NC DMV now lets adults take a private road test to earn their first license
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- NC DMV allows adults 18+ to take private-company road tests for first licenses.
- Private road tests reduce DMV examiner time and shorten in-office visits.
- Drivers pay companies for private tests, on top of the normal fees charged by the DMV.
Last fall, the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles gave teens the option of taking the driver’s license road test from a private company rather than a state employee.
Now that option has been extended to adults 18 and older who are seeking their first driver’s license.
Drivers who opt for the private test must still visit a DMV office to get their license. But getting the road test out of the way first will shorten their time at the DMV. Some drivers may also want the flexibility of taking the test from a driving school that offers them evenings and weekends when DMV offices are closed.
For those advantages, driver’s will pay a fee, which can be as much as $100 or more depending on the driving school. The DMV has certified more than 60 across the state that can offer the test. A list can be found on the DMV website.
Drivers also must pay the DMV’s license fee, which is $52 for a standard Class C license good for eight years.
Private tests reduce the workload on the DMV
The private driving schools only administer the road test; the written, vision and signs tests are done at the DMV office, though the agency is exploring whether to offer the written test online, according to spokesman Marty Homan.
Private roads tests are another way the state is trying to reduce lines and wait times at DMV offices by eliminating or shortening visits. The state has increased the number of transactions that can be performed online and now allows residents to renew a driver’s license online two consecutive times, as long as their credential is not a REAL ID.
A road test can tie up a driver’s license examiner for 15 to 20 minutes, so each test completed by a private instructor will free up a DMV employee to serve someone else, says Paul Tine, the DMV commissioner.
“Extending this option to adult drivers is a natural next step in our efforts to modernize and streamline the licensing process,” Tine said in a statement. “By leveraging the certified private driver ed schools, we’re offering more choices, cutting down on wait times and allowing our staff to focus on essential in-office services for all North Carolinians.”
Through the end of February, 1,134 teens had opted to take a road test from a private instructor before receiving their provisional licenses.
