LANSING, Mich. (WXYZ) — Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced Wednesday that the office is replacing "unreliable, hard-to-use kiosks" at branches across the state with new "user-friendly self-service stations."
According to the SOS office, there was a one month pilot phase that completed this month with a dozen new self-service station and thousands of customer transactions.
Now, they will replace all 93 kiosks by the end of January, and add 57 more, for a total of 150 kiosks by the end of April.
With the stations already being discussed, the SOS said the kiosks will also be in grocery stores like Meijer and Kroger, and will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
To find a list of the kiosks, click here.
People using the new stations don't need to have their renewal packet with them. Eligible vehicles can be renewed with only the plate numbers and the last four digits of the VIN.
“We’ve already seen a significant increase in customers using the new machines,” Benson said. “During the pilot phase, the number of transactions increased significantly on three-quarters of the new machines compared to the same period the previous year. In some locations, the increase has been as much as 57 percent.”
Like the previous kiosks, self-service stations will offer renewals for automobiles, motorcycles and watercraft. The stations can print auto and motorcycle tabs. Watercraft tabs will be mailed to customers. The office plans to add numerous other driver-related transactions by March of 2021.
Those using the kiosks will pay a service fee of $3.95 for every vehicle renewed, and each transaction is only expected to take around two minutes.
Intellectual Technology Inc. (ITI) is the company making the kiosks, and they have provided the stations in 15 states over 19 year. They will also manage maintenance, stocking and repairs.
