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Vermont DMV: private driver-education schools, third-party examiners expanded after COVID
Summary
DMV staff outlined licensing and oversight for private driver-education schools, reported growth in third‑party examiners since COVID and presented comparative pass-rate data for DMV, Agency of Education and private programs.
Pat, supervisor of the DMV Education Unit, told the House Transportation Committee that Vermont licenses private driver-education schools, audits their curriculum and conducts background checks on instructors and owners.
"We do a background check. We do a criminal background check as well as a DMV background check," Pat said, describing licensing for private driver educators and listing disqualifying offenses such as recent DUI or convictions for assaulting children.
Why it matters: Driver-education licensing and testing determine how many teens and adults can access supervised behind-the-wheel training and how closely private providers are monitored for safety and consumer complaints.
Private schools and instructor standards
Pat said there are 63 licensed private driver-education schools in Vermont and 71 licensed standard driver-education instructors. He distinguished DMV-licensed private schools from the Agency of Education (AOE) high-school programs, noting AOE runs its own program and that both follow comparable curricular requirements. Private schools are required to apply, pay an application fee, and are subject to biannual relicensing that includes background checks and audits. Pat said driver-education applicants must pass a written knowledge test and a driving test and that instructors must complete continuing education: licensed instructors must complete 30 hours of continuing education over a two‑year renewal cycle.
Third-party examiners and pass rates
Pat described a post‑COVID expansion of third‑party examiners: "We increased our third party examiners from 3 pre COVID to 35 post COVID." He said third-party examiners may test their own students and students from other schools; they may also issue temporary 90-day licenses upon a pass and, as of July 2024, are permitted to test adults. Pat told the committee that third-party testing yields pass rates in the high 80s to 90% range compared with an overall DMV pass rate of roughly 75% for on-site DMV testing, and he attributed part of the difference to private instructors’ extended contact time with students.
Virtual classroom and testing changes
The DMV now allows online permit testing and real‑time virtual classroom instruction (with specific camera and attendance requirements); Pat said the first-class parent meeting must be in-person. He also described auditing and enforcement steps for private schools, including site visits, review of paperwork and potential suspension for repeated noncompliance.
Ending
Pat said the DMV will continue audits and renewals, including background checks at re-licensing, and will investigate consumer complaints. Committee members asked for follow-up data on retests and how complaints are handled; Pat offered to provide supplemental data to the committee.
