NC temporarily waives DMV road tests for teens, but office visit still required
Teens are now able to get a provisional driver’s license without taking a road test under a bill signed into law by Gov. Roy Cooper on Friday, but they still need to visit a DMV office to get it.
The Division of Motor Vehicles stopped offering road tests in March to prevent drivers and DMV employees from passing the coronavirus to each other. The agency made exceptions for commercial driver’s licenses or for medical exemptions.
The policy caused an outcry among teens and their parents. State law requires teens 16 or 17 years old to pass a road test to receive a Level 2 provisional license, which allows them to drive unsupervised between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. or when going directly to or from work or volunteer fire or EMS service.
The bill signed into law Friday would allow teens to get the Level 2 license without the road test, provided they meet all the other requirements. Those include passing a driver’s education course or exam, logging 60 hours of supervised driving and visiting a DMV office to get the license.
Teens seeking to take advantage of the road test waiver must make an appointment at ncdot.gov/dmv/ to visit a DMV office with a parent or guardian.
The waiver is temporary. It will expire when the DMV begins offering road tests again. The agency says it is still working with health officials to determine how to safely do that and doesn’t know when the tests will resume.
The law requires a driver who takes advantage of the waiver to pass a road test before getting a Level 3 provisional license, which comes with fewer restrictions. The law does not address the road test requirements for first-time licensed drivers who are 18 or older and not seeking a provisional license.
Teens under 18 qualify for a Level 2 provisional license after having a Level 1 Limited Learner Permit at least 12 months. DMV commissioner Torre Jessup said in a written statement that the temporary road test waiver should not compromise safety on the road.
“We believe a young driver who has gone through the graduated licensing process to qualify for a Level 2 license should have sufficient supervised driving experience and instruction to be able to forego a road test and to continue gaining driving experience,” Jessup said.
This story was originally published June 20, 2020 at 3:53 PM.
