Wait For Young Drivers Reduced In NC Senate Measure

New school-age drivers in North Carolina could receive a provisional license in half the time in legislation recommended by a state Senate committee. Current law requires young people with learner’s permits to hold them at least 12 months before seeking a license that lets them drive unsupervised. The bill would reduce that to six months. The drivers would still have to log 60 hours behind the wheel. The measure also would allow the Division of Motor Vehicles to contract out road tests. A bill sponsor said Wednesday the bill responds to constitutents whose children have been waiting for their licenses during the pandemic.