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Teens can opt to waive the final road test to receive a driver's license under a new state Department of Motor Vehicles pilot program.
Every driver remembers the day. Finally getting in the car with the Department of Motor Vehicles official charged with either approving or rejecting your driving skills. Skip that rite of passage? Maybe!
The DMV is launching a pilot program May 11 that would waive the road test requirement for student drivers ages 16-17, if all other pre-test requirements have been met and with parental approval required. In addition, the department announced today that online renewal will now be offered for some Wisconsin driver’s license holders.
Transportation Secretary-designee Craig Thompson said in a media briefing that there is already a backlog of more than 10,000 student drivers waiting to take road tests.
“Those eligible to have the road test waived will still have to meet the commitment of driver education classes, complete behind-the-wheel training and practice and have permission from a parent and guardian,” says Thompson. Along with Wisconsin’s graduated drivers license provision, which places restrictions on licensed drivers under age 18, “we are confident that this provision will not compromise safety.”
The road test will remain an option for teens, though, and still be a requirement for other types of licenses, Thompson said. “I know a young person’s road test is a big ritual in life and can be a memorable day…. If you are not in a rush to get your license, or if you are a parent or guardian who has been doing the required 30 hours of practice with someone learning to drive and you think they need the test, you will still be able to schedule a road test.”
During Wisconsin’s safer-at-home order, in-person visits to DMV service centers have been restricted to commercial driver licensing and IDs for voting. As of May 11 in-person tests to acquire a student driver permit can once again be scheduled. The scheduling of road test appointments for those who already have a permit to acquire a driver’s license will begin on May 8, with testing starting May 26.
DMV Administrator Kristina Boardman said in the media briefing that road tests will include safety precautions due to COVID-19, including a seat cover for the test vehicle and protective shields/personal PPE for testers.
Online renewal will begin May 11 and be available for Wisconsin drivers’ license holders ages 18-65 with an unrestricted license, who have no vision changes and who do not need to acquire a REAL ID. Boardman said that 80,000 licenses have expired since in-person visits have been restricted; the DMV extended the licenses through July 25. Online renewal will be available for any license set to expire within the next 12 months.
From May 11-22, DMV customer service centers will expand hours for those now eligible for in-person visits, which previously only included those needing an ID to vote or those applying for a commercial drivers’ license. Hours will be from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, but appointments are still recommended: calling 608-264-7447 or schedule online.
