Balancing safety on the road with risk from COVID-19: A content analysis of policy adaptations by Divisions of Motor Vehicles

PURPOSE: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered people’s daily lives, including driving. However, how state Divisions of Motor Vehicles (DMV) adapted their operation policies in response to COVID-19 remains unknown. This study analyzed adaptations to the content of state DMV operation policies during the COVID-19 pandemic across 50 US states and assessed the relationships between these policy adoptions and their state-level COVID-19 restriction orders. METHODS: We merged data on policy adaptations due to COVID-19 obtained from DMV websites for all 50 states with data on state-level restrictions obtained from the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP). We created a codebook and analyzed the DMV policy adaptations in the following three areas: (1) road testing, (2) licensure extension and renewals, and (3) facility reopening. Two trained coders independently reviewed and coded the adaptations of policy content related to precaution to spread of COVID-19 and ease of obtaining licensure. We calculated summary scores for policy adaptations and ease of licensure and compared these scores across three categories of state-level COVID-19 restrictions using ANOVA. RESULTS: DMVs in all 50 states adapted their policies to slow the spread of COVID-19. The ease of licensure summary scores increased in some states but decreased in others. Extensions for licensure renewals was the most common change. Adoption of COVID-19 precautions during the road test was the most common road test adaptation, while road test waivers were the most controversial. Requiring appointments, social distancing, and/or face coverings/personal protective equipment [PPE] were common adaptations during facility reopening. However, variations in level of policy adaptations and ease of licensure were not associated with the state’s COVID-19 restrictions. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide insight into policy adaptations made by state DMVs to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and may inform future policy adaptations in DMVs and other government agencies during public health emergencies.