Drivers Education in Virginia

When it comes to driver’s education in Virginia, there are some strict rules in place to ensure the safety of drivers and other people on the road.

The state of Virginia ascertains that driver education programs are available to everyone including adults, students and even out of school youth. These programs are approved by the Department of Education and are offered statewide by public and private schools.
A state approved program consists of thirty six classroom periods. The educational content contains information on issues like aggressive driving, distracted driving, alcohol safety, drug abuse awareness, pedestrian safety, fuel-efficient driving practices, motorcycle and bicycle awareness, handicapped parking, and donation issues. After the theoretical instruction, students are given in-car training. This lasts for fourteen periods and is divided into seven periods of observation and seven periods of driving.

After the successful completion of a driver education program, you will be issued a driver education completion certificate. The DMV will receive a copy of this certificate from your school and will take this into consideration when processing the application for a license.  If you are less than eighteen years old, your parents or guardians will be required to attest that you have completed the required forty five hours of driving by signing this certificate. Their signature will also certify that the information provided is correct.

All teenagers less than nineteen years old must attend one of these state approved programs before they can apply for a permanent driver license.  After obtaining the learners’ permit, they are required to practice driving skills by holding the permit for at least nine months. If you are aged nineteen or above and have never obtained a license from some other state or country, then you must retain a learner’s permit for sixty days in Virginia or prove that you have completed a driver education program approved by state.

As long as you are not being home-schooled, the driver’s education program must be completed at your high school or at a private driver training school. Provided that certain conditions are met, the state allows new juvenile residents who have already obtained a valid out of state license to substitute it with the Virginia license.