SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) – While masks and social distancing are encouraged, the SCDMV is reversing course by putting instructors back in the passenger seat during the in-car road test.
“With the COVID cases decreasing significantly, we had an opportunity to return back to full service,” Executive Director of South Carolina’s Department of Motor Vehicles Kevin Shwedo said.
“Today was my first time getting my license, so I’m pretty excited about that,” Driving student Jeremy Ward said.
Jeremy Ward took his “in car” road test, and was one of the first drivers to have an instructor from the DMV with him while testing since the pandemic began.
“I was nervous, it was fun and exciting. I missed a few things, but I’ll pick up on it and I’ll learn it,” Ward said.
While COVID restrictions were in place, driver training facilities were utilized to provide instruction and driving tests. Then, new drivers only had to bring in paper work that showed they passed all requirements, and there remained a 40 hour driving requirement for students.
However, the DMV reserves the right to check and see what those students learned.
“We have a mandatory recall for certain individuals, which means we have a random number generator that may cause somebody to have to take the test when they come in so that we can spot check the driving proficiency of individuals that tested third-party,” Shwedo said.
The DMV accepts walk-in’s until 1 p.m. Anything after that needs to be scheduled online. The Director says there is no back-log for testers.
Moving forward those in-car road test instructors will be a part of the process, whether someone is getting a driver’s license or commercial driver’s license.
