Examining the Driver Licensing System
and Policies for Teen Drivers in NC

Timeframe

2025-2025

HSRC Team

Kristel Robison, Principal Investigator and Senior Research Associate
Justin Owens, Senior Research Scientist
Bevan Kirley, Senior Research Associate
Shannen Johnson, Junior Research Associate
Paige Carter, HSRC Research Assistant and Graduate Student, UNC School of Government
Browse recent work by these HSRC researchers on their individual bio page.

Summary

The purpose of this project is to conduct a thorough examination of the current Graduated Driver Licensing system in North Carolina with a focus on identifying opportunities to improve processes and reduce the number of visits to the NC Department of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) without negatively impacting safety.

Research Impact, Results, and Findings

Results of this research can help inform NC policymakers to make updates to policies and procedures that can reduce the stresses on both caregivers and the NCDMV system while keeping safety of all road users at the forefront of the conversation.

Background

North Carolina’s young driver licensing system, commonly known as Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL), was enacted in 1997 with overwhelming support from both the general public and legislators. NC, supported by the UNC Highway Safety Research Center, became a national leader in embracing this innovative approach to reducing teen crashes and their related injuries and fatalities and saved many lives on our state’s roadways. The GDL system in NC reduced all crashes by 38% among 16-year-olds, and serious/fatal injuries by 46%. While GDL is effective at improving safety for teen drivers, the process is complicated.

The structure of the current GDL system (November 2025) necessitates multiple visits to the NCDMV over the course of approximately 1.5 years and includes resource-heavy processes such as in-office knowledge (Level 1) and on-road (Level 2) testing. For teens who do not pass these tests on the first attempt, additional NCDMV visits are required. Compounding the licensing requirements, NCDMV office closures during COVID and Real ID requirements resulted in backlogs at the NCDMV that have been difficult to clear leading to long walk-in lines, and few, if any, available appointments. Often, individuals must travel long distances from their local office for available appointments in other regions of the state.

To address concerns and voiced frustrations of voters, the NC Legislature changed the requirements of GDL in 2025, including shortening the length of the permit phase (Level 1). Unfortunately, the rush to respond to concerns quickly resulted in changes being made to the GDL system without sufficient time to thoroughly investigate potential impacts on safety for teens and all road users. This project is designed to do just that.

Research questions that are being investigated through this project include:

  1. North Carolina GDL implementation requires that families make multiple visits to NCDMV offices. How can NC reduce (1) the burden on teen drivers and their families and (2) the stresses on the NCDMV system without negatively impacting safety?
  2. What are the potential safety and process impacts of moving from on-site (NCDMV) testing to remote testing for the knowledge test (Level 1)?
  3. What are the potential safety and process impacts of having driver’s education instructors conduct the on-road driving test (Level 2)?

Scope

State

Deliverables

Major deliverables for this project include:

These materials are intended to be used by policy makers at the state level, including legislators and NCDMV staff.

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