How to Get Your Virginia Driver's License as a Teen: A Step-by-Step Guide

1. Check the age requirement and prepare

You can apply for a Virginia learner’s permit at age 15 years and 6 months. Before your DMV visit, study the Virginia Driver’s Manual. Permit applicants take a vision screening and a two-part knowledge exam. The road-sign section has 10 questions and requires all 10 correct; the general-knowledge section has 30 questions and requires at least 24 correct.

If you are under 18, a parent or legal guardian must give written consent on your application, unless you provide a court order showing that you are emancipated.

2. Apply for your learner’s permit

Complete DMV’s driver-license application and apply at a Virginia DMV customer service center. Bring original documents showing your identity, legal presence, and Virginia residency (DMV asks for two proofs of residency). Bring proof of your Social Security number if one has been issued to you; DMV may verify a known number electronically. Check the permit application instructions and acceptable-document guide before you go. The permit is mailed to the address DMV has on file, so make sure it is current.

You may schedule a DMV appointment. The current permit fee is $3, plus the applicable driver-license fee; confirm the latest amounts on DMV’s fee chart.

3. Complete a Virginia-approved driver-education program

Drivers under 18 must complete a state-approved driver-education program. DMV describes the program as 36 classroom sessions, seven driving sessions, seven observation sessions, and a final road-skills examination; each session is 50 minutes. You can usually take the classroom portion once you are 15 years and 6 months old, but you need a learner’s permit before taking the in-car driving portion.

Before enrolling, confirm the school and course are approved for the requirement you need using DMV’s driver-education requirements and school information.

There is also a 90-minute parent/teen component for students under 18. In Northern Virginia’s Planning District 8—Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties, plus Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park—the student and a parent or guardian must complete it in person. DMV lists limited exemptions.

4. Practice safely while you hold your permit

Log at least 45 hours of supervised driving practice, including at least 15 hours after sunset. A parent or guardian must certify the hours on the driver-education completion paperwork. Keep a written or digital log so you can accurately report the dates and hours.

While driving with a learner’s permit, a licensed driver must sit beside you and be able to assist. That driver must generally be at least 21; a licensed legal guardian, sibling, half-sibling, or step-sibling who is at least 18 may also supervise. A learner’s-permit holder under 18 may not drive between midnight and 4 a.m. and may not carry more than one passenger under 18, except for family-member rules and the other DMV exceptions. Review DMV’s teen driving restrictions before practicing.

5. Meet both the age and waiting-period requirements

You must be at least 16 years and 3 months old to receive a Virginia driver’s license. If you are under 18, you must also have held your Virginia learner’s permit for at least nine months, completed approved driver education, and have a parent or guardian certify the required 45 practice hours (including 15 after sunset). Completing the course early does not remove the nine-month permit requirement.

6. Complete the final test and licensing steps

Complete and pass the final road-skills examination that is part of your approved driver-education program. Ask your school what completion certificate it will issue and when it will send the required information to DMV. DMV says the driver-training school must submit the completion certificate; students should not assume they can submit it themselves.

DMV says the Virginia Driver Training Certificate (DTS B or TDL-180), when carried with a valid learner’s permit, serves as a driver’s license for 180 days from the eligibility date shown on the certificate or until you turn 18, whichever comes first. Some Virginia courts require drivers under 18 to attend a licensing ceremony; if one is required, the court will send notice. Check DMV’s teen-driver FAQ and court-ceremony information for what applies where you live.

7. Follow teen-driver restrictions until you turn 18

• Curfew: Drivers under 18 generally may not drive from midnight to 4 a.m. Exceptions include driving to or from work or certain adult-supervised, organization-sponsored activities; driving with a parent or qualifying adult in the front passenger seat; and emergencies.
• Passengers: During the first year after receiving a license, a driver under 18 may carry only one passenger under 21, with family-member exceptions. After the first year, up to three passengers under 21 are allowed only in the situations listed by DMV, such as when a licensed driver age 21 or older is in the front seat.
• Phones: Virginia prohibits using a cell phone or other telecommunications device while driving. The emergency exception applies only when the vehicle is lawfully parked or stopped.

Read the complete Virginia DMV teen-restrictions page because exceptions are specific. Violating passenger or curfew limits can lead to suspension of driving privileges.