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West Virginia · Permit test

West Virginia driver’s permit and the graduated license levels

At 15 you can get a Level 1 instruction permit, the learner’s permit that starts the three levels of the graduated driver’s license (GDL). You keep it at least six months with no convictions, pass a road test for a Level 2 intermediate license at 16, and can move to a full Level 3 license at 17. If you’re 18 or older and have never been licensed, your West Virginia driver’s permit is a regular instruction permit instead, with no levels to work through.

  • 50 hoursPractice hours before Level 2, or driver’s ed
  • 2Non-family passengers on a Level 1 permit
  • 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.When a Level 2 driver needs an adult
Schedule an appointment

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

How does a West Virginia driver’s permit lead to a full license?

LevelFrom ageValid until
Level 1 instruction permit1530 days after your 18th birthday
Level 2 intermediate license1630 days after your 18th birthday, or until you get Level 3
Level 3 full Class E license1730 days after your 21st birthday

A Level 1 permit can’t be renewed. Members of the US military get until 180 days after their 18th birthday. If your permit runs out before you pass the road test, and you haven’t lost it for an offense, you can apply for a new one.

Level 1 instruction permit rules

While you hold a Level 1 permit, the law and the GDL page from the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) say:

  • A licensed driver 21 or older, or a driver’s education or driving school instructor, sits beside you as the only other person in the front seat
  • You drive only between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m.
  • You carry no more than two passengers besides that driver, unless they’re family
  • Everyone in the car wears a safety belt
  • You have no measurable alcohol in your system
  • You don’t use a phone or other wireless device unless you’re calling 911. DMV says police can stop you for that alone
  • You stay enrolled in school and keep making satisfactory progress

Each conviction restarts the six-month clock before Level 2. A second conviction revokes the permit, and you wait 90 days before you can retest. If you hand the permit in for any reason, you start the testing over and hold the new one for 180 days.

Moving up to Level 2 at 16

  • Be at least 16
  • Have held your Level 1 permit for 180 days in a row with no convictions
  • Finish a driver’s education course approved by the West Virginia Department of Education, or log 50 hours behind the wheel, 10 of them at night, on DMV’s form signed by a parent, guardian or other responsible adult over 21
  • Pass the road skills test
  • Bring your certified birth certificate, Social Security number, residency proofs and the 50-hour log again

DMV points parents to the Parent’s Supervised Driving Program, a lesson plan for teaching a teen to drive, and its free RoadReady app for logging hours.

The West Virginia driving test →

Level 2 intermediate license limits

  • You may drive alone from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
  • From 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. you need a licensed driver 21 or older with you, unless you’re going to or from work, a school-sanctioned activity, a religious event, or an emergency to prevent injury or death
  • For the first six months, no passengers under 20 unless they’re family
  • For the next six months, no more than one passenger under 20 unless they’re family
  • Safety belts for everyone, no measurable alcohol and no phone unless you’re calling 911

Your first conviction means you must enroll in a driver improvement program. A second conviction revokes your license until you’re 18, or longer if the offense calls for it, and then you start over as a first-time applicant. Breaking any GDL condition also carries a fine of $25 the first time, $50 the second and $75 after that.

Level 3 at 17

You can move to Level 3 once you meet these conditions. There’s no new test:

  • You’re at least 17
  • You’ve held Level 2 for 12 months with no convictions. DMV says a headlamp or improper backing violation doesn’t count against you
  • You’ve finished any driver improvement program you were sent to

From Level 3, DMV says points go on your record for tickets. You can also keep your Level 2 license and its limits until you turn 18.

A regular instruction permit at 18 or older

If you’re 18 or older and have never held a Level 2 or similar license, you get a regular Class E instruction permit after the same vision screening and knowledge test. Then:

  • You drive only with a licensed driver 21 or older in the front passenger seat
  • The permit lasts six months and can’t be renewed
  • You hold it at least 30 days before the road test
  • If it expires, you retake the vision and knowledge tests

West Virginia driver’s permit and license fees

ItemFee
Knowledge test, each attempt$7.50
Level 1 instruction permit$5
Level 2 road test, each attempt$7.50
Level 2 intermediate license$5
Level 3 license$2.50 a year, plus 50 cents
Regular instruction permit (18 and older)$7.50
Class E license$5 a year
REAL ID (on top of the card fee)$10
Duplicate license$7.50

The amounts come from W. Va. Code §§17B-2‑3a, 17B-2‑5 and 17B-2‑8 and the handbook’s fee chart. The handbook’s Level 1 page still says the Level 1 permit costs $7.50, and DMV’s GDL page lists Level 3 at $5 a year. The law sets $5 and $2.50 a year.

Under §17B-2‑6, one application fee covers two tries at the written test. For under-18s, the GDL law in §17B-2‑3a sets $7.50 for each attempt. The handbook charges adults for each attempt as well, so if you’re 18 or older, ask DMV whether a second try is covered.

The online Know to Drive test is paid to DMV’s testing partner, and DMV doesn’t publish its price.

REAL ID or Not for Federal Identification?

Every license or ID is one of two kinds:

  • REAL ID: has a gold star and works for boarding domestic flights and entering federal buildings. It costs $10 more
  • Not for Federal Identification: fine for driving

A first-time applicant shows the same papers for either: one proof of identity, a Social Security number, two proofs of West Virginia residency and any name change documents.

You leave the office with a temporary card or receipt, valid for 60 days, and your card comes by mail. The July 2026 handbook says it takes about 15 to 20 business days; DMV’s REAL ID requirements page says 30 to 45 days. DMV’s REAL ID Headstart service lets you upload your documents before an appointment if you’re upgrading a current card.

Moving to West Virginia with a license

New residents must apply for a West Virginia license within 30 days. With a valid license from another state, you skip the written and road tests and:

  • Pass a vision screening
  • Take a short alcohol awareness course
  • Hand in your old license, or bring a certified driving record dated within 30 days if you don’t have it

The state exam rule allows the same exchange if your license expired 36 months ago or less; DMV’s transfer page asks for a certified driving record if yours has expired. Under 18, a license from a state with a graduated system moves you to the matching West Virginia level, with that driving record.

Sources: West Virginia DMV · West Virginia Legislature · West Virginia Secretary of State and 10 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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