Road to Restoration clinic to help Traverse City drivers regain licenses

Traverse City drivers trying to get back behind the wheel had a free option at Traverse City Michigan Works, where the state brought its Road to Restoration clinic to 1209 S. Garfield Ave. #C. The clinic was set for Wednesday, May 20, 2026, with appointments from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and walk-ins accepted from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. if space allowed.

The program is meant for Michigan residents with restricted, suspended or revoked driving privileges who need help understanding what it takes to restore them. Participants meet one-on-one with Michigan Department of State staff and volunteer attorneys, who review a driver’s situation and explain the next steps under state law. For people in Grand Traverse County, where a license can determine whether someone gets to work on time, reaches school pickup, makes medical appointments or handles everyday errands, the stakes are immediate.

State officials have stressed that Road to Restoration is free, but it is not an expungement event. People who attend still remain responsible for Secretary of State costs, fees, tickets and fines required for restoration. Michigan also says reinstatement is not guaranteed and is decided case by case under the law.

The clinic series began after the Clean Slate to Drive laws took effect in 2021. Since then, the program has grown into a statewide effort that Michigan officials say has reached thousands of people. In March 2025, the state said Road to Restoration had provided expert guidance to nearly 10,000 residents since it began. By October 2025, officials said clinics had been held in more than 30 Michigan communities and had served more than 4,100 Michiganders that year alone. In May 2023, the state said the program had already assisted more than 5,200 people at 23 clinics in 14 cities.

Traverse City also had hosted the program before, including a prior state release in August 2023 that promoted a free Road to Restoration clinic for eligible residents. The broader rollout showed the state treating northern Michigan as part of the same restoration challenge facing drivers across Michigan.

A second northern Michigan stop was scheduled just up U.S. 31 in Gaylord. That clinic was set for Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at E-Free Church, 1649 E. M-32, with appointments from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and walk-ins from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. In both cities, the message was the same: a license problem is not just a court file, it can be a barrier to work, mobility and stability.