VA Drivers License

[Anonymous]

With a professional driving school (like IDS), my kid can obtain his license at the completion of the program? There's no need for an official road test at the DMV?

We're thinking this route, but wanted to confirm this is the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With a professional driving school (like IDS), my kid can obtain his license at the completion of the program? There's no need for an official road test at the DMV?

We're thinking this route, but wanted to confirm this is the case.

That was our experience in Virginia. We needed to certify to the school that we completed the 40 hours of practice per the booklet the kids received. The last session of the driving school is the driving test. At that session the school provided the temporary license and the real license came in the mail a couple months later.

[Anonymous]

Make sure that you have almost all of the 45 practice hours before you begin the seven Behind the Wheel sessions. Then they will receive their license at the last session.

[Anonymous]

Can this be done in MD as well?

[Anonymous]

In Virginia that is correct, here was our experience with the oldest:

April 2019- took written learner's test at DMV, obtained permit

Immediately started the 45 hours with mom/dad/local grandparents (45 hours includes 15 hours of night driving)

June 2019- took in class driver training which we paid separately for. DS was taking virtual PE over the summer so doing this as part of health class was not an option

November 2019-December 2019-in car behind the wheel via private driving school. Instructor signed off on his paperwork end of last session

January 2020- DS started driving solo with his behind the wheel paperwork

February 2020- court appointment to receive license and turn in learner's permit

No separate road test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can this be done in MD as well?

No. In Maryland the test is taken at MVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Make sure that you have almost all of the 45 practice hours before you begin the seven Behind the Wheel sessions. Then they will receive their license at the last session.

Most driving schools advise that the student pace out the in car sessions in parallel with completing the driving hours. They also advise against doing the in car school sessions too close together.

They don’t receive their license at the last session, but they do complete their driving test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make sure that you have almost all of the 45 practice hours before you begin the seven Behind the Wheel sessions. Then they will receive their license at the last session.

Most driving schools advise that the student pace out the in car sessions in parallel with completing the driving hours. They also advise against doing the in car school sessions too close together.

They don’t receive their license at the last session, but they do complete their driving test.

The driving schools that we called all required that at least 30 driving hours were already logged with the parents before the BTW sessions. At the last session, the student will complete the driving test and receive their paper "license." Their actual license with photo is mailed by the DMV about 2 to 4 weeks afterwards.