LANSING, Mich. ‒ Secretary of State Ruth Johnson and State Treasurer Kevin Clinton today announced that select motorists are being sent letters this month stating they are eligible to perform community service in place of paying certain Driver Responsibility fees.

About 168,000 residents meet the criteria for the Driver Responsibility Fee Community Service program. The new law, which was passed in 2014, requires individuals to complete 10 hours of community service for each qualifying Driver Responsibility assessment.

“This new law allows eligible residents to perform a service for their community while easing the burden of paying the Driver Responsibility fee,” Johnson said. “It provides a benefit to the individual and the community.”

“The elimination of fees for lesser driving violations removes some unintended consequences of the original law,” Treasurer Clinton said. “Additionally, allowing qualifying individuals to perform community service is a win for everyone involved.”

It will take a couple of weeks to complete the mailing to the 168,000 recipients. Motorists with questions are asked to refrain from calling Treasury until after the information arrives and they have had a chance to read it.

Under the program, community service is defined as engaging in a useful and productive activity for someone other than a family member without receiving any compensation (money or gifts). Volunteer work at local nonprofits (organizations classified as a 501c(3)), churches, synagogues, temples, mosques and other places of worship, schools, or city and state agencies can count.

The Driver Responsibility fees that can be erased by community service are for no proof of insurance, no insurance, driving without proper license/endorsement/vehicle group designator, driving while license is expired and driving while unlicensed or with an invalid license.