Community Corner

Teens No Longer Have To Take "DMV Final Exam"

State Legislature eliminates the second written test that teens had to take to get their driver's license effective this week..

The 16 and 17-year-olds in the state seeking a driver’s license will no longer need to take an additional second written test called the “DMV Final Exam."

In the last General Assembly session, the state legislature passed a law allowing the Department of Motor Vehicles to eliminate the second 25-question test started in October 2009. This “DMV Teen Final Exam” is given after the young driver has completed home or driving school training and has passed the DMV road skills test.

The first 25-question test is administered when the teen seeks a learner permit to drive and starts the license training process.  DMV considers the required road-skills test before a license is issued to be a stronger measure of whether a teen has learned the basic safety skills necessary to operate a motor vehicle.

However, any 16 or 17 year-old who failed this second test prior to July 5 will still need to take the re-test of it to obtain a license.

In August 2008 Connecticut toughened its laws to combat crashes, injuries and deaths among 16 and 17-year-old drivers. The laws included a 25-question test that replaced a 10-question test taken by applicants seeking a learner’s permit. The following year the legislature added a second test, which it has now given DMV permission to remove.

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Teens seeking a license still must pass a road-skills test, as well as log 40 hours of behind-the-wheel training. They also must attend an eight-hour safe driving class that includes two hours of instruction with one or both parents.

The laws also lengthened the time for passenger restrictions, increased the curfew time and toughened other penalties to include a 30-day loss of the license for violating these and other teen driving measures. Connecticut also has a zero-tolerance for teens driving under the influence and violations can bring license suspensions, fines and jail time.  ‬

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