Publication Details

Examining the driver licensing system and practices for teen drivers in NC

Type: Paper

Author(s): Owens, Justin; Carter, Paige; Robison, Kristel; Johnson, Shannen; Gomola, Christine

Publisher: UNC Highway Safety Research Center

Publication Date: Mar-2026

Address: Chapel Hill, NC

Abstract: North Carolina’s Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) system was enacted in 1997 with overwhelming support from both the general public and state legislators, propelling the state into the spotlight as a national leader in teen driver safety. Supported by research from the UNC Highway Safety Research Center, North Carolina helped pioneer this innovative approach to reducing teen crashes, injuries, and fatalities, saving many lives on our state’s roadways. The GDL system in North Carolina reduced overall crashes by 38 percent among 16-year-olds, and serious and fatal injuries by 46 percent.1While GDL has improved safety for teen drivers, the North Carolina GDL process involves multiple visits to the state Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) over at least 1.5 years and includes resource-heavy processes such as in-office knowledge (Level 1) and road skills (Level 2) testing. Combining COVID-related DMV office closures, increasing population in the state, and looming Real ID deadlines with GDL office visit requirements resulted in ongoing backlogs that have been difficult to clear. These backlogs have led to long and persistent walk-in lines, and few, if any, available appointments; often, people must travel long distances for available appointments.To address recent concerns and voter frustrations, the North Carolina General Assembly modified GDL requirements, including shortening the length of the permit phase (Level 1). While done for important reasons, this rapid response resulted in changes before potential impacts on safety were investigated. A thorough examination of the current GDL system to identify opportunities to improve processes and reduce the number of DMV visits without negatively impacting safety is important and overdue. Results of this research can help North Carolina policymakers make updates to policies and procedures to reduce the stresses on both customers – in particular, teens and their caregivers – and the DMV system while keeping road user safety at the forefront.We conducted an analysis to better understand the safety impacts of different approaches to both the written permit and the road skills license testing. We reviewed literature related to the safety of testing practices, collected information on states’ practices and regulations, and evaluated crash data from different states. This report presents our methodology, results, and conclusions from these analyses.