CHARLOTTE — A new initiative in the Charlotte area allows private driving instructors to administer DMV road tests, saving new drivers a trip to the DMV.
This program began on September 26th and aims to alleviate the burden on DMV offices.
The state DMV’s decision to certify private instructors to offer the DMV road test comes after years of delay.
Jason Hall, whose son Dylan took his road test today, remarked, “It’s been very difficult to get level 2, log in... so we saw this and took it.”
Felix Blakeny, a local driver’s training instructor, is among the first in the state to be certified to give the road test for new drivers.
“It’s been overwhelming... people are reaching out, to do the DMV test,” said Felix Blakeny, who has been giving the test twice a day since the program started.
This allows instructors like Blakeny to take new drivers on the road to demonstrate their ability to turn, brake, park, and more.
If a driver does not pass the test, they must retake it at a DMV office during another appointment.
Currently, teen drivers with restrictions above level 1, such as corrective lenses, still need to take the road test at the DMV.
The Department of Transportation has announced that more training sessions for private instructors will be scheduled based on demand, which Blakeny sees as increasing.
The initiative is expected to provide relief for DMV offices and expedite the process for parents and new drivers, as noted by Blakeny: “Hopefully alleviate, relief for the DMV and get the parents in and out quicker.”
VIDEO: DMV may soon let private instructors give road tests
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