Thousands of NC teen drivers left in limbo after license wait time law expires

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Hearts are breaking at DMV places of work throughout the state as 1000’s of stripling drivers discover themselves caught in a pandemic pipeline stopping them from getting a driver’s license.

Gov. Roy Cooper signed a legislation two years in the past decreasing the time teenagers needed to wait to get their licenses. However the backlog stays and the legislation was allowed to run out. Now, households are caught within the center.

In Raleigh, if you end up driving behind 16-year-old Kaylee Hood in her mother’s SUV, you may discover the tongue-in-cheek bumper sticker on the again: “Warning: Pupil Driver and Screaming Mother or father.” However on Monday, Kaylee and her mom weren’t screaming — they left the Garner DMV workplace in tears.

“I even cried on the way in which dwelling,” Hood mentioned.

“Kaylee cried and I used to be upset. I imply I actually counted on her getting her license,” her mother, Amy Whitley mentioned.

Hood’s dream of driving independence was deferred this week. She’s one of many 1000’s of North Carolina teen drivers caught within the backlog of driving coaching delays triggered by the pandemic.

In Might 2021, Cooper signed Senate Invoice 69, decreasing the wait time for teen drivers to get their provisional driver’s license from 12 to 6 months. The legislature prolonged the change for 2022. However, between the six months when Hood earned her learner’s allow and went again to DMV for her license, the legislation had been allowed to run out.

“We rise up Monday morning all excited: Kaylee’s getting her license yay! Kaylee’s getting a job, yay!” Whitley mentioned.

“I used to be actually the evening earlier than taking a look at automotive decorations, all that stuff. I used to be simply actually overrated about it,” Hood mentioned.

“We get there and the gentleman on the DMV workplace who was very well mannered instructed us he regretted to tell us that Kaylee needed to wait six extra months; that the invoice had expired,” Whitley mentioned.

ABC11 went to the state DMV commissioner for solutions.

“I empathize tremendously for each the mother and father and particularly for the teenager drivers,” DMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin mentioned.

Goodwin says his workplace has been flooded with calls, e-mails and tweets from pissed off households, however he mentioned it is out of the DMV’s arms. The issue requires a legislative repair.

“Sadly, the legislature created the sundown, created the reversion again to the 12 months, but it surely did not have in mind that there have been lots of of 1000’s of stripling drivers that had been already within the pipeline,” he mentioned. “There have been many people thought that the legislature may prolong it once more, however they did not come again into session.”

Senate Invoice 157 was filed on Tuesday on the Common Meeting. It might resurrect the six-month wait time and permit 1000’s of teenagers like Hood to get their licenses proper now.

If SB157 turns into legislation, it will additionally completely cut back the wait time to 9 months beginning in 2024.