GREENSBORO, N.C. — Didn’t North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper waive the road tests for driver licenses due to the COVID-19 pandemic? That answer is, yes but there's more to it.
If you have a 16 or 17-year-old waiting on a road test to get their driver license, they are able to get their license.
This is from the DMV: Drivers who are 16 or 17 years old, have held a Level 1 Limited Learner Permit at least 12 months, have completed at least 60 hours of supervised driving, including time at night, and who have not had a moving violation or seat belt/cell phone violation within the last six months, qualify for the waiver. As part of the Level 1 permit process, they already passed the DMV’s written, sign and vision tests, and have their driving eligibility and driver’s education certificates.
Drivers seeking the waiver must make an appointment at a driver license office.
Once the DMV can resume road tests, a provision of the new law ends the waiver option. There is not a set timetable for the road test resumption, as the division is working with health officials to determine when they will be safe to begin and under what restrictions for the driver, examiner, and vehicle.
However, if you're an adult waiting on the road test to get your license, you're out of luck.
Steve Abbott from the North Carolina DMV said, “The new law only grants waivers to young drivers with a level 1 permit who now qualify for the level 2 license. The DMV did not write the bill so we can't answer why it was so specific. All other drivers will still need to wait for when it is safe to resume road tests.”