Licensed drivers moving to Minnesota will no longer need to take written tests

Ruth Weigand recently moved from Florida to Maple Grove and was surprised to learn she'd have to take a knowledge exam to get a Minnesota driver's license.

She had one question: Why?

"That floored me," said Weigand, who at 75 has more than a half-century of driving experience. "It does not make any sense."

Starting Aug. 1, drivers like Weigand relocating to Minnesota won't have to take a written test if they have a valid driving credential issued by another state. The Legislature this past session passed a law eliminating the requirement.

The policy change brings Minnesota in line with other states, said Pong Xiong, director of Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS), the arm of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety that issues driver's licenses and oversees motor vehicle registrations.

"This law does not make our roads safe or unsafe," Xiong said.

"Drivers with licenses issued in another state have knowledge of the rules of the road, and they have demonstrated that already," he said. "It's a positive change."

Transplants won't be the only beneficiaries of the new law. With DVS facing a huge demand for knowledge tests, removing out-of-state drivers from the testing pool will open additional slots for Minnesotans 21 and under who are required to take exams, Xiong said.

DVS administered more than 276,850 written exams for drivers seeking standard licenses from July 1, 2022, through June 30. That number includes all exams, including tests for drivers who failed on their first attempt and retested.

Testing centers are bracing for an influx of appointments when another new law goes into effect Oct. 1, allowing unauthorized immigrants to apply for a Minnesota driver's license. DVS is expecting about 30,000 new applicants as a result, and many of them will take the written test, Xiong said.

To ease that crunch, DVS is seeking proctors to give tests in places such as libraries, community centers and businesses. State-approved proctors can supervise tests and give them to would-be drivers who might be unable to make it to DVS when offices are open.

That is another example of DVS trying to unburden the system and provide additional options to those seeking licenses, Xiong said.

In recent months, DVS also began a pilot in which applicants who have passed their tests or are renewing can get their licenses the same day. Stations in Moorhead and Lakeville are printing cards on the spot. More than 17,300 applicants have taken advantage of the program since it started.

Minnesota's new law for transplants does not apply to drivers under 21 or whose licenses have expired, been revoked or in any other way are not in good standing. DVS has access to data in other states and will check, Xiong said.

"We will verify they are active and valid," he said.

Weigand was set to take a written test at the end of July. To prepare, she said, she has been reading the state's driving manual.

"That probably helped," said Weigand, who will wait until August to get her new license after learning about the new law. "I could pass the test, but why take it if you don't have to?"