MINNEAPOLIS — It's no secret that Minnesota's Driver and Vehicle Service (DVS) centers are constantly in high demand, which is especially true during summer when new drivers apply for their driver's licenses when they're out of school.
Now, with the implementation of Driver's Licenses for All, an estimated 80,000-plus residents of Minnesota who are undocumented immigrants are now eligible to apply for licenses, starting Oct. 1.
Department of Public Safety DVS Director of Operations Tony Anderson said they're ready to face that increased demand.
"DVS was appropriated or allocated additional staffing," Anderson said Monday. "So we're hiring 16 additional individuals. Of those, 12 are going to be administering the skills test."
Anderson explained that demand is usually high when it comes to the road skills test.
"For the knowledge test there has not been as much of a concern or an issue," he said. "But really on that skills test side, behind the wheel."
Road tests will not begin for people applying for licenses through Driver's Licenses for All until January, at the earliest.
People who make appointments and successfully pass the knowledge test still would need to drive on a permit before being eligible to take a skills test — like any other new driver.
"Individuals that do apply for their permit with Driver's Licenses for All, depending on their age, will have to hold their permit for at least three months to six months for a graduated driver's license," Anderson said. "So January is when we'll first start seeing individuals that are receiving their permits to get to complete their skills test."
That January skills test timeline also apparently works in favor of a potentially better staffed DVS.
"Usually in the winter, first part of spring, the demand for skills test is softer than what we see in the summer where we're feeling these pain points," Anderson said.
To apply for a license (initially a permit) through the Driver's Licenses for All program, it does not mean that an individual can show up with any documentation. They still would need some form of identification, like a foreign birth certificate, and also proof that they are Minnesota residents. This includes documents like utility bills clearly showing a Minnesota address.
Anderson said the best way to snag appointments is to check online every day, as cancellations for appointments do occur.
He also said additional information can be found on the same website to find third party proctors for knowledge exams, in case none of the DVS locations have available appointments.
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