How to get a Virginia driver's license

Steps by age

Everyone needs the vision screening and the two-part knowledge exam first. From 2027, driving schools send the completion certificate straight to DMV, which no longer accepts it from applicants.

The learner's permit

• Apply from 15 years and 6 months with form DL 1P, your documents and $3 plus the license fee, as of October 2026.
• Pass the vision screening and two-part knowledge exam. The permit is mailed to you, and the post office won't forward it.
• A licensed driver at least 21 must sit beside you. It can be 18 to 20 if they're your legal guardian or a brother or sister.
• Under 18, no driving from midnight to 4 a.m., and no phone use at all, even hands-free.

Your first license under 18

1. Finish driver education: 36 classroom sessions, 7 driving and 7 observation sessions, ending with the road skills test.
2. Hold the permit at least nine months and be at least 16 years and 3 months old.
3. Have a parent or guardian certify 45 hours of practice, 15 after sunset, on the completion certificate.
4. Your instructor's certificate works as a temporary license for 180 days, or until you turn 18.
5. Attend the licensing ceremony if your Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court sends a notice. If not, the license comes by mail.

Rules for drivers under 18

• One passenger under 21, unless a licensed parent or adult in place of a parent is in the front seat. After a year on your license, up to three under 21 for school activities, with a licensed driver 21 or older in front, or in an emergency. Family members don't count.
• Curfew from midnight to 4 a.m., except for work, supervised school, civic or religious activities, emergencies, or with a licensed parent or adult in front.
• Three demerit-point convictions mean losing your license for a year or until you turn 18, whichever is longer.

License fee, and moving to Virginia

A standard license costs $4 a year, $32 for eight years, and expires on your birthday, as of October 2026. REAL ID adds $10.

New residents must get a Virginia license within 60 days of moving here. If you're 18 or older with an out-of-state license that's valid or expired less than a year, you just bring it with your documents. A valid license from another state, Canada, Germany, France or the Republic of Korea also means you skip the knowledge exam.