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Michigan Department of State (Secretary of State): Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
Yes: Michigan SOS accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary.
Who may translate: Translation business, attorney, college or agency
- $24.95 per page
- Usually 24 h for 1–3 pages
- Signed certificate of accuracy, PDF
- See the price before you pay
How we know · policy checked on October 21, 2026
The Michigan Department of State asks for foreign documents to be translated or to have English subheadings, and accepts a translation from a community or government agency, attorney, college, university or translation-related business, on letterhead, signed and dated, without notarization.
The Michigan Secretary of State accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary.
A foreign driver's license counts only as proof of driving experience, never as identity; visitors may drive on it if it is in English or carries a written English translation.
Michigan SOS at a glance
Does it accept eVerbary? Yes
The Department of State says a translator does not have to be on its resource list but must be a community or government agency, attorney, college, university or translation-related business (Translators Resource List), so a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary meets it. Policy checked on October 21, 2026.
- Translation
- Required, on letterhead; no notary
- Who may translate
- Translation business, attorney, college or agency
- Foreign license
- Visitors drive with English translation
- Price
- $24.95 per pageUp to 250 words, certification included
- Delivery
- 24 hoursStandard for one to three pages
- Certificate
- SignedCertificate of translation accuracy, PDF
Checked on October 21, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on Michigan SOS's own page before you submit.
Worth knowing about Michigan SOS
Any translation business
The state list is a resource, not a requirement.
No notary
Translations need not be notarized and may be made abroad.
Driving experience only
A foreign license never proves identity or legal presence.
Michigan SOS requirements in detail
Translation
Foreign documents must be translated or have English subheadings (SOS-428).
Who may translate
A community or government agency, attorney, college, university or translation-related business; translators need not be on the state's list and are not certified by the Department (Translators Resource List).
Format
On the letterhead of the agency that employs the translator, with its address (letterhead translated if in another language), the translator's printed name and signature, a daytime telephone number and the date (Translators Resource List).
Notarization
Not required. A translation made outside Michigan or outside the US is acceptable if it meets the same requirements (Translators Resource List).
Original or copy
Only original or certified copies of legal and identity documents; photocopies and faxes are refused (License and ID document requirements FAQ).
Foreign license as a document
Proof of driving experience only, not of legal presence or identity (Applying for a Michigan license or state ID (SOS-428)).
Foreign license, driving
Drivers from treaty countries may drive on a license printed in English or with a written English translation; since 2016 drivers from non-treaty countries may too, if they also carry proof of legal presence (SOS tip sheet).
What the Department of State checks on a translation
Michigan's rule is about the translator's affiliation and the paper, not a certification number.
Its Translators Resource List (revised April 2026) says any organization or individual not on the list may translate if it is a community or government agency, attorney, college, university or translation-related business, and the translation is on that agency's letterhead with its address, signed with the translator's printed name, dated, and with a daytime telephone number.
If the letterhead itself is in another language, it must be translated too.
There is no notary step and no Michigan-only requirement: the list says a translation prepared in another country is acceptable if it meets those elements. A translation on plain paper, without an agency's letterhead and contact details, does not meet them.
Identity, name changes and the foreign license
For an original license or state ID, the only foreign documents the Department accepts as proof of identity are a Canadian driver's license or a valid foreign passport with English subtitles or a translation; a foreign marriage license with English subtitles or a translation may support a legal name change (License and ID document requirements FAQ).
When the names on your documents differ, the SOS-428 guide asks for official proof of the name change, such as an original marriage certificate or a court order, and possibly one per change (Applying for a Michigan license or state ID (SOS-428)).
A foreign driver's license does not help with identity: it is proof of driving experience only (Applying for a Michigan license or state ID (SOS-428)).
For driving, the Department's tip sheet for police explains the 2016 change: drivers from non-treaty countries may drive if the license is in English or comes with a written English translation and they show proof of legal presence; treaty-country drivers need only the English license or translation.
It adds that an International Driving Permit is a translation, cannot be used as a license, and is not issued in the US to foreign visitors (Foreign driver's licenses: law enforcement tip sheet).
Need a certified translation for Michigan SOS?
$24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages. See the price before you pay.
Documents people usually translate
- Foreign passports without English subtitles, as proof of identity
- Foreign marriage certificates for a legal name change
- Foreign divorce decrees and court orders that link names
- A foreign driver's license, as proof of driving experience or to drive as a visitor
What an eVerbary translation includes
- A complete English translation of every page, stamps, seals and handwritten notes included, laid out like the original so each line can be matched.
- A signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead, with our contact details, delivered as a PDF you can upload or print.
- $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included; 24 hours for one to three pages as standard. Regular clients who need it can get delivery in as little as 30 minutes, on request.
- Notarization added at checkout ($34.90 per order) when the office asks for a notarized translation.
Submitting the translation to Michigan SOS
Bring the original or certified copy of each foreign document together with its translation to a Secretary of State office when you apply; the Department may keep copies, and document approval may take more than one visit (License and ID document requirements FAQ, Applying for a Michigan license or state ID (SOS-428)).
If you are driving on a foreign license, keep the written English translation with the license in the vehicle (Foreign driver's licenses: law enforcement tip sheet).
What we do not do
eVerbary translates documents; it is not the DMV and does not issue licenses, International Driving Permits or REAL ID decisions. For the Michigan Department of State that means we translate your documents; we do not provide proof of legal presence or International Driving Permits.
How to order
- Scan or photograph every page of the document, front and back, including any stamps on the reverse.
- Upload it, choose the language and "certified", and see the price before paying.
- Receive the PDF, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages, and submit it with the copy of the original wherever the office asks for it.
Frequently asked questions
Does the translator have to be on Michigan's list?
No. The Department says translators do not have to be on its Translators Resource List, but must be a community or government agency, attorney, college, university or translation-related business (Translators Resource List).
Does the translation need to be notarized?
No. The Department's list says translations do not need to be notarized (Translators Resource List).
Can I use a translation made in my home country?
Yes, if it meets the same requirements: letterhead with address, printed name and signature, daytime phone and date (Translators Resource List).
Can I use my foreign driver's license as ID?
No. It is proof of driving experience only and cannot prove legal presence or identity (Applying for a Michigan license or state ID (SOS-428)).
Can I drive in Michigan on my foreign license?
As a visitor, yes, if the license is in English or comes with a written English translation; drivers from non-treaty countries must also have proof of legal presence (Foreign driver's licenses: law enforcement tip sheet).
Sources
Michigan Department of State (Secretary of State)'s own pages, read on October 21, 2026.
Translating documents for Michigan SOS?
Upload a scan of your license or certificate and see the price and delivery time before you pay.