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SB 939

Drivers Education Modifications.

2025-2026 Session Introduced by Ralph Hise and 1 co-sponsor

SB 939 tightens driver education oversight, requires free printed handbooks to DPI, updates licensure, CE, and fees, and funds implementation with a 2027 effective date.

Passed 1st Reading
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Bill Summary · SB 939

Summary of Bill SB 939 (Session 2025, North Carolina) – Drivers Education Modifications

Purpose and Intent

SB 939 aims to modify several aspects of driver education and licensing in North Carolina. Key goals include ensuring DPI receives printed driver’s license handbooks, strengthening oversight of commercial driver training schools and instructors, updating licensure provisions, and authorizing a targeted funding appropriation to support these changes. The bill prescribes timelines for implementation and implementation-related rulemaking.

Key Provisions

1) Driver License Handbook Distribution

  • The Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is required to prepare a driver license handbook describing state traffic laws and periodically revise it to reflect legal changes.
  • The handbook must include guidance on law enforcement procedures during traffic stops and appropriate motorist interactions with officers, developed in consultation with state police and sheriff/chiefs organizations.
  • At the request of the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), the DMV must provide free printed copies of the handbook to DPI for use in public high school driver education programs.
  • DMV must annually report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Transportation and the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Education on:
    • The number of printed handbooks requested by DPI
    • The number of handbooks provided

2) Commercial Driver Training Schools and Instructors

  • Commercial driver training schools that prepare students for a limited learner’s permit or provisional license through public schools must:
    • Meet all requirements of G.S. 115C-215 for public school driver education programs.
    • Maintain current copies of all school contracts and make them available for inspection by the DMV upon request.

3) Instructors Licensure and Regulations

  • Licensure requirements for driver education instructors remain, with details on licenses and temporary instructor permits, including:
    • Qualifications, moral character, physical condition, knowledge of instruction, and motor vehicle laws and safety principles
    • Permit validity for up to 12 months and supervision/evaluation conditions

4) Licenses, Renewals, and Continuing Education

  • License expiration: Licenses issued under this article would renew every four years (previously two years in some versions; the bill specifies four years).
  • Continuing education (CE) requirements for license renewal:
    • Up to 24 CE credits every four years
    • CE credits may be earned from courses accredited by NCDTSEA, NCPCDSA, and NC Driving School, Inc.
    • Up to two instructor-related courses per year may count toward CE
    • Acceptable delivery formats include in-person, live online, and verified asynchronous courses
    • The DMV must periodically review renewal/CE forms every two years in consultation with DPI and industry groups to simplify and modernize forms
  • Fees:
    • School license application: $80
    • Instructor license application: $16
    • Other license fees set by the DMV (specific amounts not detailed beyond these)
    • Nonrefundable fees; all collected fees go to the Highway Fund

5) Implementation Timeline and Funding

  • Effective date for the licensure changes (Sections 3(a) and (b)) is January 1, 2027, with applicability to licenses issued or renewed on or after that date.
  • A nonrecurring appropriation of $100,000 from the Highway Fund to the DMV for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to cover implementation costs.

Affected Parties

  • Drivers and new drivers (through updated handbooks and education)
  • Public high school driver education programs (via DPI handbook access)
  • Commercial driver training schools and their instructors
  • DMV (administrative rulemaking, licensing, and oversight)
  • DPI, law enforcement associations, and driving education organizations (consultation and reporting)

Procedural/Timeline Highlights

  • Printing and distribution of handbooks to DPI upon request
  • January 1, 2027: most licensure sections become effective; applies to licenses issued or renewed on/after this date
  • 2026-2027: $100,000 allocation for implementation costs
  • Ongoing annual reporting to oversight committees on handbook distribution

Overall, SB 939 tightens oversight of driver education providers, formalizes print resources for schools, and aligns licensure with updated continuing education and administrative processes.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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