Department of Motor Vehicles

Administration and Monitoring of Driving School Programs (Follow-Up Review)

Privately-owned driving schools provide programs taken by new drivers before they can be licensed to drive and programs in defensive driving that reduce the number of violation points on a driver’s license. These schools and their instructors are licensed by the Department of Motor Vehicles. In our prior audit report 2000-S-4, we examined the Department’s licensing practices and found that instructor licenses had been issued to individuals with repeated driving infractions and a disqualifying criminal history. We also examined the Department’s monitoring practices and found that, because of certain weaknesses, the Department was less likely to identify unqualified instructors, instructional vehicles lacking required safety equipment, and instances in which certificates of completion were issued to drivers who did not complete the required instruction or did not pass a qualifying test. We also found indications that unlicensed schools might have been in operation. We recommended that a number of improvements be made in the Department’s administration of driving schools, and in our follow-up review, we found that some of these improvements had been made.

For a complete copy of Report 2002-F-39 click here.
For a copy of the 90-day response click here.