Virginia Provisional License
In Virginia, you will have a provisional license with certain restrictions if you’re under 18. Click here to learn more.
Written by Thidas Senanayaka
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
A
Virginia
provisional license is a driver’s license for a license holder under 18 years old. You’re eligible to apply for one if you’re at least 16 years and three months of age, have had a learner’s permit for at least 9 months, and completed other requirements. While there’s no provisional license as a formal second step in Virginia, if you’re of a certain age, your license will be considered provisional with certain requirements. This guide has everything you need to know about the Virginia provisional license, from how to get one to what restrictions apply when you have one.
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4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ driversWhat is a provisional driver’s license in Virginia?
Some states have a three-phase licensing process, where a provisional license is the second step between a learner’s permit and a regular driver’s license. This is not the case in Virginia. In Virginia, a license is simply considered provisional if you have it while under 18.
There are two steps to getting a Virginia driver’s license:
- Apply for and get a learner’s permit
- Apply for a driver’s license after holding the permit for the required time
If you apply and get a driver’s license before you turn 18, that license will be considered provisional. If you’re over 18, you’ll have access to a full “unrestricted” license.
If you live in Virginia, you can begin the process of applying for a driver’s license once you’re 15 years and 6 months old. However, to apply for a regular driver’s license, you need to be at least 16 years and 3 months. Assuming you’re still under 18 while applying for the full license, there are a few more requirements:
- You must have held your learner’s permit for at least nine months
- You must have completed a state-approved driver education program
- When you get your completion certificate, you must have your parent or guardian list their license or state-issued ID number and sign to certify that you’ve driven at least 45 hours, 15 of which have occurred after sunset
You need to submit this completion certificate, take a two-part knowledge exam, and pass a road skills test to get your license. The license will be considered “provisional” until you turn 18.
If you’re 18 or older, the requirements are different. You can choose to complete a state-approved driver’s education program while holding the learner’s permit (in which case you won’t need to complete a road test but will complete a knowledge test) or hold the learner’s permit for a minimum of 60 days (in which case you will need to complete a road and knowledge test).
After you complete the requirements, you won’t have a provisional license but a regular driver’s license.
What are the age requirements for a Virginia provisional driver’s license?
Drivers can apply for a provisional license at 16 years and 3 months, so long as they’ve held a learner’s permit for at least nine months and completed the requirements listed above. If you’re over 18 when you apply, you’ll simply obtain a regular license.
Occasionally, teens under 18 may be required to attend a court licensing ceremony with their parents to receive the license. The Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court will send you a notice if it’s required. The Virginia DMV has
a list of jurisdictions
where this requirement may apply.How long is a provisional license in Virginia?
If you’re under 18 when you apply for a driver’s license, the provisional license will apply from that moment until your 18th birthday. This means if you’re 16 and 3 months by the time you get your provisional driver’s license, you’ll lose any restrictions in one year and nine months. If you’re over 18, you won’t have a provisional license to begin with, so this isn’t an issue.
What are the rules for driving with a provisional license in Virginia?
Provisional license holders are subject to certain restrictions, which are intended to help you stay safe while you get driving experience.
Since these rules largely apply to teens, this makes sense, as the Virginia DMV says that studies have found these restrictions to reduce the number of car crashes among young drivers.
What are the restrictions for a provisional license?
Drivers under 18 with a provisional license have several restrictions that those with a full, unrestricted license don’t have to worry about.
First, you’ll have a curfew. You can’t drive from 12-4 AM if you’re under 18. There are some exceptions:
- Driving to or from a place of employment
- Driving to or from an activity supervised by an adult and sponsored by a school, civic, religious, or public organization
- Driving with a licensed spouse aged 18 or older, a parent, or an adult acting in the place of a parent. This individual must be in the front passenger seat
- Driving in an emergency, including situations where you’re responding to calls as a volunteer firefighter or member of a rescue squad
There are also restrictions on the number of passengers you can transport. When you first get your license, you can only carry one passenger under 21 years of age, unless there’s a licensed parent or adult acting as a parent in the passenger seat.
Once you’ve had your license for a year, you can carry up to three passengers under 21 if you’re traveling from a school-sponsored activity, a licensed driver over 21 years old is in the front seat, or it’s an emergency.
Finally, you’re not allowed to use any cell phones while driving, even if you’re hands-free. You can only use a mobile device for a driver emergency—in which situation the car must still be lawfully parked or stopped.
Violating any of these restrictions can result in your license being suspended.
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How do I change my Virginia provisional license to a full license?
You’re able to “graduate” from a provisional license to a full license in Virginia the moment you turn 18. Once this happens, you won’t need to worry about any passenger or curfew requirements.
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