I recall just how anxious I was when taking the DMV driving test for the first time. In hindsight, the test circuit itself wasn’t even that long, neither in time nor mileage, but for yours truly, those 20 minutes of driving around in circles were one of the most stressful moments in my life. But, if you’re taking the DMV’s driving test for the first time or whether you’re looking ahead to figure out what you can look forward to, does the DMV provide a car for the driving test?
I know that in some countries, whatever their equivalent of a DMV is typically provide the cars for students to complete their driving test. But here in the US-of-A, our DMV does not provide a car for the driving test. Instead, you’ll have to provide the car for the test, either your own or if you don’t already own a car, you have the option of borrowing one. So, here’s everything you’ll have to know about providing a car for the DMV driving test.
Okay, the first question that has to be asked is… “Why doesn’t the DMV provide a car for those driving tests”? Surely, the world’s wealthiest country could afford a few cheap econoboxes for the DMV driving test, right? Well, there’s a good reason why the DMV requires that you bring the car for the driving test, instead. The first and foremost reason why is concerning safety, by requiring that the test applicants bring a car that’s familiar and comfortable to them.
1) Why Doesn’t The DMV Provide A Car For The Test?
Therefore, by putting applicants inside a car whose controls, handling, and operation aren’t that foreign or odd to them, this familiarity with their own cars offers a lower risk of the applicants getting into an accident. After all, getting inside a car that’s new to you, you’re often far more likely to make mistakes or errors when operating one that’s unfamiliar to you. There are a few other reasons why the DMV requires that applicants bring their own cars to the test:
- The DMV would otherwise be liable for any damages or accidents that occur during the driving test, if and when anything goes wrong. The DMV wants to avoid these legal and financial risks by requiring that applicants provide their own cars, in case of property damage, bodily harm to either the applicant or the examiner, and other liabilities.
- Moreover, trying to maintain a large fleet of test cars is a huge logistical challenge for any DMV. It would require that state DMVs spend a ton of money maintaining these cars, making sure that they’re insured, and keeping them compliant with state laws. As such, by not supplying the cars for testing themselves, the DMVs save a lot of money with logistical and operational costs.
- On that note, keeping a large fleet of cars for the driving tests will incur higher operation costs for the DMV. More likely than not, those costs will be passed down to the applicant, which can result in (way) higher fees for driving tests. So, to keep costs and fees low, DMVs instead prefer to let applicants provide their own cars, which most of us have access to cars in some way.
2) Exceptions To The DMV Providing Cars For Testing
With that in mind, there are some exceptions to the rule, as some DMVs – depending on which state or location they’re in – do provide cars for the driving test. In other words, you won’t have to provide your own car, and just use theirs for the driving test. DMVs located in these sorts of places tend to provide the car for the driving test:
- Urbanized areas with low vehicle ownership – Typically, in big and dense cities, where most of the population relies on public transportation and may not own a car, some DMVs might take the initiative and provide the cars for the driving test. This is meant to help folks who will have a hard time finding a car.
- Rural locations with accessibility issues – On the other hand, in rural places where access to a car might also be similarly sparse and challenging, some DMVs might provide the car for you. This isn’t often a standard practice by all DMV locations in that area, but a localized decision, making sure all residents can have a fair shot.
- Private or third-party testing centers – If the state DMV can’t provide a car for you to take the driving test, private and third-party testing centers – which are licensed by the DMV – might be able to provide the car for you. While independent from the DMV, they test you the same way, though those provided cars might come with a fee.
3) Requirements For The Cars Used For The Driving Test
If you’re picking and choosing which car to bring to the driving test – either your own or if you plan on borrowing one from your family – there are some requirements that you have to meet. These include:
- Safety standards – Of course, the car you’ll bring needs to meet all the state’s minimum safety standards. Therefore, your car must have functioning headlights, taillights, turn signals, horns, and windshield wipers. Also, make sure that the brakes and tires are in good condition, as well as making sure the car doesn’t have any physical damage.
- Proper documentation – You can’t just bring any car for the DMV’s driving test. You need to be sure that the car in question has a valid registration and proof of insurance. Some states might even require that the car has an active vehicle inspection certificate. The DMV examiner would check all these documents before the test, and failure here will result in rescheduling.
- In good condition – Speaking of, before the test, the DMV examiner normally performs a quick inspection of the car you brought. This is to make sure that the car is in roadworthy condition, and it includes checking the brakes, lights, turn signals, mirrors, and other critical functions. If your car fails here, you’ll also have to reschedule the test.
- Special requirements – In certain states, providing a car for the DMV driving test is much more complicated. For example, they might require that your car has a passenger-side brake for the examiner’s use or dual controls. These requirements will vary from state to state, so I’d advise checking out your state DMV’s guidelines to figure out what you need to prepare.
4) Options For Folks Who Can’t Provide A Car For The Test
Ah, but what if you don’t have access to a car for the DMV’s driving test? Thankfully, there are options that you could consider, which include (but certainly isn’t limited to):
- Borrowing a car from a family member or friend – This is rather straightforward, as you could just borrow a car from a close relative, family member, or friend. Just make sure that the car meets all the requirements noted earlier, and that the owner’s insurance policy shows that it’ll cover you (the applicant) during the driving test.
- Renting a car from the driving school – While the DMV might not be able to provide a car for the driving test, many driving schools have rental cars that you could borrow during the test. Be sure to note that this will come at an additional fee, though these rental cars have all the extra features – like dual controls and passenger brake pedals – for some state DMVs.
- Ride-sharing or renting a car – Yes, you can bring rental cars for the DMV’s driving test. But, it isn’t as common, unfortunately. Only a select few rental car companies and ride-sharing apps allow users to use their cars for the driving test. Therefore, make sure that you check all their policies and guidelines to make sure that you’re all in the clear to use it for the test.
Now, it’s also a good idea to plan (far) ahead, before the DMV’s driving test is scheduled. Vehicle availability, particularly rentals from the driving school or third-party providers, can be quite limited. So, reserving one in advance might help prevent you from being vehicle-less when it’s your turn to take the DMV’s driving test. It’d be wise to also make sure that all the paperwork is in good order before the test starts, too.