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Secretary of State of Michigan

Department of State
Seal of Michigan Secretary of State.svg
Department overview
Formed October 6, 1835 (1835-10-06)
Type State department
Jurisdiction State of Michigan
Headquarters Lansing, Michigan
Department executive
Key document
Website www.michigan.gov/sos
Secretary of State of Michigan
Seal of Michigan Secretary of State.svg
Incumbent
Ruth Johnson

since January 1, 2011
Michigan Department of State
Appointer Popular election
Term length 4 Years, Renewable Once
Inaugural holder Kintzing Pritchette
Formation 1837
Website www.michigan.gov/sos/

The Michigan Department of State is administered by the Secretary of State, who is elected on a partisan ballot for a term of four years in gubernatorial elections.

The Secretary of State is the third-ranking official in the State of Michigan. As the name implies, the officeholder was originally responsible for much of state government, but now the duties are similar to those of the other 46 secretaries of states across the United States. In the event that the Governor and Lieutenant Governor are both absent from the state, or the offices are concurrently vacant for some other reason, the secretary of state serves as acting governor.

In Michigan, the Secretary of State is not only responsible for elections, but also oversees vehicle registration and the licensing of automobile drivers, similar to a motor vehicles regulator in other states. The officeholder also oversees and regulates notaries public and is the keeper of the Great Seal of Michigan.

Under state law, the Secretary of State must have at least one office in each of Michigan's 83 counties.

The current Secretary of State is Ruth Johnson.

The Customer Services Administration (CSA) is divided into the Bureau of Branch Office Services, the Driver and Vehicle Records Division, the Office of Customer Services, the Department of State Information Center, the Program Procedures Section, and the Program Support Section. The Bureau of Branch Office Services operates a network of branch offices providing driver’s licensing, vehicle titling and registration, and voter registration services to the citizens of Michigan. The Driver and Vehicle Records Division manages driver and vehicle records maintenance activities. The Office of Customer Services oversees the Renewal-By-Mail and Internet Renewal, as well as the Uniform Commercial Code. The office serves International Registration Plan vehicle owners and Michigan residents who are out of state. The Department of State Information Center is the point of contact for many citizens seeking information about Secretary of State programs and services. The center also oversees driver and vehicle record sales and the distribution of the annual jury listing to Michigan counties.


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