NORTH CAROLINA — A bill passed in 2021 allows the Department of Motor Vehicles to train private school instructors to administer the road test for kids to get their license.
It was intended to save time at the facilities, as well as free up more space for other appointments. However, the DMV never acted on it until now.
Channel 9’s Scott Wickersham exclusively spoke with a DMV that is in the process of considering how it could work.
The road test is where a DMV instructor takes your child on the road and has them demonstrate making turns, braking, parking, and more. If they don’t pass, they have to do it all over again during another appointment.
The task takes DMV workers out of the office, time they could be using to handle more customers, as well as the backlog of people trying to get in.
Sources at the DMV told Wickersham they are now considering letting private school instructors qualify to do the road test.
“It would alleviate a lot of the trees and backlog for a lot of customers who try to get their kids up to speed in driver’s ed,” said Felix Blankey, with TLC Driving School.
The DMV said early concepts are to have two training centers, perhaps in Rocky Mount and Huntersville. They would offer training twice a year to limit the amount of interested instructors. They would then perform the road tests on their own.
“Once they figure out a way to get us going as soon as possible, it will be better for everyone,” said Blankey.
New DMV Commissioner Paul Tine just started on the job a few weeks ago. He told Channel 9 that he is getting up to speed on this and will provide updates on their progress.
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