The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.House Bill 777 requires Class "E" drivers to pass a renewal knowledge exam starting January 1, 2028
Last action · March 9, 2026: Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works.Sponsor: Dixon McMakin
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What This Bill Proposed
MOTOR VEHICLES: Requires driver's license renewal knowledge examination (OR +$20,000 GF EX See Note)
All Louisiana drivers holding a standard face a new testing requirement every eight years to maintain active driving privileges, with mandatory suspension occurring if the test is not passed within 90 days of renewal.
- Class "E" driver's licenses in Louisiana cover standard non-commercial passenger vehicles. context
- The office of motor vehicles operates under the Department of Public Safety and Corrections to administer state driving credentials and testing. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Class "E" driver's license holders
Drivers must pass a knowledge examination every eight years upon license renewal and face potential license suspension if they fail to pass within a 90-day temporary window.
Department of Public Safety and Corrections, office of motor vehicles
The agency is tasked with developing, administering, and providing accessible formats for the examination, issuing temporary renewal licenses, and submitting an annual legislative report.
Third-party testers
Testers are relieved of the requirement to provide students with department-approved certificates of completion in sealed envelopes.
Key Facts
- Class "E" driver's license holders must successfully complete a knowledge examination not more than once every eight years.
- The renewal examination assesses knowledge of state traffic laws, roadway signage and markings, and safe driving practices including distracted driving laws.
- Exams can be taken via a secure online platform, in person at official office of motor vehicle locations, or via mobile or remote service units.
- Applicants must achieve a minimum passing score of eighty percent and are permitted at least three attempts without an additional fee.
Show all 10 facts
- Failure to pass immediately does not suspend driving privileges; the office of motor vehicles issues a temporary renewal license valid for up to 90 days.
- If an applicant fails to pass within the 90-day temporary period, the driver's license is automatically suspended until successful completion.
- No additional fee is charged for the knowledge examination when taken during a license renewal.
- Testing requirements apply uniformly to all Class "E" drivers and cannot impose additional requirements based solely on age.
- The department must submit an annual report to legislative transportation committees no later than February 1st detailing exam counts, pass rates, costs, and recommendations.
- The department must implement a public education program with practice exams prior to January 1, 2028.
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Mar 9, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works.
- Feb 27, 2026HousePrefiled.
- Feb 27, 2026HouseCommitteeUnder the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works.
- Feb 27, 2026HouseFirst appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Shift from One-Time Testing to Periodic Renewal Exams
The legislation transitions Louisiana from a system where knowledge tests were required primarily upon initial application to a recurring testing model every eight years for all Class "E" licensees.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.la.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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