When Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp allowed bowling alleys, tattoo parlors, hair salons and other businesses to reopen across the state, he also gave teenagers hoping to get their drivers license an option of legally getting behind the wheel without taking a road test.
Kemp’s executive order, which was controversial to begin with because of its aggressiveness in reopening the state’s economy, allows most people who have to take an automobile road test to skip the final step in becoming a licensed driver.
The waiver for hopeful drivers is in place until the public state of emergency for the coronavirus pandemic is lifted. So far, nearly 19,500 people have received their license without taking a road test.
Susan Sports, spokeswoman with the Department of Driver Services, said as of Tuesday there have been 19,483 teenagers who have upgraded their permit to a provisional driver’s license since Kemp’s order went into effect.
“These teens held a permit for a year and a day and complied with all Georgia’s mandatory driver education requirements,” Sports said in an email Thursday. “Including Joshua’s law and an additional 40 hours of supervised training with six hours being at night.”
Georgia’s DDS has established new rules for teenagers hoping to get their license during the pandemic.
Teenagers between 16 and 18 years old who have had a learner’s permit for one year and one day can get their drivers license without taking the test if they have had no violations.
Any driver over 17 without a current license or permit still has to make an appointment and take a road test.
Anyone over 18 who has a learner’s permit can skip the test.
People getting a motorcycle and commercial driver’s license still have to take a road test.
Some are saying Georgia’s approach to giving new drivers a license is dangerous.
Sarah Casto is a driving instructor at 1st Stop Georgia Driving Academy. She started an online petition urging Kemp to roll back the executive order. The petition already has over 1,300 signatures.
In an update on the petition’s page, Casto wrote that she recently talked with one of Kemp’s staff members and said the recommendation came from the Department of Driver Services.
“I understand that the DDS may be responsible, but Governor Kemp is the only one who can change this,” Casto wrote. “I will not stop trying to get a meeting, and I am now reaching out to district representatives to receive additional support.”
In Tennnessee, the Department of Safety and Homeland Security announced most driver services facilities would remain open while taking extra precautions to make sure visitors and staff are safe.
Those services vary by county, and most facilities are not doing driving tests at this time.
Limited service at DMVs across Tennessee will stay in place until May 18. The department will announce details on a phased approach to resume full services in the coming weeks.
Ballard Scearce’s son, Bo, turned 16 on May 5. The Baylor School student thought he’d be celebrating spring with a brand new driver’s license as he finished up the school year.
Instead, like all of his friends, he’s isolated at home doing classwork online and has no way to escape.
“I feel horrible for him,” Scearce said. “We all know what it was like turning 16 and getting that driver’s license. On my 16th birthday I got my license at 9 a.m. and by 10 a.m. I had a car full of friends.”
Scearce said they are preparing for long lines come May 18 when DMVs in Hamilton County and elsewhere finally open for driving tests.
“I know it’s one of the boxes the state has to check for them to get the license, but a lot of these kids have had their learner’s permit for 10 months or longer,” Scearce said. “All they have to do now is drive around a parking lot to get their license. I know it’s part of it, but maybe the state will look at what Georgia is doing.”
Contact Patrick Filbin at pfilbin@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476. Follow him on Twitter @PatrickFilbin.