By Jessica Mathews & Jon King / news@whmi.com

The deadline is approaching for special appointments and extended hours offered for certain residents to renew their driver’s licenses or state ID cards.

Last month, it was announced that Michigan Secretary of State branch offices would offer special appointments and extended hours for licenses or IDs that expired between January 1st, 2020 and September 30th, 2020 and must be renewed in person. With the deadline less than a week away, affected residents are being urged to schedule their appointment as soon as possible to avoid late fees and other issues.

Special appointments are available from 4 to 7pm Monday through Friday for licenses and IDs that expire between January 1st and October 31st of this year and require a branch visit for renewal. To avoid late fees and other issues, residents are encouraged to renew before the deadline.

Michigan Department of State Spokeswoman Tracy Wimmer told WHMI they’ve opened up the window of appointments that are exclusively for those customers. Wimmer noted that if someone signs up and it was a situation where they didn’t actually need to renew in person or if they sign up and try to do a different type of transaction, the appointment will be canceled. She stressed these are for very specific circumstances and they want to make sure they address everyone who was covered by the legislation passed in July that extended the renewal periods and make sure they get an opportunity to get their license or ID renewed before it expires.

Officials say anyone who hasn’t renewed their vehicle registration by the September 30th deadline risks being stopped by police. In addition, late fees will also be charged starting October 1st. Drivers with expiring registrations are advised they can renew and print their tabs at one of the more than 120 self-service stations located across the state, as well as renew online or by mail.

Appointments can be made on the Secretary of State’s website at Michigan.gov/SOS (link below) or by calling 888-SOS-MICH (767-6424).