Mobile S.O.S. office in GR on Tuesday to help people get REAL ID's

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- A mobile Secretary of State office will be set up outside the Kent County Clerk's Office on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

County Clerk/Register of Deeds Lisa Posthumus Lyons says the mobile office will be on side at 300 Monroe Avenue in downtown Grand Rapids to help residents meet the fast-approaching deadline to get a REAL I-D. Starting May 7th, driver's licenses and state ID cards must be REAL ID-compliant in order to travel on domestic flights, visit certain federal facilities, or enter a military base or nuclear power plant.

No appointments are needed, but to obtain a REAL ID you must have your current Michigan driver's license or state I-D card and another form of legal ID.

Here are more details from a Kent County news release:

A mobile Secretary of State office will be at the Clerk’s Office, located at 300 Monroe Ave. NW, First Floor, Grand Rapids, on Tuesday, April 29, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“With the deadline fast approaching, I’m excited to host the SOS Mobile Office right here at the Kent County Clerk’s Office, offering a convenient way for our community to obtain a REAL ID,” said Lisa Posthumus Lyons, Kent County Clerk/Register. “This partnership creates a one-stop shop and can save a lot of people a lot of time.”

The Secretary of State’s mobile office will be on site at the County Clerk’s Office to assist with REAL ID conversions, eliminating the need for a separate trip to a traditional SOS branch. This is particularly convenient for people born or married in Kent County who need to obtain necessary documents such as a birth certificate and/or marriage license.

Starting May 7, 2025, driver's licenses and state ID cards must be REAL ID compliant in order to travel on domestic flights, visit certain federal facilities, or enter a military base or nuclear power plant. REAL ID is part of a federal law which was passed in 2005 after the 9/11 terrorist attack on the United States.

No appointments are needed at either the Clerk’s Office or the SOS Mobile Office. Residents who wish to obtain a REAL ID at the mobile office will need the required documentation, which includes:

• Your current Michigan driver's license or state ID card
• One of the following original documents or certified copies to prove legal presence (faxes or photocopies will NOT be accepted):
  • Valid, unexpired U.S. passport or passport card
  • U.S. birth certificate with a raised seal (available at the Kent County Clerk’s Office for those born in Kent County)
  • Certificate of Citizenship or Certificate of Naturalization
  • Permanent Resident Card
  • And other acceptable documents listed on the Michigan.gov/REALID website.
• A certified legal name-change document, such as a marriage license, if your name is different from what is on your birth certificate (available at the Kent County Clerk’s Office for individuals who applied for a marriage license in Kent County).

* Enhanced Michigan Drivers License or ID are already REAL ID compliant.

For more information about the REAL ID requirements and a complete list of acceptable documents, please visit Michigan.gov/REALID.