Driving Permit

STEP 1 - SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE OUR ONLINE DRIVERS EDUCATION COURSE

If you are under the age of 18 and are homeschooled, you must provide a Certificate of Completion from I DRIVE SAFELY when applying for your permit. A parent or guardian must also be approved by the DMV for behind the wheel instructions and provide a log indicating 45-hours of behind-the-wheel training. (For more information, please download Home-Schooled In-Car Driver Education Information Sheet.)

STEP 2 - GETTING YOUR LEARNER'S PERMIT

• To obtain a learner's permit, you must be at least 15 years and 6 months of age.
• If you are under age 18, your parent, custodial parent or legal guardian must provide written consent by signing your application.
• You must provide a driver education Completion Certificate from a state-approved driver education program.

  Your parent, guardian or foster parent must list his or her driver's license or state-issued identification card number and sign the certificate to certify that you have driven at least 45 hours, 15 of which occurred after sunset, and that the statements made and the information submitted on the certificate are true and correct. Certifying false statements can result in prosecution.

When you apply for a learner's permit, you must show:

• proof of legal presence (legal presence means that a person is either a U.S. citizen or is legally authorized to be in the United States)
• proof of Virginia residency.
• your Social Security Number (if you have been issued one).

All documents must be originals and will be subject to verification.

When you apply for a Virginia learner's permit, you will also complete the application process for your driver's license and pay the fees for both the permit and license. The DMV will assign you a customer number which will display on your learner's permit.

You will be required to take:

• a vision screening
• a two-part knowledge exam. *

  The two-part knowledge exam is given in English or Spanish on a computer and tests your knowledge of traffic signs, motor vehicle laws and safe driving techniques.

  All ten traffic sign questions in Part One must be answered correctly before you can take the 25-question general knowledge exam in Part Two.

  You must score at least 80% on these questions to pass Part Two.

  The exam may be taken only once per business day.

If You Fail The Exam: If under age 18, by law you must wait a full 15 days before you can retake the exam. For example, if you fail the test on January 1, the earliest you would be eligible to take the test again is January 17.

Once you pass your required testing: a DMV representative will take your photograph and ask you to sign a signature pad. In most circumstances, your photograph and information will be processed while you wait. Your name will be called when your learner's permit is ready.

STEP 3 - GETTING YOUR DRIVERS LICENSE

To get your drivers license you will go through most of the same steps required for getting your permit. The PRIMARY difference is you.ll have to take a road skills (behind-the-wheel) test.

• The minimum age for obtaining a Virginia driver's license is sixteen years and three months.
• To obtain a Virginia learner's permit you must be at least fifteen years and six months.
• You must show:

  proof of legal presence (legal presence means that a person is either a U.S. citizen or is legally authorized to be in the United States)

  proof of Virginia residency.

  your social security number (if you have been issued one).

All documents must be originals and will be subject to verification.

Road Skills Test

• You must provide a vehicle for the road skills test. The vehicle must have a valid safety inspection sticker, license plates, registration card, and working brakes, safety belts, horn, lights, turn signals, mirrors and speedometer.
• The road skills test will be administered by a DMV representative. Only the applicant and the DMV representative are allowed in the vehicle during the road skills test.
• The test may be taken only once per business day.

If You Fail The Road Skills Test: Regardless of age, you must complete the behind the wheel portion of driver education from a Virginia approved Driver Training School and present the Driver Education Certificate with a completion date that is after the date of the third test failure.

Re-examination requirements for home-schooled students can be found in Home-Schooled Re-Examination Requirements Information Sheet form.

The road skills test is offered at all DMV customer service centers except the Springfield Mall and Fair Oaks Mall locations.

When You Pass Your Required Tests: a DMV representative will take your photograph and ask you to sign a signature pad. All first-time driver's licenses issued to persons under age 18 are sent to the judge of your local juvenile and domestic relations court. The court will notify you by mail about when and where you and your parent, custodial parent or legal guardian must appear to receive your license.

PLEASE NOTE: The DMV can deny or suspend driving privileges for persons under age 18 if the juvenile:

• Is found delinquent by a court,
• Is in need of supervision,
• Is involved in an alcohol or drug-related offense, or
• Needs court-assigned services or programs such as counseling. Questions about this law may be directed to DMV.

STEP 4 - DRIVE SAFELY

Start working on getting your license. Take our award-winning Online Drivers Ed Course.

Oh, and ALWAYS make an appointment at the DMV. Otherwise, you might be 17 by the time you get to the head of the line.

We don’t mean to scare you but consider this – MOST new drivers fail their DMV Written Exam the first time they try it.  So, BEAT THE STATISTICS!  Here’s how.

We offer state-specific Practice Test Packages that can help you beat the odds and pass your written exam the very first time. Written by professional instructors, these packages are designed to TEACH you what you need to know to succeed. Use it to review all the questions one at a time or to generate realistic exams - or do both. Any way you look at it - practice makes perfect. And with I DRIVE SAFELY Permit Practice test, you're bound to come out a winner with your permit in hand