Can Undocumented Immigrants Get a Driver’s License in Virginia?

Yes. Undocumented immigrants can legally drive in Virginia by applying for a Driver Privilege Card (DPC), a credential the Virginia DMV has issued to non-citizen residents since January 2021. A driver’s license for undocumented immigrants in Virginia takes this specific form: the DPC does not require proof of lawful immigration status or U.S. citizenship, costs $50, and is issued after you pass the same vision, knowledge, and road tests any other Virginia driver takes.¹

What the Card Lets You Do, and What It Doesn’t

A DPC authorizes you to drive on Virginia roads. It looks much like a standard Virginia license but is printed with the words “Not for Federal Purposes,” and that phrase matters.

You cannot use a DPC to board a domestic commercial flight, enter a federal building that requires ID, or satisfy any REAL ID requirement. Since May 2025, TSA has enforced REAL ID at airport checkpoints, so if you need to fly within the United States you’ll need a valid passport or another federally accepted ID.² The DPC also cannot be used for voter registration or voting. Non-citizens who vote in a federal election face serious criminal penalties, including prison time and possible deportation, so decline any voter registration prompt during your DMV visit.

Who Qualifies

To get a DPC you must meet all of the following:¹

Be a non-U.S. citizen living in Virginia.
Be at least 16 years and 3 months old. Applicants between 15 years 6 months and 16 years 3 months can apply for a driver privilege learner’s permit instead.
Have reported income from Virginia sources, or have been claimed as a dependent, on a Virginia tax return filed within the past 12 months.
Have no current driver’s license suspension or revocation in Virginia or any other state, including suspensions tied to insurance issues.

The tax filing requirement is where most first-time applicants get stuck. Filing a Virginia return requires either a Social Security number or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). If you don’t already have one, apply for an ITIN with the IRS using Form W-7 before starting anything else. That process alone can take several weeks, so build it into your timeline.

A past traffic ticket by itself is not disqualifying. What the DMV looks at is whether your driving privileges are currently suspended or revoked anywhere in the United States. If a prior suspension has been fully resolved, you can still apply.¹ The DMV checks every U.S. jurisdiction before approving the card.

Documents to Bring

Bring originals in four categories. The DPC-specific document guide is Form DMV 309, which lists what’s acceptable in each category.³

Identity and date of birth. Two proofs. You can use two documents from List A, or one from List A and one from List B. List A documents must have a photo and cannot be expired by more than five years. Typical List A documents include a foreign passport, an Employment Authorization Document, or a consular ID issued by your country of citizenship. List B includes an ITIN assignment letter, an official foreign birth document, a Social Security card, or certified school records. Any document in a language other than English must come with a certified English translation.

Virginia residency. Two proofs of your current Virginia address, both showing your name. At least one must come from the primary list (utility bills, a lease, government or school correspondence). Printouts of online statements are accepted.

Tax filing. The DMV verifies your Virginia tax filing electronically with the Virginia Department of Taxation during your appointment, so the return must already be on file before you arrive.¹

Social Security number or ITIN. If you’ve been issued a Social Security number, bring the card itself or a W-2 showing the full number. For an ITIN, bring the IRS assignment letter.

Applying and Testing

Schedule an appointment at a Virginia DMV customer service center rather than walking in. Bring the completed Application for a Driver Privilege Card (Form DL 10) and every required original. A DMV employee reviews your documents, runs the real-time tax check, and confirms your eligibility.

Then comes the vision screening and the two-part knowledge exam. The road signs section has 10 questions and you must answer all 10 correctly. The traffic laws and safe driving section has 30 questions and requires at least 24 correct.⁴ The signs portion is where applicants most often slip, because there’s no room for error. The exam is offered in more than 25 languages.

After the knowledge exam you take the road skills test. You’ll need to bring a vehicle that is registered, insured, and has a valid Virginia inspection sticker. Pass, and you walk out with a temporary permit the same day. Your permanent DPC arrives by mail.

Cost and Renewal

The DPC is $50. A combined driver privilege card and learner’s permit is $53. Renewals are also $50.¹

Your first DPC expires on your birthday in the second year after it’s issued. Later cards are valid for two years from the date of issuance. Renew on time and the new card runs for another two years. Let the card lapse and you don’t just pay a late fee; you have to restart the entire process, documents and tests included.¹ Put the renewal date on your calendar.

Insurance Is Still Required

Holding a DPC does not change Virginia’s auto insurance rules. If you own or register a vehicle in the state, you must carry liability coverage at or above the state minimums. For policies effective January 1, 2025, those minimums are:⁵

$50,000 for injury or death of one person
$100,000 for injury or death of two or more people
$25,000 for property damage

If you’re caught driving uninsured, the DMV suspends your driving privileges and vehicle registration. Reinstatement requires a $600 noncompliance fee, an SR-22 financial responsibility certificate maintained for three years, and other reinstatement fees.⁵ For a DPC holder the consequences compound, because an active suspension disqualifies you from holding or renewing the card.

Privacy of Your Application Information

Virginia law gives meaningful but not absolute protection to the information you submit for a DPC. Under the statute that created the card, information collected specifically for the DPC that isn’t otherwise part of the DMV’s regular records is privileged. The DMV cannot release your proof documents, the types of documents you provided, or your application except at your own request, by a parent or guardian of a minor, or under a court order.⁶ A federal agency, in other words, cannot simply ask the DMV to hand over your DPC application documents.

Information the DMV keeps in any driver’s record, however, is treated differently. Your name, address, and driving history can be released to federal, state, or local government entities carrying out their official functions.⁶ A bill (HB 2163) that would have required a judicial warrant before the DMV could share any information with immigration authorities did not pass. So the DPC-specific documents have strong protection; the basic DMV record does not have the same restriction.

At the federal level, the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act generally bars state DMVs from disclosing personal information from motor vehicle records, with an exception for government agencies acting in their official capacity.⁷

Applicants Under 18

Teens who meet the age floor can apply, but the DMV handles first-time DPCs for anyone under 18 differently. Rather than mailing the card to you, the DMV sends it to the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court in your locality. The court then schedules a licensing ceremony that a parent or guardian must attend.³ Document requirements are the same as for adult applicants.

1
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Driver Privilege Card
2
Defense Travel Management Office. REAL ID Required for U.S. Travelers Beginning May 7, 2025
3
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Getting a Virginia Driver Privilege Card or Identification Privilege Card
4
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. The Knowledge Exam
5
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Insurance Requirements
6
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-328.3 – Driver Privilege Cards and Permits
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 2721 – Prohibition on Release and Use of Certain Personal Information From State Motor Vehicle Records