Drivers permit in Virginia

[Anonymous]

Can DCUM save me a lot of time researching and tell me the steps to get my son his permit?
Study for the test online?
Drivers Ed in McLean? How many sessions!
Practice driving without a permit so you pass the test or you can’t even learn to drive until you have the permit?
Any advice would be appreciated!!

[Anonymous]

You really need to google the details.

But, to give you the basics,

You study on line for the learner's permit.

If you pass the test at the DMV (or one of the HSs that is offering the written test), then you do the vision test and present a bunch of ID documents. At that point your kid is eligible to drive in a vehicle WITH a licensed adult. Your kid cannot drive on a public road until s/he has passed the learner's permit and provided ID documents.

Then they need to practice driving for min. 45 hrs (15 have to be after dark). They do the "in classroom" part of driver's ed in public school PE class (10th grade). If your kid is in private school, then you pay for a drivers ed company to give your kid the in-classroom-instruction.

After your kid has held the learner's permit for at least 9 mos. AND passed drivers' ed in-classroom AND done the 45 hrs of practice driving with an adult (and logged it in the DMV-provided book), AND parent + teen have attended the Teen Safe DRiving Presentation (offered at all the HSs -- just one night about 90 min).....


THEN you will sign your kid up for the "Behind the Wheel" certification/instruction sessions. These are offered through "ACE" -- Adult and Community Education. Or you can do these through a private drivers ed company. There will be 7 sessions. Each session requires your kid and another teen to drive for 50 min. and to observe for 50 min. So there have to be 2 teens/students in the car for each of the 7 sessions. At the end of ALLLLLLL that -- your kid will pass the certification and the "Behind the Wheel" instructor will give your kid a piece of paper saying that they are qualified as a licensed driver.

Then you will get a letter in the mail sometime over the next 6 mos. giving you a court date. At that ceremony, the judge will ceremoniously give you (the adult/parent) the kid's driver's license. You can give it to the kid when you want.

[Anonymous]

Thank you! This is very helpful. It is actually very hard to get a concise answer by googling, so this was great.

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP...and in the process of working with my child on the driving. Word to the wise: the first 5 hrs are the scariest. It's still scary after that, but seeing improvement. I did pay for "supplemental" lessons with a driving school be ause I realized I don't know how to teach driving. I don't know the cue words to teach stategies for handling situations. I.e. I know how to park my car between the lines, but I don't know where a new driver would mentally measure when it's time to turn to line up straight. Things like that. So, the supplemental lessons are giving my teen some structure and standards. Also, after 3 lessons with instuctor, I can see confidence improving a bit. And it's good to have another teacher repeating things I have said. Plus, the instructor has taken teen on roads that I might have been adraid to try. (I-66)

Given the potential for serious and posd3ibly possibly fatal consequences, it is worth giving my teen as much instruction as possible.

[Anonymous]

New poster
Can you please explain the residency documents?

When I look online it makes it seem like I have to bring in a copy of a bill (water bill, electric bill, etc.) to prove HIS residency? My 15 year old doesn't pay bills so of course his name isn't on it. Do we bring in the bill that shows his parents (me or my husband) name on it to prove residency?

[Anonymous]

Maybe this site can help you. There is a link that goes through the documents you can bring. It should be the same for all states b/c they are applying the same federal law.

https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/drivers/#applying_learners.asp

"Applicants under age 19 can have a parent or legal guardian
certify their Virginia residency. The parent or legal guardian
must appear in person with the applicant and show proof of
identification and two proofs of Virginia residency from the
residency list."

I take that to mean that you (the parent) are listed on the two proofs of state residency and if your child is under 19, you can certify the child's residency.

But, we were able to satisfy it with a bank statement (showing DD's name) and a pay statement (showing DD's name). You might have some statements like that too -- cell phone bill or something similar?