Expiration date for Virginia Learner's Permit? How many years does it last?

[Anonymous]

How long does a Virginia Learner's Permit last before it expires? We plan to do more than required practice hours before our daughter takes the driving test. Does it last as long as a regular license-8 years? We want to take 2 years before she applies for a license. She has many commitments and so it will take a long time to fit in enough practice hours with us and a professional.

[Anonymous]

Don’t know about VA but my DD’s MD permit expired two years after date of issuance. Assuming VA will be similar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t know about VA but my DD’s MD permit expired two years after date of issuance. Assuming VA will be similar.

Can you extend it/renew it if needed? The area where we lived was a safe and easy place to drive around maybe 20 years ago. Now it is really bad. There are a lot of aggressive drivers, many elderly drivers, more people biking without enough biking lanes, drivers distracted by phones etc. We want to make sure our teen is at the right level for this area or even city driving before getting the license.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t know about VA but my DD’s MD permit expired two years after date of issuance. Assuming VA will be similar.

Can you extend it/renew it if needed? The area where we lived was a safe and easy place to drive around maybe 20 years ago. Now it is really bad. There are a lot of aggressive drivers, many elderly drivers, more people biking without enough biking lanes, drivers distracted by phones etc. We want to make sure our teen is at the right level for this area or even city driving before getting the license.

Wanted to clarify with the elderly drivers-I know there are elderly drivers who are fine, but our neighbor's teen was hit at a crosswalk by an elderly driver and one of my doctors was almost killed in a car accident colliding with an 80+ year old driver who ran a read light. The adult kids had been unable to convince her to stop driving in time.

[Anonymous]

Wondering too Op as we're in a similar boat.

I thought I read somewhere that the rules change a bit in terms of paperwork, state approved course, etc when you are 18+ yrs (so 2 yrs from now...) verses doing it all before 18 yrs old..

[Anonymous]

IIRC, VA permits are valid for up to 8 years. They expire in the birthday prior to that mark. So for example, my DC got a permit in March 2022. It had an expiration date of August XX, 2029 (with August XX being DCs birthday).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IIRC, VA permits are valid for up to 8 years. They expire in the birthday prior to that mark. So for example, my DC got a permit in March 2022. It had an expiration date of August XX, 2029 (with August XX being DCs birthday).

I'm the MD poster. I know of two people who will need to extend/renew their permits so it is possible.

Why are VA permits valid for up to 8 years? That just seems like an excessively long time.

[Anonymous]

When does my permit expire

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t know about VA but my DD’s MD permit expired two years after date of issuance. Assuming VA will be similar.

Can you extend it/renew it if needed? The area where we lived was a safe and easy place to drive around maybe 20 years ago. Now it is really bad. There are a lot of aggressive drivers, many elderly drivers, more people biking without enough biking lanes, drivers distracted by phones etc. We want to make sure our teen is at the right level for this area or even city driving before getting the license.

Same. We live in a very urban area—challenges even the most mature, experienced drivers. And it’s gotten so much worse this past year.

My 19-year old learned during Covid and had a few years under his belt and was comfortable with him driving younger brother into DC for HS when he was a senior.

My son about to turn 17 has learners permit- but very little actual driving. I will not let him drive into DC for HS next year. The 5 Mike drive has become nail biting both directions with crazier and crazier drivers, accidents, speeding, cutoffs, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How long does a Virginia Learner's Permit last before it expires? We plan to do more than required practice hours before our daughter takes the driving test. Does it last as long as a regular license-8 years? We want to take 2 years before she applies for a license. She has many commitments and so it will take a long time to fit in enough practice hours with us and a professional.

Here's a hint... just have her drive you everywhere. Use her as your own personal chauffeur for the year (or two). Are her commitments ones that you normally drive her to? Then make sure that she is driving you there rather than you driving her. Obviously, practice driving in parking lots for a few weeks first. But get her started with the real road driving sooner rather than later. If she is nervous about driving a particular route during rush hour, have her practice the route during early morning hours or the weekend.

And please use those magnetic "student driver" labels only when she is driving the car. You should remove them and store them in the trunk when you are driving the car.

[Anonymous]

I think you’re over thinking this. The required number of hours in VA is 45. That’s a TON of time behind the wheel. Unless she has a special need, you’re going to find she’s extremely ready by the 45th hour. If you do an hour a week for 2 years, you’re going to be at 104 hours and that’s quite unnecessary.

[Anonymous]

If you follow the "student driver is now the chauffeur" method, they will easily rack up the hours. My DS got over 75 hours in his 9 months with the permit. He is a travel soccer player, so lots of driving to/from practice and games. We also had several multi-hour driving trips to visit family in PA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How long does a Virginia Learner's Permit last before it expires? We plan to do more than required practice hours before our daughter takes the driving test. Does it last as long as a regular license-8 years? We want to take 2 years before she applies for a license. She has many commitments and so it will take a long time to fit in enough practice hours with us and a professional.

.

And please use those magnetic "student driver" labels only when she is driving the car. You should remove them and store them in the trunk when you are driving the car.

I am a lifelong learner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How long does a Virginia Learner's Permit last before it expires? We plan to do more than required practice hours before our daughter takes the driving test. Does it last as long as a regular license-8 years? We want to take 2 years before she applies for a license. She has many commitments and so it will take a long time to fit in enough practice hours with us and a professional.

.

And please use those magnetic "student driver" labels only when she is driving the car. You should remove them and store them in the trunk when you are driving the car.

I am a lifelong learner.

That seems to be the case with many adult drivers. I suppose it just makes it so the stickers are worthless because people assume the parent is driving the car.

For parents who want the stickers to actually mean something, I recommend getting 5 of the magnetic ones and placing them on all doors and on the back of your car when your student driver is practicing. This helps especially when your kid is merging onto the freeway for the first time... very, very slowly. "Please, son, you need to be going faster than 45 mph!"