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Work off your driving fine with community service

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LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Secretary of State’s office (SOS) has a new way to avoid fines incurred from minor violations: community service.

A letter is being sent to some 168,000 drivers who qualify for community service due to a new law, according to an SOS release.

But if your violation was anything like speeding or worse, don’t watch for anything in the mail.

The Driver Responsibility Fee Community Service program only applies to such violations as “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.”

The SOS release said the program is being handled with cooperation with the state Treasury, and it will take a couple of weeks for all the letters to be sent out, so don’t call Treasury with questions unless and until you get a letter.

The community service that can replace fines include work with “local nonprofits (organizations classified as a 501c(3)), churches, synagogues, temples, mosques and other places of worship, schools, or city and state agencies,” said the SOS release.