OBTAINING A DRIVER’S LICENSE IN VIRGINIA - A Guide - read online

Sep 18, 2026

Uploaded by Mack Lee

Guide for obtaining a Virginia driver’s license, starting with learner’s permit requirements and next steps for passing tests and completing required practice. Explains eligibility, including parent permission, minimum age, required proof of identity, residency, and legal presence, and knowledge/skills testing. Covers the nine-month learner’s permit period, guided practice hours, classroom and in-car education, and the road skills test leading to a 180-Day Temporary Provisional Driver’s License. Summarizes graduated driver licensing restrictions on passengers, seat belts, nighttime driving, and driver improvement clinics, plus documentation needs for first-time drivers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Learner’s Permit Eligibility

Driver’s License Requirements and Testing

Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Restrictions

Proof of Identity and Legal Presence

OBTAINING A DRIVER’S LICENSE IN VIRGINIA Learner’s permit information [https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/drivers/\#eligibility.asp](https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/drivers/#eligibility.asp)[ ](https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/drivers/#eligibility.asp)Driver’s Study Guide: [https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/dmv-manuals/\#/](https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/dmv-manuals/#/)[ ](https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/dmv-manuals/#/)[45-Hour Parent/Teen Driving Guide:](45-Hour Parent/Teen Driving Guide:) [https://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/driver_education/parent_teen_driving_guide.pdf](https://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/driver_education/parent_teen_driving_guide.pdf) [Eligibility for a learner](Eligibility for a learner)’[s](s) permit and 180-day temporary provisional driver’s license • To obtain a learner’s permit, your child must: o have parent permission; o be at least 15 years and 6 months old; o provide proof of identity, residency, and legal presence (be a US citizen or legally authorized to be in the US); and o pass the learner’s permit sign and knowledge tests. • Approximately 50% of the teens who take the learner’s permit test do not pass it on their first attempt. After the third failure, your child must complete a classroom driver education course or take an eight-hour re-examination course before being able to take the learner’s permit test a fourth time. Teens should be encouraged to take the learner’s permit test PRIOR to completing classroom driver education. If your child passes a classroom driver education course after failing the learner’s permit test three times, your child can take the permit test for the fourth time. Hopefully, your child will use DMV’s online study guide, [https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/general/\#ske_intro.asp](https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/general/#ske_intro.asp), and pass the test on the first attempt! DMV offers the learner’s permit test at the DMV’s Customer Service Centers and some public high schools. • Your child must hold a learner’s permit for nine months, or until the learner’s permit holder turns 18 (whichever comes first) . A learner’s permit allows your child to practice driving with a licensed driver at least 21 years old or with a licensed family member at least 18 years old. • To obtain a driver’s license in Virginia, your child must be at least 16 years and 3 months old; practice driving with a learner’s permit for at least nine months; complete 45 hours of guided practice, at least 15 of which were after sunset; and successfully complete a state-approved classroom and in-car driver education program. • The in-car teacher/instructor will administer the road skills test. If your child successfully passes the road skills test, meets all licensing requirements, and the parent grants the school permission, the in-car teacher/instructor will issue a 180-Day Temporary Provisional Driver’s License to your child, which is a valid Virginia driver’s license when accompanied by a learner’spermit. To reduce young driver crashes and save lives, the Virginia General Assembly enacted the following graduated driver licensing (GDL) restrictions for teens with a learner’s permit and provisional driver’s license: • Virginia law prohibits driving with more than one non-family passenger less than 21 years old until the student has held a provisional license for one year. After the first year, the holder of a provisional license may operate a motor vehicle with up to three nonfamily passengers who are less than 21 years old when (i) the student is driving to or from a school-sponsored activity, or (ii) a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old is occupying the seat beside the driver, or (iii) in cases of emergency. • Virginia law requires passengers younger than 18 years old who are occupying the front or rear seats of a vehicle to use safety belts. • Virginia law restricts licensed drivers younger than 18 years old from operating a vehicle between midnight and 4 a. m., except wh

FAQs

What must a teen provide to obtain a learner’s permit in Virginia?

The teen needs parent permission, must be at least 15 years and 6 months old, must provide proof of identity, residency, and legal presence, and must pass the learner’s permit sign and knowledge tests.

What happens if a teen fails the learner’s permit test multiple times?

About 50% of teens fail the first attempt. After the third failure, the teen must complete a classroom driver education course or an eight-hour re-examination course before taking the learner’s permit test a fourth time.

What are key GDL restrictions for teens with a learner’s permit or provisional driver’s license?

Rules include limits on non-family passengers under 21, seat belt requirements for passengers under 18, restrictions on driving between midnight and 4 a.m. for licensed drivers under 18 (with listed exceptions), and mandatory attendance at a driver improvement clinic for certain demerit point or safety violations.

Sep 18, 2026

Uploaded by Mack Lee