You don't need to be 16 to appreciate the Permit Test @ Home program

If you’re not almost 16 years old, nobody else in your family is almost 16 years old and you don’t even have any friends (or enemies, for that matter) who are almost 16 years old, then why should you care about teens taking the learner’s permit test online?

It’s a fair – if lengthy – question. But the answer may surprise you.

If you ever have to visit an Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division office, the fact that we offer the online Permit Test @ Home for potential teen drivers actually does affect you.

You may ask how, and you have our permission to ask because the answer is very simple.

It’s time.

That’s because for every teenager who doesn’t have to come to an MVD office to take the permit test, that’s one fewer customer in line. Actually, it’s at least two, because mom, dad or another adult has to accompany the teen. What’s even better is that Mom, Dad or whoever doesn’t have to take the afternoon off for this task, and their absence from our locations means we have more time to serve you.

For those who need it, the online Permit Test @ Home is easy to set up. An adult activates their secure, personal account at AZ MVD Now, which is available at AZMVDNow.gov or through ServiceArizona.com.

Once there, the teen takes the test. It’s proctored by the adult, who, by the way, is usually the person sitting in the passenger seat when the new driver is learning, and who usually pays for the insurance. That’s a great incentive to make sure the test is taken fairly.

Once the test is passed, the teen and an adult do need to make one MVD office visit to get the actual permit.

This is a popular program. Each month about 7,000 teens take the Permit Test @ Home. That means about 14,000 people a month avoid one office visit. Since we serve just over 7,000 people every day, we’ve returned two business days to our system with this one innovation.

In a way, MVD has expanded the space-time continuum with the Permit Test @ Home. It’s life changing!

OK, maybe we’re a bit too excited about it. But you have to admit that it’s pretty cool, even if you’re not almost 16.