DVS last year also dropped its practice of reserving slots for students from preferred driver education schools to provide more equity in the booking process, the report found.īut auditors also said access to knowledge and road tests might be more difficult with fewer exam stations open. DVS recently expanded the window of available appointments from six weeks to six months to provide more options, and test-takers can search for new openings without losing a previously scheduled appointment. The report applauded DVS for efforts to improve road test scheduling. The auditor suggested that the Legislature clarify the statute and that DVS strive to meet the 14-day statutory requirement and track cases in which it does not.
"While the 14-day requirement has been difficult for DVS to meet, 14 days is not out of line with the reported wait times in some other states," the report said. is unknown how many test-takers did not accept the next available appointment and chose a later option.Sixteen DVS exam stations reopened Tuesday, May 19, 2020, including this one in Arden Hills where during the mid-morning an estimated 200 people waited outside in a line that stretched around the entire block to get into the building. In March 2020, average wait times for road tests ranged from nearly three weeks in northwestern Minnesota to about 14 weeks at stations in the north and east metro. Using the broadest definition of the law, the audit found nearly two-thirds of road tests for Class D licenses given between October 2018 and July 2020 were not administered within the 14-day period. Over the past few years, many would-be drivers booked appointments many months out and drove hours to exam stations far from home. State law says DVS must provide a road test appointment to a qualified applicant within 14 days, but the law does not specify whether the appointment applies to openings anywhere in the state or just near an applicant's home. "While it is encouraging that DVS has streamlined systems and worked through a backlog of tests, there is still a lot more work to do including additional oversight of the program." Jon Koznick, R-Lakeville, said in a statement. "Today's report reveals what so many moms and dads have known for months, Minnesota's driver examination system is fundamentally broken and has been horribly mismanaged," Rep. The review was prompted after citizens and legislators criticized DVS for excessive wait times even before COVID-19 further stressed the system.
Lengthy waits for driver's license road tests and limited exam locations mean that the Minnesota Department of Vehicle Services is violating state law, according to a legislative auditor's report released Wednesday.īut despite shortcomings and a lack of staff, the Department of Vehicle Services (DVS) was able to clear a backlog of tests, according to the report.
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