MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin teens will have to once again pass a road test to get their driver’s licenses. Those tests were paused during the pandemic.

What You Need To Know

  • In-person driving tests were suspended by the Wisconsin DMV toward the start of the pandemic

  • Families could apply for waivers to get a teen's license instead

  • Road tests are required again starting Jan. 1, 2024

  • Driving instructor Judy Hudson said the tests should make Wisconsin roads safer

Judy Hudson is technically retired from 4 Lakes Driving School. She was an instructor, and general manager, then owner. Now, her son is the owner, but she said she enjoys it too much to stay away.

“I enjoy watching the students progressing, and learning a difficult skill,” Hudson said.

No matter where you live in Wisconsin, you may have shared the road with a driver Hudson taught. Over the last 29 years, she guessed she’s instructed about 8,000 people.

Toward the start of the pandemic, the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) suspended road tests for teens getting their licenses. Their families could apply for a waiver instead. They did have to pass other tests to get their permits.

Starting in 2024, the road tests are back.

“[Students are] already talking about it,” Hudson said. “Those that could get it done before Dec. 31, you can bet they were on the phone, trying to get their lessons all done.”

She advised parents and teens should keep in mind that if they want a road test on a specific day, they have to plan it nearly three months in advance. For teens who want to get their license the day they turn 16, they’ll have to think ahead.

“They have to schedule them 11 weeks before they can take the road test,” Hudson said.

Hudson said she’s happy to see the road tests return.

“I think [new drivers] will take it more seriously, pay a little more attention,” she said. “Knowing that they’ll have to take a test at the end.”

She said part of her mission has been to make sure teens take driving seriously. She was 17 when her sister was killed by a drunk driver.

“This isn’t a toy; this isn’t a game,” she said. “This is a serious thing.”

Other rules have changed since the pandemic began. Teen drivers can now get their permits at age 15 instead of 15-and-a-half. They also need 50 hours of supervised driving instead of 30.

Hudson said she hopes all of those changes make Wisconsin roads safer.

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