Why is it so difficult to schedule a driver's license test in Minnesota?
MINNEAPOLIS — It's a rite of passage when you turn 16: Getting a driver's license. However, many families find that securing an appointment is a test in and of itself.
Linda from Sartell wanted to know, why is it so hard to schedule a driver's license test? Good Question.
Whether you're a new driver or new to the state, scheduling a driving test in Minnesota can be a bumpy road.
"The first appointment I could get was in Moorhead," said Leane Minnaar, of Mound.
Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services has nearly a hundred exam stations across the state. They issue more than 66,000 IDs and driver's licenses every two weeks.
Appointments at metro locations notoriously fill up fast, leaving some families driving the distance to secure a spot.
"Got them from school, ended up taking them to Makato, so that was a little dicier," said Andy McNair, of Prior Lake.
Jody-Kay Petersen is the Driver Services program director.
"It's not a secret that we are short-staffed," she said.
Right now, they're down more than 50 examiners.
"Another thing we see is a no-show rate. It's pretty high," Petersen said.
She says about a quarter of appointments are wasted by no-shows.
"We want folks to the Minnesota nice thing and cancel their appointment if they know they're not going to be able to make it. This way it can go back into the system so someone can grab that appointment," Petersen said.
Then there's the tough reality that not everyone passes on the first try. It usually takes two to three times — with a road test average fail rate of 30% and a written test fail rate of 56%
"People are not adequately prepared when they come take that test so the more failure times that they have, that's more appointments they have to take to be able to come in," Petersen said.
DVS allows people to book appointments online 30 days out. If nothing is available, they can join the waitlist and get notified of any last-minute openings at their preferred exam station.
"Getting a notification doesn't guarantee that that's now your appointment," Petersen said. "You have to go online and book that. You get an hour to do that because there are other people waiting on that waitlist."
Exam stations in Eagan, Arden Hills and Plymouth also have weekend hours. Those appointments are posted the Thursday before.
DVS says many drivers aren't sure what to expect when they arrive to the road test, which can slow things down too. They're planning to release a new video on their website explaining the process soon.