# Is using both feet during a drivers license test allowable?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-both-feet-during-a-drivers-license-test-allowable/245035>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 14, 2004, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-both-feet-during-a-drivers-license-test-allowable/245035 "2004-05-14T00:15:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2016, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-both-feet-during-a-drivers-license-test-allowable/245035/61 "2016-06-05T04:31:43Z")

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> [@BigT](#):
>
> Then who does? Every place I’ve ever been, the actual test is administered by a police officer–both written and driving. Granted, that’s my town a few surrounding towns where I’ve talked to people about it.

I think in some states it’s just some DMV employee who does that. (In Ohio they’re definitely _employed_ by the Highway Patrol but they wear different uniforms so I have no idea if they’re troopers.)

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**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-both-feet-during-a-drivers-license-test-allowable/245035/62 "2016-06-06T10:12:28Z")

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> [@pulykamell](#):
>
> Definitely doesn’t make a difference in Illinois. I suppose it’s possible, but my guess/assumption is that in all the states in the US, a non-commercial license does not make a distinction between automatic and manual transmissions. Or I’ve never heard of it. I drive a stick, but I’ve never been tested for one. And, as far as the US is concerned, a “regular car” would be an automatic. If I had to guess, it’s probably 90%+ auto transmission to \>10% manual. It’s almost impossible to rent a manual, in my experience.

It’s up to the state to decide whether to issue automatic only licenses. Massachusetts still has an automatic-only restriction on its books according to its driver’s license manual (pdf warning: [http://www.massrmv.com/Portals/30/docs/dmanual/chapter\_1.pdf](http://www.massrmv.com/Portals/30/docs/dmanual/chapter_1.pdf)). However, I’ve never known anyone to get that restriction. I carded hundreds of drivers for a festival in Massachusetts last year and, although I wasn’t specifically looking for it, I didn’t see an automatic only license restriction on any of them. Maybe other states still issue automatic-only licenses.

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