood Promise, Michigan Works! Southeast, the United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties, the Lenawee Community Foundation, the Stubnitz Foundation, the Michigan Department of Attorney General, the Detroit Justice Center, and Michigan 211.
“We are very excited to bring the Road to Restoration clinic back to Adrian for the second year,” said Lynne Punnett, manager of community resilience for the Adrian Ebeid Center. “Last year our goal was to fill 40 appointment slots, and after seeing one man leave with his driver’s license in hand and hearing another man tell me he would be able to have visitation with his children because he learned what he needed to do to have his drivers license restored, we knew we had to increase the number of people we could serve. This year our goal is to serve 100 community members at the clinic.”
Now in its fourth year, the Road to Restoration program has hosted over 65 clinics across the state and provided one-on-one assistance to over 10,000 Michiganders. The program was created to help more than 150,000 people newly eligible to regain their driving privileges after changes to state law in 2021. About 3,000 more Michiganders were made eligible to apply for a driver’s license on April 2 under Public Act 42 of 2024. The new law repealed the state’s three-year ban on individuals cited for driving without a license to apply for license reinstatement.
Road to Restoration clinics are free of charge, but a records check is required. Thanks to the partners making the Adrian clinic possible, the $16 records check fee is fully covered and thanks to Michigan Works some other fees for past fines may be covered as well. It is important that people understand, the clinics do not provide DUI expungement services and license reinstatement is not guaranteed.
“The Road to Restoration program has helped many people get back on the road safely and legally,” said Abigayl Venman, director of the Road to Restoration program. “Having a driver’s license is vitally important in everyday life, enabling people to drive to a job, take their kids to school, or go to medical appointments. It is important to provide this program that assists in restoring residents’ driving privileges, which can be truly lifechanging.”
At a glance
- Date and time: Thursday, July 31, from 11 a.m.to 3 p.m.
- Location: ProMedica Ebeid Center, 801 E. Maumee St., Adrian.
- Cost: Free (the $16 records check fee is being covered by partners in the Adrian clinic; some other fees for past fines may be able to be covered as well).
- To register: Advance registration is encouraged at michigan.gov/R2R, but walk-ins are also allowed.
