Michigan is a non-strict voter ID state.
You will be asked to show an acceptable photo ID to confirm your identity when voting in person.
If you are a registered voter and do not bring (or do not have!) an acceptable photo ID, you can still vote a regular ballot by signing an affidavit.
Any registered Michigan may request an absent voter ballot.
You do not need a copy of your ID to vote by mail in Michigan.
You must file a formal request with the circuit court’s family division to change your name in Michigan.
You will need to be fingerprinted by state police as part of the name-change process if you are age 22 or older.
You may be required to publish notice of your name change in the newspaper for a set amount of time. The court has the option to waive this requirement and seal records with good cause.
If the court approves your name change, you will receive a court order that can be used to update the name on your ID documents.
Submit a request to Michigan’s Vital Records Department to amend your birth certificate.
To change the name on your Michigan birth certificate, you will need to provide:
Note: You must update your birth certificate with the state where you were born.
You must update your name with the Social Security Administration before you can change your name on a Michigan-issued ID.
Visit a Secretary of State branch office to change the name on your license or ID.
You will need to provide your current Michigan-issued ID and a certified copy of your name-change court order.
Michigan allows residents to mark M, F, or X on their state-issued birth certificate.
Contact Michigan’s Vital Records Department office to amend the gender marker on your birth certificate.
You will need to sign Michigan Vital Record’s Sex Designation Form (PDF) or submit a court order determining sex designation.
To update the gender marker on your Michigan birth certificate, you will need to provide:
Note: You must update your birth certificate with the state where you were born.
Michigan allows residents to mark M, F, or X on their state-issued ID. No medical certification is required
Visit a Secretary of State branch office and submit a completed Sex Designation Form (PDF).
