Senator Eric Pratt (R-Prior Lake) presented key legislation in the Senate Transportation committee that seeks to eliminate an outdated requirement that stated driver’s license applicants aged 21 and older would have to take a written knowledge test in Minnesota, even if they had a valid driver’s license from another state. 

Last month, an Independent Expert Review (IER) report was released, detailing 31 recommendations for the Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) offices throughout the state. Included in the report was a recommendation that stated, “Minnesota law should be amended to eliminate the requirement that Class D-Regular licensed drivers (21 and over) from other states take the knowledge test before receiving a Minnesota license.”  

“This bill does two things: it provides relief to new Minnesota residents who already had a valid license in another state and will no longer have to take a written test to prove they know how to drive, and it helps parents and new drivers get appointments quicker by reducing the unnecessary workload of license centers,”said Pratt. 

The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the final Transportation omnibus bill.