Michigan Address & Name Change

When a Michigan driver moves, marries, divorces, or formally changes their name, the change must be reflected on the driver's license, vehicle registration, and any vehicle title in the driver's name. Michigan SOS requires the address change to be reported within 10 days of the move and the name change at the time the legal name change occurs.

Address change

Updating the address with Michigan SOS is free. The change can be completed:

• Online through the MICOR portal — instant update; no document upload required.
• SOS Express self-service kiosk at participating grocery stores — instant update with same-day printed confirmation.
• By mail using form SOS-26.
• In person at any SOS branch — useful when combined with a license renewal or REAL ID upgrade.

The address change covers the license and the registration in one transaction. New license cards or registration cards are not issued for an address-only update; instead the change is recorded in the SOS system and the driver writes the new address on the back of the card or prints a confirmation.

When a new license card is needed

Michigan does not issue a new license card for a routine address change. A new card is required when:

• The driver upgrades to REAL ID or EDL.
• The driver also has a name change.
• The license is at the photo-update cycle (every 8 years).
• The current card is lost or destroyed (a $9 duplicate fee applies).

Name change

Michigan SOS updates a driver's name when the change has been completed legally. Acceptable proof:

• Marriage: certified marriage certificate.
• Divorce: certified divorce decree showing the legal name return.
• Court-ordered name change: certified order from the Michigan Probate Court or out-of-state court.
• Adoption: certified adoption order.
• Naturalization: certificate of naturalization showing the new legal name.

The name change must be made in person at a Michigan SOS branch. Online and by-mail name changes are not accepted because of identity verification requirements.

Identity review for name change

A Michigan name change requires the driver to re-establish identity using documents that match the new name. Common bundles:

• U.S. passport reissued in the new name + secondary document in the new name + Michigan address proof.
• Original birth certificate + certified marriage certificate as the link document + Social Security card in the new name + Michigan address proof.

The Social Security Administration must be updated before Michigan SOS will accept a new Social Security card; the SSA processes name changes free of charge. Michigan SOS verifies the new name with the SSA database in real time during the transaction.

License fee at name change

If a name change is processed alone without a renewal, Michigan SOS charges $9 for the duplicate license card with the new name. The license expiration date does not change — the original 4-year cycle continues. If the change happens at renewal, the standard $25 renewal fee applies (or $45 for EDL).

Registration name change

The vehicle registration is updated at the same branch visit using form TR-11 with the new name. There is no fee to update the name on the registration card. The new card is mailed within 7-10 business days. If the registration is in joint names and only one person changed names, only the affected name is updated.

Title name change

A Michigan vehicle title cannot be updated in place — a new title must be issued. The driver brings the original title, certified marriage certificate or divorce decree, and form TR-11L to the SOS branch and pays the $15 title fee. The new title is issued within 14 days (or instantly with the $5 instant-title surcharge). Sales tax is not charged on a name change because there is no change in ownership; the change is administrative only.

Address change for vehicle owners with liens

An address change does not automatically notify the lien holder. Michigan drivers should also notify their lender directly so that registration renewal notices and any title-related correspondence reach the new address. Lien holders typically have their own address-change forms or web portals.

Out-of-state moves

If the move is from Michigan to another state, the driver does not "change the address" with Michigan SOS — instead, the new state's licensing authority issues a new license under the surrender-and-replace process. Michigan plates should be retained, surrendered, or transferred to a new vehicle (Michigan plates stay with the owner, not the vehicle). Surrendering the plate at any SOS branch formally closes the registration.

Moves into Michigan require a full first-time Michigan license application and vehicle registration within 30 days, not an address change.

EDL after a name change

An Enhanced Driver License (EDL) reissued after a name change requires the same proof of U.S. citizenship as the original EDL plus the legal name change documentation. Some name changes (particularly through marriage with a hyphenated name) can require additional documentation if the SSA and Michigan SOS records do not fully synchronize. Plan for a longer in-person visit in those cases.

Most Michigan residents complete address changes online or at a kiosk in under five minutes. Plan an in-person visit only when the change is paired with a name change, REAL ID/EDL upgrade, or the photo-update renewal.