SOS Express News from Secretary of State Ruth Johnson

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SOS & AAA Michigan team up for you

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AAA Michigan's Detroit location now offers online access to SOS services

In a Michigan first, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson and AAA Michigan officially launched a new pilot program Sept. 4 in which select AAA branch locations will offer Secretary of State online services in their lobbies.

Johnson and AAA Michigan leaders unveiled the first of the new dedicated computer stations at their downtown Detroit office, 719 Griswold Ave. The computer station offers AAA customers access to Secretary of State online services at ExpressSOS.com.

"This latest public-private partnership represents a critical step in improving customer service and offering more customer convenience," said Johnson. "We're honored to be working with AAA Michigan in offering secure, online access to our services."

The next AAA Michigan offices slated to offer the ExpressSOS Connect Services are:

  • Livonia, 37383 Six Mile Road
  • Grand Rapids, 2560 E. Paris Ave. S.E., Grand Rapids

ExpressSOS.com, which has seen more than five million successful transactions, offers online access to the most popular Secretary of State services. Customers can change their address, renew their license plate tabs, order vehicle records and even sign up as an organ donor.

It also includes Print N' Go, which allows customers to order their tabs and print off a receipt to carry with them as proof of purchase until their tabs arrive in the mail.

The AAA Michigan-Secretary of State partnership, known as ExpressSOS Connect, was announced in May. AAA Michigan plans to expand these services to all of its 31 locations.

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Celebrating America: Michigan’s Patriot Week officially kicks off Thursday

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Secretary of State Ruth Johnson is urging Michiganians to remember and celebrate Patriot Week, which honors America’s founding principles.

Patriot Week is anchored by the key dates of Sept. 11, the anniversary of the terrorist attacks in which more than 3,000 people were killed, and Sept. 17, the anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution.

Celebrations for this year’s Patriot Week observation include lectures, festivals, memorial ceremonies, musical events and picnics. For more information and the 2014 schedule, visit www.patriotweek.org.

“This is a wonderful way for people who are proud of this nation and what it stands for around the world to honor our beginnings,” said Johnson, who serves on the Patriot Week Advisory Board. “Remembering and honoring our struggles, our past and the principles of our founding fathers is critical to ensuring that our freedoms, rights and way of life will endure.”

Launched in 2009 by Oakland Circuit Court Judge Michael Warren and his daughter, Leah, Patriot Week observances are now held across Michigan and in several states.

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SOS is out and about

SOS staff has been answering constituents questions and helping them with transactions at events across Michigan. 

The Mobile Office is in the middle of a 3,000-mile, 20-school voter registration tour to college campuses and has also recently visited a veterans expo in Grand Rapids and an emergency preparedness fair in Detroit. 

The ExpressSOS Pop Up Tent was at the Frankenmuth Auto Fest and will be at the Michigan Boating & Outdoor Festival in Harrison Township Sept. 11-14.


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Know the bus rules

With kids back to school, please help to keep them safe by following the rules regarding school bus stops.


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Safe driving effort for teens wins nat'l honor

Michigan's newest resource for the parents of teen drivers has won top honors from a national traffic-safety group.

The national Governors Highway Safety Association, made up of traffic-safety professionals from across the U.S., awarded The Parent's Supervised Driving Program the Peter K. O'Rourke Special Achievement Award, given to recognize notable achievements in the field of highway safety.

Johnson, in partnership with the national safety group Safe Roads Alliance, launched Michigan's program and a related smartphone application late last year to help parents coach their teen drivers.

The Parent's Supervised Driving Guide and other helpful tools are available for download at Michigan.gov/teendriver.