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    Driver & Vehicle Services

    Remote Learner’s Permit Knowledge Testing Pilot Expands Access to Driver Licensing Services

    An image of a PennDOT Driver License Center. Large windows sit on either side of two, double-sided doors covered by an awning and the words “PennDOT Driver License Center” above it.

    In 2024, PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll and Deputy Secretary for Driver and Vehicle Services Kara Templeton traveled to Cowanesque Valley High School in Tioga County to listen to concerns from Northern Tioga School District students regarding access to driver licensing services. A year later, Secretary Carroll returned to Tioga County to announce a new program to expand access to PennDOT knowledge testing for teen drivers, especially in rural communities. 

    In November 2025, at an event at Williamson High School in Tioga County, PennDOT, in collaboration with the Northern Tioga School District, launched a groundbreaking Remote Learner’s Permit Knowledge Testing Pilot to expand access to essential driver licensing services for students in rural communities. The new PennDOT-led pilot project, at Williamson and Cowanesque Valley high schools, allows students to take their learner’s permit knowledge test at school instead of going to a driver license center. 

    For high school students living in rural communities, distance and lack of access to a driver license center often create barriers to obtaining a learner’s permit, especially for families with limited transportation options or inability to take off work. These challenges can delay students’ ability to gain invaluable driving experience, participate in after-school activities, or pursue employment and higher education opportunities that require reliable transportation.

    Recognizing these obstacles, PennDOT identified an opportunity to modernize service delivery through a secure, school-based remote testing model – bringing driver licensing access directly to students where they learn.

    “We’re incredibly excited about the remote knowledge testing pilot with Northern Tioga School District,” said Carroll. “In our more rural areas of the state, folks are used to driving longer distances, but it can be time-consuming and inconvenient. There are also fewer driver license centers in our rural areas, so out-of-the-box thinking and programs like this one can be extremely beneficial and life-changing for aspiring young drivers and their families.”

    The two-year pilot program is being administered at the schools by PennDOT-approved teachers, with students taking the knowledge test using specially-designed software for remote testing. When the student passes the test, they can bring their results to a driver license center, along with the required documentation and completed learner’s permit application, pay the required fee, and receive their learner’s permit. If the student fails, they can retake it at school another day, and avoid making multiple trips to a driver license center. 

    The pilot represents a first-of-its-kind initiative in Pennsylvania. The model demonstrates that secure, technology-driven service delivery can meet the needs of underserved populations without compromising test integrity or safety. 

    At the conclusion of the two-year pilot period, PennDOT will review results and determine if and how Remote Knowledge Testing or similar programs can be made available to other interested school districts.

    Four men and one woman stand in front of a photo backdrop displaying the Williamson High School name and mascot. (From L to R) PennDOT Bureau of Driver Licensing Director Dios Arroyo, PennDOT DVS Deputy Secretary Kara Templeton, PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll, Northern Tioga County Superintendent Kristopher Kaufman and Williamson High School Principal William Butterfield commemorate the start of a remote non-commercial driver license knowledge testing program in Tioga County at two local high schools. The two-year test program will determine if similar programs can help accessibility to driver licensing assets in rural areas and beyond.