Virginia practice tests
The Virginia knowledge exam has two parts, taken on a computer at a DMV customer service center or at a participating high school. Part one has 10 traffic sign questions, and you must answer all ten correctly before you can move on. Part two has 30 general knowledge questions on Virginia's traffic laws and safe driving, and you need 24 correct. You can apply for a learner's permit from 15 years and 6 months. Our free Virginia practice has 6 general knowledge tests of 30 questions (24 to pass) and 6 traffic sign tests of 10 questions with pictures (all 10 to pass), each scored like the real part, and every answer comes from the Virginia Driver's Manual.
- 30 questions
- 24 to pass
The test in Virginia
Every figure links to the page it was read from, with the date it was checked. Formats change; the source wins over this table.
| What | Figure | Source · checked |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | Two parts: 10 traffic sign questions and 30 general knowledge questionsThe exam is multiple choice and covers traffic signs, motor vehicle laws and safe driving, with questions taken from the Virginia Driver's Manual. You must pass the sign part before you can take the general knowledge part. Our practice has 6 general knowledge tests (30 questions, 24 to pass) and 6 traffic sign tests (10 questions, all 10 to pass). | Virginia DMV: The Knowledge Examchecked 2026-11-01 |
| To pass | All 10 of 10 sign questions; 24 of 30 general knowledge questionsThe manual words the second rule as at least 80 percent of the general knowledge questions. Each part is passed separately, and our sets are scored the same way. | Virginia DMV: The Knowledge Examchecked 2026-11-01 |
| Time limit | Not statedThe DMV does not publish a time limit. Walk-in applicants must arrive by 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and by 11:30 a.m. on Saturdays to test that day. Our sets have no time limit. | Virginia DMV: The Knowledge Examchecked 2026-11-01 |
| Where you can test | On a computer at a DMV customer service center, or in a classroom at a participating high schoolThere is no at-home online exam. Through the DMV's remote testing program, students at participating schools take the exam under a staff proctor and get a testing receipt to bring to a customer service center. Oral exams are available on request at all customer service centers, and the manual says an audio version is offered. | Virginia DMV: Remote testing at participating schoolschecked 2026-11-01 |
| Languages | English, American Sign Language and 24 other languagesAmharic, 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 and Vietnamese. The manual says translators may not be used for tests in offered languages. | Virginia DMV: The Knowledge Examchecked 2026-11-01 |
| Retakes | Under 18: wait a full 15 days; 18 or older: once per dayFor example, an applicant under 18 who fails on January 1 can retest on January 17 at the earliest. After three failures, at any age, you must complete the classroom part of a Virginia-approved driver training program, finished after the third failure, before testing again; the manual also accepts an 8-hour DMV-approved course based on the manual (for under-18s, only after finishing the classroom part of driver education). If you do not get your permit or license within one year of passing, you must retest. | Virginia DMV: The Knowledge Examchecked 2026-11-01 |
| Minimum age | 15 years and 6 monthsIf you are under 18, a parent or legal guardian must sign consent on your application, or you can show a court order of emancipation. | Virginia DMV: Learner's Permitchecked 2026-11-01 |
| Learner's permit rules | Supervisor 21 or older (18 or older if a legal guardian or sibling); under 18: hold the permit 9 months and log 45 hours, 15 after sunsetThe licensed supervisor sits beside you and must be alert and able to help. Under 18 you must also complete a state-approved driver education program, and a parent or guardian certifies the 45 hours. Permit holders may carry no more than one passenger under 18, not counting family members. You may drive alone on a permit only with a signed Driver Training Certificate (DTS B) showing classroom and behind-the-wheel completion, once you are at least 16 years 3 months old and have held the permit nine months. The manual describes the supervisor rule and the 60-day rule in slightly older terms; this follows the DMV's newer permit page. | Virginia DMV: Learner's Permitchecked 2026-11-01 |
| Applicants 18 and older | Until 31 Dec 2026: 60 days on the permit or driver education; from 1 Jan 2027, ages 18 to 20: 90 days and driver educationThis applies to anyone who has never held a license from any state, U.S. territory or foreign country. From January 1, 2027, applicants aged 21 or older still choose between 60 days on the permit and a driver education program, while those aged 18 through 20 must do both: hold the permit at least 90 days and complete driver education. | Virginia DMV: Learner's Permitchecked 2026-11-01 |
| Under-18 license restrictions | No driving from midnight to 4 a.m.; one passenger under 21 in the first yearCurfew exceptions: driving to or from work, to or from an adult-supervised activity sponsored by a school or a civic, religious or public organization, with a licensed spouse aged 18 or older, parent or adult in loco parentis in the front passenger seat, or in an emergency. After one year with the license you may carry up to three passengers under 21 when going to or from a school-sponsored activity, with a licensed driver aged 21 or older in the front seat, or in an emergency. Family members do not count. Drivers under 18 may not use 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. | Virginia DMV: Juvenile driving restrictionschecked 2026-11-01 |
| Fee: learner's permit | $3.00 plus the yearly cost of the licenseThe permit fee is paid together with the license fee at $4 per year. A REAL ID compliant credential adds a one-time $10 fee. | Virginia DMV: DMV Fees (DMV 201, 08/10/2026), PDFchecked 2026-11-01 |
| Fee: driver's license | $32.00 ($4 per year)The amount the DMV fee chart (DMV 201, 08/10/2026) lists for a driver's license only. A replacement learner's permit costs $2.00 and a replacement license $20.00. | Virginia DMV: DMV Fees (DMV 201, 08/10/2026), PDFchecked 2026-11-01 |
| What to bring | Completed application (DL 1P), fee, proof of identity, proof of legal presence, two proofs of Virginia residency, Social Security numberBring original documents in your full legal name, not copies. Under 18, a parent or legal guardian signs the application. You also take a vision screening (20/40 or better in one or both eyes for an unrestricted license) and the two-part knowledge exam. The permit is mailed to you, and the Postal Service will not forward it. | Virginia DMV: Learner's Permitchecked 2026-11-01 |
| Driver's manual | Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39), April 2026 PDFThe DMV's manual page links the complete manual and each section, plus an interactive study guide with practice questions in English and Spanish. The PDF posted there was produced in April 2026. | Virginia DMV: Virginia DMV Driver's Manualchecked 2026-11-01 |
Full tests
- Test 130 questions · untimed · pass 24difficulty 1 of 12
- Test 230 questions · untimed · pass 24difficulty 2 of 12
- Test 330 questions · untimed · pass 24difficulty 3 of 12
- Test 430 questions · untimed · pass 24difficulty 4 of 12
- Test 530 questions · untimed · pass 24difficulty 5 of 12
- Test 630 questions · untimed · pass 24difficulty 6 of 12
- Test 710 questions · untimed · pass 10difficulty 1 of 12
- Test 810 questions · untimed · pass 10difficulty 2 of 12
- Test 910 questions · untimed · pass 10difficulty 3 of 12
- Test 1010 questions · untimed · pass 10difficulty 4 of 12
- Test 1110 questions · untimed · pass 10difficulty 5 of 12
- Test 1210 questions · untimed · pass 10difficulty 6 of 12
Handbook chapters
- Chapter 1: Getting your permit and licenseHow to get a Virginia learner's permit: the two-part knowledge exam, vision screening, documents and fees, supervision rules, driver education, the nine-month holding period, juvenile restrictions and the road skills test.
- Chapter 2: Traffic signalsVirginia traffic signals: red, yellow and green lights and arrows, turns on red, flashing signals, dark signals, lane use signals and pedestrian hybrid beacons.
- Chapter 3: Traffic signsVirginia traffic signs for the 10-question sign part of the exam: sign colors and shapes, regulatory signs, warning signs, railroad crossings and work zone signs, flaggers and slow-moving vehicles.
- Chapter 4: Pavement markings and painted curbsVirginia pavement markings: yellow and white lines, three-lane roads, lane arrows, yield lines, bicycle lanes, sharrows and bike boxes, HOV and bus lanes, toll plazas and curb colors.
- Chapter 5: Speed, stopping and right-of-wayVirginia speed limits and reckless driving, when you must stop, school buses, stopping distance, antilock brakes, right-of-way rules, emergency and stationary vehicles, and roundabouts.
- Chapter 6: Lanes, turns, passing and parkingVirginia rules for hand position, changing lanes, passing, over-correcting, turns and U-turns, turn and hand signals, following distance, searching, blind spots, backing and parking.
- Chapter 7: Sharing the roadSharing Virginia roads with pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcycles, light rail, low speed vehicles, trucks, buses and RVs, and towing a light to medium trailer.
- Chapter 8: Night, weather and dangerous drivingVirginia headlight laws, high and low beams, fog, rain, snow and ice, and the dangers of aggressive, distracted and drowsy driving, including the hand-held phone ban.
- Chapter 9: Alcohol, drugs, crashes and traffic stopsVirginia DUI limits, the under-21 rule, how alcohol and drugs affect driving, implied consent and administrative suspension, open containers, what to do after a crash, deer collisions and traffic stops.
- Chapter 10: Seat belts, penalties and other rulesVirginia seat belt, air bag and child seat laws, license suspension and revocation, demerit points and driver improvement clinics, insurance requirements, new residents, inspections and license types.