Virginia DMV permit practice test 2026
The Virginia DMV knowledge test has 40 multiple-choice questions, and you need 34 right to pass (85%). Our 350 practice questions are written from the Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39) (April 2026), and every answer tells you where to find the rule in the handbook. Free, with no sign-up.
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All 14 Virginia practice tests
Each test mixes questions from every part of the handbook. Work through them in order, then use the simulator.
- Practice test 125 questions
- Practice test 225 questions
- Practice test 325 questions
- Practice test 425 questions
- Practice test 525 questions
- Practice test 625 questions
- Practice test 725 questions
- Practice test 825 questions
- Practice test 925 questions
- Practice test 1025 questions
- Practice test 1125 questions
- Practice test 1225 questions
- Practice test 1325 questions
- Practice test 1425 questions
The Virginia DMV knowledge test
Two-part multiple-choice exam on a computer at DMV customer service centers or in classrooms at participating high schools (remote testing in schools).
Part one of the knowledge exam: 10 traffic sign questions, all 10 must be correct (100%) before taking part two.
Source: Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, checked 2026-10-27.
What the test covers
Our questions follow the handbook's chapters. The number of practice questions on each topic:
| Topic | Practice questions |
|---|---|
| Safe and defensive driving | 50 |
| Road signs | 49 |
| Signals and pavement markings | 47 |
| Licensing laws and penalties | 36 |
| Sharing the road | 33 |
| Hazards, weather and night driving | 21 |
| Following and passing | 19 |
| Alcohol and drugs | 19 |
| Parking | 17 |
| Turns and intersections | 14 |
| Right of way | 13 |
| Speed limits | 12 |
| Emergencies | 10 |
| Lanes, highways and freeways | 10 |
Virginia learner's permit rules
- Minimum age: 15 years 6 months
- Hold the permit for at least Under 18: at least 9 months and completion of state-approved driver education. 18 and older (before Jan. 1, 2027): 60 days OR completion of driver education while holding the permit. From Jan. 1, 2027: ages 18-20 must hold 90 days AND complete driver education; 21+ hold 60 days OR complete driver education. before the road test
- 45 hours of supervised driving, including 15 at night
- A licensed driver at least 21 must sit in the front passenger seat and be alert and able to help. The supervising driver may be 18-20 if they are the learner's legal guardian or sibling (brother, sister, half-sibling or step-sibling)
- Learner's permit holders may not carry more than one passenger under 18 (family members excepted)
- Under 18: no driving midnight to 4 a.m. except for work, adult-supervised school, civic or religious activities, with a licensed spouse 18 or older or a parent or adult in loco parentis in the front seat, or in emergencies
- Under 18: no use of a cell phone or other wireless device while driving, hand-held or not, except in a driver emergency with the vehicle lawfully parked or stopped
- You may drive without a licensed driver only if you hold a signed Virginia Driver Training Certificate (DTS B) for completed classroom and behind-the-wheel driver education, are at least 16 years 3 months old, and have held the permit 9 months
- A parent or guardian must certify at least 45 hours of driving, 15 of them after sunset, on the driver education completion certificate
- Driver education: 36 classroom sessions, 7 driving sessions, 7 observation sessions and a final road skills exam (50-minute sessions), plus a 90-minute parent/teen component for under-18s (in person in Planning District 8)
Fees: Learner's permit (combined with license) $3 plus the yearly cost of the driver's license; Driver's license $4 per year (minimum $20); $32 for a standard eight-year license; Replacement learner's permit $2.
The official handbook
Everything on the test comes from the Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39), also available in Spanish. Read it alongside the practice tests. Our chapter-by-chapter guide.
Renewing your license
No age-based knowledge or road test. Renewal in person requires a vision screening; licenses must be renewed in person every other renewal cycle. Drivers over 75 are not eligible to renew online or by mail, and renewals at 75 or older are valid for five years instead of eight. If a license has been expired more than one year, the vision, two-part knowledge and road skills tests must be retaken. DMV medical review can require tests at any age.
Questions
How many questions are on the Virginia permit test?
The Virginia DMV knowledge test has 40 questions and you need 34 correct to pass (85%). Part one of the knowledge exam: 10 traffic sign questions, all 10 must be correct (100%) before taking part two.
How old do you have to be to get a learner's permit in Virginia?
15 years 6 months. You then hold the permit for at least Under 18: at least 9 months and completion of state-approved driver education. 18 and older (before Jan. 1, 2027): 60 days OR completion of driver education while holding the permit. From Jan. 1, 2027: ages 18-20 must hold 90 days AND complete driver education; 21+ hold 60 days OR complete driver education. before the road test and 45 hours of supervised driving, including 15 at night.
What happens if I fail the Virginia permit test?
You can retake it: Under 18: must wait a full 15 days (fail Jan 1, earliest retake Jan 17). 18 and older: one attempt per day. Once per business day. After three failures the applicant must complete the classroom component of driver education (or, for 18+, and for under-18s who already finished classroom driver ed, an 8-hour DMV-approved course based on the Driver's Manual) before a fourth attempt. Results valid 1 year; each retake requires a new application with identity and residency documents.
Can I take the Virginia permit test in Spanish or another language?
English, American Sign Language, Amharic, Arabic, Chinese/Mandarin (simplified and traditional), Dari, Farsi, French, German, Haitian Creole, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Kurdish, Mongolian, Nepali, Pashto, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Twi (Akan), Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese. Translators may not be used for tests in offered languages.
What do I need to bring for the Virginia permit test?
Completed Application for a Virginia Driver's License (DL 1P); under 18 needs parent/guardian signature (or court order of emancipation); One proof of identity; One proof of legal presence; Two proofs of Virginia residency; Proof of Social Security number, if issued (can be verified electronically); and more (see the full list).
What is the vision requirement in Virginia?
Unrestricted license: 20/40 or better in one or both eyes AND at least 110 degrees horizontal field in one or both eyes. Daylight-only license: 20/70 or better in one or both eyes AND at least 70 degrees horizontal field (one-eyed drivers: 30 degrees toward the nose and 40 toward the temple). Daylight-only means half an hour after sunrise to half an hour before sunset. Drivers who need corrective lenses get restriction code C.
Independent practice tests, not affiliated with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Questions written by us from the official handbook and checked against it.