New Minnesota driver's license law brings wave of adult applicants
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Move over, 16-year-olds eager to drive: The number of behind-the-wheel exams taken by adults has increased since Minnesota implemented its "Driver's Licenses for All" law in 2023, state data obtained by Axios shows.
Why it matters: The law opens the door for an estimated 95,000 undocumented people living in Minnesota to obtain driver's licenses.
- Before the law, some of these newly credentialed drivers were likely at the wheel without a license.
Flashback: Shortly after the law took effect, Minneapolis-based immigrant rights group COPAL began offering driver orientation sessions and letting applicants take the Spanish-language test in its offices.
- Outside of Operation Metro Surge, demand has been steady. Last month alone, 800 people attended, cramming onto just 16 computers to take the tests, COPAL Workers' Center director Claudia Lainez told Axios.
The big picture: In 2024, the law's first full year, more than 75,000 people ages 21+ took a road test — up from 41,000 in 2023, according to data from the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services division (DVS).
- The number of 30-, 40-, and 50-somethings who took behind-the-wheel exams all doubled between 2023 and 2024.
- Data from 2025 was available only through September; nevertheless, the number of adult tests nearly equaled the 2024 totals.
Zoom in: One in 4 attendees at COPAL's sessions has a driver's license from another country, Lainez estimated, but others have licenses from other states — or no license at all.
How it works: While applicants for a license must pass both written and road tests, adults only need behind-the-wheel driver's education training if they fail the road test four times.
- That means the "Driver's Licenses for All" law hasn't changed business much for A+ Driving School owner Pete Hosmer, who told Axios that roughly 200 of the school's 12,000 students each year are adults.
- COPAL only assists with the written portion of the exam.
What they're saying: The law has been "good for everyone else because people on the road have a driver's license and they've been through the whole [testing] process," Lainez told Axios.
- A license also makes it much easier for undocumented drivers to obtain car insurance, she said. Without a license, drivers must jump through "a lot of loops and hoops."
The other side: Republican lawmakers argue the law overlooks immigration enforcement concerns and could enable noncitizens to vote — though Minnesota requires proof of citizenship to register.
The bottom line: The flood of new adult applicants has had little effect on pass rates compared to previous years, according to DVS data.
- Roughly 3 out of every 5 exams ended with a passing score.