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Kemp Backtracks On Road Tests, Issues New Order Requiring Test By September
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Gov. Brian Kemp has amended his previous executive order that allowed learner's permit holders to upgrade to a driver's license without a driver's test. Now, those who have upgraded to a license will still have to take a test by Sept. 30.
The previous order was filed because the state had suspended road tests in March amid concerns about the spread of COVID-19.
Under the first order, those under 18 who had learner's permits had to have held their permits for at least one year and one day without a violation in order to get a license. Those over 18 were eligible to upgrade their permits to licenses immediately.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Georgia Drivers Can Now Get Licensed Without Taking A Road Test
About 20,000 teenage drivers had already taken advantage of the waiver, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The governor's decision to suspend road tests for new drivers was met with some criticism online and on late night talk shows, including The Daily Show.
"If Georgia is going to be giving people that power, why not go all the way?" host Trevor Noah asked sarcastically. "Let people just make their own drivers license at home, too."
Good news: Georgia allows teens to get their driver’s license without taking a driving test, a man tattoos himself every day in quarantine, and seagulls in Rome are hunting rats and pigeons as food scraps dry up. pic.twitter.com/wsZbLXkdBh— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) May 11, 2020