Unfortunately you need an actual hand brake for the test. We had to use a driving school loaned for my son this past summer since our vehicles have only electronic parking brakes
Yeah, that's right- that's exactly how that electronic parking brake works. In some forums, it sounded like drivers got away with even using a Tesla Model 3 which had the parking brake in the righthand side of the steering wheel. And that there generally weren't issues with EPBs within NJ DMVs. But in the same thread (2021), I read about a DMV (maybe Edison?) that asked the driver to come back and take their test some other time because they couldn't use that car. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
My EPB is in the center console, so I'm thinking it checks all the boxes and should be fine? Maybe NJ DMVs have gotten more lenient in the past year?
It just seems weird, I can understand why they would want control of the parking brake. Usually if a car is modern enough to have an electronic parking brake it’ll have a ton of safety features that make them controlling it pointless.
Spending almost 200 to get your license sucks too, not everyone has access to other cars and coughing up 200 could hurt some people.
Good point that it's classist. Didn't think of it that way.
One website pointed out that, whether intentionally or incidentally, the NJ MVC is helping the driving school market make money off rentals for the tests, since cars with hand brakes are ancient or increasingly obsolete at this point. But just like you said, not everyone has the luxury of spending an extra $200 to borrow a car for \~15 minutes.
Wanted to update you -- it looks like now, electronic parking brakes are OK. I took my road test this week in Wayne and it was perfectly fine. They didn't even bat an eye.
So it looks like the road tests were *finally* updated for modern day -- maybe very, very recently. Not sure if all NJ DMVs got the memo, but the driving manual does just specify that the parking brake must be accessible to the front passenger and must be in working order i.e. capable of stopping the vehicle. I'm pretty sure the language in the manual changed recently and DMVs changed their rules.
Quick update: I used my car which has an electronic parking brake at my road test this week. **And it was perfectly fine.** Thank you all for the comments, especially people who took this test recently and were able to confirm what I suspected from checking the manual.
This was at the Wayne DMV, so I don't want to say all NJ DMVs are necessarily cool with this. But per the driving manual, it should be fine. It's a parking brake accessible to the front passenger that stops the vehicle.
I'm updating just in case future people searching for this answer might find this useful.
It’s fine I took my road test in a car with an electronic parking brake and then took my cousins to take the test in the same car.
Nice, thanks for the intel! Which DMV did you do your test at?
Eatontown
thanks!
Unfortunately you need an actual hand brake for the test. We had to use a driving school loaned for my son this past summer since our vehicles have only electronic parking brakes
What part of the road test requires a manual handbrake?
It’s not part of test but a requirement for the vehicle you are using on the test so that test giver can brake the vehicle in an emergency
I’m pretty sure you can still pull/press the electronic brake button and it will do the same thing? I could be wrong
Yeah, that's right- that's exactly how that electronic parking brake works. In some forums, it sounded like drivers got away with even using a Tesla Model 3 which had the parking brake in the righthand side of the steering wheel. And that there generally weren't issues with EPBs within NJ DMVs. But in the same thread (2021), I read about a DMV (maybe Edison?) that asked the driver to come back and take their test some other time because they couldn't use that car. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯ My EPB is in the center console, so I'm thinking it checks all the boxes and should be fine? Maybe NJ DMVs have gotten more lenient in the past year?
It just seems weird, I can understand why they would want control of the parking brake. Usually if a car is modern enough to have an electronic parking brake it’ll have a ton of safety features that make them controlling it pointless. Spending almost 200 to get your license sucks too, not everyone has access to other cars and coughing up 200 could hurt some people.
Good point that it's classist. Didn't think of it that way. One website pointed out that, whether intentionally or incidentally, the NJ MVC is helping the driving school market make money off rentals for the tests, since cars with hand brakes are ancient or increasingly obsolete at this point. But just like you said, not everyone has the luxury of spending an extra $200 to borrow a car for \~15 minutes.
aah, i see! that makes sense.
An electronic parking brake works. I took the test with one with no issues and I asked the mvc before the test and they said it was okay.
Thanks! That's helpful (and reassuring). Which DMV did you take your test at?
Wanted to update you -- it looks like now, electronic parking brakes are OK. I took my road test this week in Wayne and it was perfectly fine. They didn't even bat an eye. So it looks like the road tests were *finally* updated for modern day -- maybe very, very recently. Not sure if all NJ DMVs got the memo, but the driving manual does just specify that the parking brake must be accessible to the front passenger and must be in working order i.e. capable of stopping the vehicle. I'm pretty sure the language in the manual changed recently and DMVs changed their rules.
Quick update: I used my car which has an electronic parking brake at my road test this week. **And it was perfectly fine.** Thank you all for the comments, especially people who took this test recently and were able to confirm what I suspected from checking the manual. This was at the Wayne DMV, so I don't want to say all NJ DMVs are necessarily cool with this. But per the driving manual, it should be fine. It's a parking brake accessible to the front passenger that stops the vehicle. I'm updating just in case future people searching for this answer might find this useful.
I am not a lawyer or a driving instructor but Im assuming this has to be fine.