Q: Why is it that you can’t get an appointment for a driver’s license test in Mankato? They are always full, and I have a lot of friends and other people I know say they all have to go to another county to take the test. Most of the time these people are driving an hour to two hours just to be able to take the test. Is it that Blue Earth County won’t hire or can’t hire instructors to give the behind-the-wheel test?
A: The difficulty getting appointments for the driver’s license road test is, in fact, caused by workforce challenges, but it’s not a county issue. The exams are provided through the state Department of Public Safety’s Division of Vehicle Services, and the problem extends across much of Minnesota.
Numerous media reports in recent years have documented the frustrations of teenagers and other test seekers.
KARE-TV reported about the lengthy waits in the Twin Cities back in September 2019.
“You can see the problem firsthand if you show up at the Arden Hills testing station before dawn. On an August morning, cars lined up down the block before the gates even opened,” KARE reported. “Some people had arrived the night before to secure a coveted walk in spot. … Others try to make an appointment online. But those slots are booked until at least January at most metro locations.”
Under state law, the maximum wait time is supposed to be 14 days.
Road tests stopped completely for a time during the early months of the pandemic. When they resumed, worker shortages that plagued much of the economy hit testing stations, too, and those shortages have continued for years. The result is long waits not just in the metro area but in outstate Minnesota, too.
In July, Fox9 documented the struggles of Seth Anderson, 16, of the north-central Minnesota town of Eagle Bend. Seth had passed his written test, got his permit, logged the required hours behind the wheel with an adult driver, has a car and figured he would be driving to his summer job at a nursing home.
But when he and his mother started searching in May for a place to take the road test, they struck out — no matter how far out they searched in time and space.
“Olivia, Little Falls, Willmar, Winona,” said Gennifer Anderson, scrolling through the entire list of cities where examiners give the tests but no appointments were available. “So no availability for the next 30 days. … Like not anywhere in the state, not for an hour away, not three hours away, not like 30 days out.”
As for the current situation in Mankato, Mark Karstedt, a public information officer with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, provided an update.
“We do have a staffing shortage and are in the process of hiring one examiner for the Mankato exam station,” Karstedt said. “So please encourage friends and family to apply at drive.mn.gov — especially if they enjoy working with people.”
The website notes the Minnesota Legislature provided additional funding to fill 30 new positions across the state to help reduce lengthy wait times for appointments. But it turns out the road test examiners do more than just that.
“DVS driver and dealer examiners help keep us all safe by making sure only qualified people receive their Minnesota driver’s license,” the website explains. “They administer the vision, knowledge and road tests to those looking for a license, as well as inspect motor vehicles for identification and titling purposes.”
Karstedt said the agency, while it works to fill the position, is trying other ways to reduce the frustration of people experiencing long waits.
“DVS has been adding services to ease the appointment process,” he said. “One new service is an online appointment subscription that notifies customers of openings in preferred locations. If you get an opening notification, please quickly confirm online you want that appointment.”
Another newer offering is an occasional chance to get a same-day appointment in instances when staffing becomes available.
“In Mankato, those appointments typically open at 7:15 a.m.,” he said.
Contact Ask Us at The Free Press, 418 S. Second St., Mankato, MN 56001. Call Mark Fischenich at 344-6321 or email your question to mfischenich@mankatofreepress.com; put Ask Us in the subject line.
