Get and Maintain a Virginia Driver License

Identify the transaction that fits your record

A Virginia license establishes your authority to drive the vehicle class shown on the credential, subject to its restrictions. DMV's driver-license application guide explains the original licensing process, while the licenses and identification directory leads to renewals, replacements, permits, and other services. Start with your present record: never licensed, licensed elsewhere, already licensed in Virginia, or returning after expiration or a loss of privileges. Selecting the correct transaction avoids paying for a replacement when a renewal is needed or starting a beginner's course when documented prior licensing changes the requirements.

The minimum age for a Virginia driver license is 16 years and three months, and a learner's permit is available beginning at 15 years and six months. DMV's eligibility requirements say there are no exceptions to those minimum ages (read October 21, 2026). Age alone does not establish eligibility. A young applicant must also complete the applicable education, supervised practice, and permit period, while an adult beginner follows the adult rules in effect when licensing occurs. Plan around the full sequence rather than treating the birthday as an automatic issuance date.

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Choose between the available credential types

A standard Virginia license and a REAL ID license provide the same underlying driving authority for the class issued, but federal identification acceptance differs. The REAL ID overview explains the compliant credential and the additional documentation involved. REAL ID adds a one-time $10 charge to the applicable license transaction; a standard eight-year driver license costs $32 (read October 21, 2026). The DMV fee chart separates that charge from replacement, permit, motorcycle, and commercial fees. Choose the credential based on the identification you need and the documents you can present, then calculate the correct transaction total.

Virginia also offers a driver privilege card under its separate eligibility and documentation rules. It is a driving credential for qualifying applicants who cannot meet the legal-presence requirements for an ordinary license, and it is not REAL ID compliant. Its tax, identity, and residency requirements should not be confused with the ordinary license checklist. If legal-presence documentation is the obstacle in your application, examine that official route rather than assuming that every Virginia credential requires exactly the same evidence or has the same federal identification uses.

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Assemble identity, residency, and legal-presence evidence

For an original ordinary license, DMV requires identity and legal-presence evidence, two Virginia residency proofs, and Social Security verification if a number has been issued. Use DMV 141, the acceptable-document guide, to select records in the proper categories. At least one residency item must come from its primary list; the other may come from the primary or secondary list (read October 21, 2026). A large stack of mail does not necessarily satisfy those categories. Match the full legal name and current residence on the application, and include legal name-change records if the source documents differ.

Read Virginia's legal-presence guidance carefully when using immigration documents. DMV distinguishes evidence acceptable for a standard credential from evidence acceptable for REAL ID. It specifically directs an Employment Authorization Document holder seeking REAL ID to provide other qualifying legal-presence evidence. The EAD guidance page identifies supporting documents by category. Residency, identity, legal presence, and Social Security verification are separate elements of the review, even when one document can satisfy more than one requirement. Bring the complete packet on any return visit while the original application remains unfinished.

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Complete the training required for your age and timing

Before January 1, 2027, a first-time applicant age 18 or older generally chooses between holding a permit at least 60 days and completing an approved driver education program while holding the permit. The driver education page explains how completing the program and its skills examination affects the DMV road-test requirement (read October 21, 2026). An adult using the practice-period route must meet the supervised-driving requirements and provide the required observation documentation. An applicant who previously held a license should present that history for review rather than automatically treating every returning driver as a first-time learner.

DMV has announced a different rule for first licensing beginning January 1, 2027: applicants ages 18-20 who have never held a license must complete approved driver education and hold a permit at least 90 days. The published transition FAQ says getting a permit before the change does not exempt someone in that age group who obtains the license afterward (read October 21, 2026). The age-21-and-older route retains the education-or-60-day choice. If your expected licensing date crosses the transition, plan the course and permit period using the future rule that will apply to you.

Applicants under 18 need approved driver education, a permit held at least nine months, and certification of at least 45 practice hours, including 15 after sunset. The learner-permit instructions describe those conditions and the supervision rules (read October 21, 2026). A qualified supervising driver ordinarily must be at least 21, with an exception for a legal guardian or sibling who is at least 18. Lessons should develop observation and decisions as well as vehicle control. Completing enough hours does not shorten the holding period or remove the obligation to finish the education course.

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Take the required examinations and finish issuance

Virginia's knowledge examination has separate road-sign and general-knowledge sections. Prepare from the official driver manual and use the state's practice material to identify topics that need more study. DMV also conducts vision screening and, when required, an on-road skills test. A completed course can change where the skills examination occurs, and a qualifying transfer may change which tests apply. Let DMV resolve the requirements from your actual age and licensing evidence, especially when an earlier credential is expired or comes from a foreign jurisdiction.

Submit the DL 1P application and required fees through the original-license process. An online application can prepare the transaction, but document review and required testing still take place through DMV. Use the customer service center directory to find an appropriate site. A DMV Select office does not issue or renew driver licenses, permits, or ID cards. For a young driver, the instructor's certificate and possible juvenile licensing ceremony add steps that do not apply to every adult. Review the issued temporary documentation and follow the instructions for receiving the permanent card.

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Keep the license valid and the record accurate

The ordinary license is generally valid for up to eight years and expires on the holder's birthday, with shorter terms for specified categories. The renewal instructions allow eligible customers to renew up to one year early and require an in-person renewal every other cycle (read October 21, 2026). Do not assume that holding the plastic card means the driving privilege remains valid after expiration, suspension, or cancellation. If the record has an unresolved restriction, complete the required restoration or review process before relying on a routine renewal to solve it.

Use the replacement service for a lost, stolen, or damaged valid card, and the personal-information update process for a legal name or address change. Reporting a new address and buying a card with that address are distinct actions. Virginia requires notification within 30 days of moving to a new Virginia residence, and the Postal Service will not forward DMV credentials (read October 21, 2026). Check the address before ordering any card. For a person temporarily away or moving outside Virginia, review the relevant residency exception before changing the record in a way that could affect license eligibility.

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Apply the restrictions and identification rules in daily use

The teen-driving restrictions govern nighttime travel, passengers, and wireless-device use for covered young drivers. Those conditions depend on the driver's age and stage, not on whether the trip is short or familiar. Virginia's Mobile ID program provides an optional digital companion for eligible credential holders, but acceptance depends on the format and location. Keep the appropriate physical credential available. For air travel, consult TSA's accepted identification guidance rather than assuming that any state driving document, temporary paper, or image on a phone will meet federal screening requirements.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which Virginia license transaction should a new resident choose?
Present your existing license through the new-resident application process. Prior licensing can affect training and testing, so establish that history before enrolling as a first-time driver.

Is a Virginia learner permit available before age 15 and six months?
DMV states that the minimum permit age has no exception. Reaching that age allows application but does not waive documents, testing, or later supervision requirements.

Will the adult beginner rules change during my permit period?
The announced January 2027 requirements apply to first-time applicants ages 18-20 obtaining their licenses under the new rules, including those who received permits earlier.

Does choosing REAL ID change the vehicle class I may drive?
Virginia issues REAL ID as a credential option for qualifying federal identity checks. Your driving authority still comes from the license class and any endorsements or restrictions on the record.

Can DMV Select issue my first driver license?
DMV Select offices provide specified vehicle and related services, not driver-license issuance. Use a customer service center or another DMV channel authorized for the actual licensing transaction.

Does a replacement card restart the license term?
Replacement addresses the physical credential and carries the existing expiration. Renew when the underlying license is due to expire, subject to renewal eligibility.

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More Virginia DMV guides

The other Virginia DMV guides, 52 of them:

Where this subject meets the courts and the county records: Virginia birth certificates and the Virginia voter records guide.