The Virginia CSMA 19 form, officially the In-Car Maneuvers Observation Record, is the checklist you fill out with a licensed observer to document that you’ve practiced 14 required driving skills before taking the DMV road skills test. Download it free from the Virginia DMV website, work through the maneuvers with a qualified observer who signs off on each one, then bring the completed original to any DMV customer service center to schedule your behind-the-wheel exam.
Who Has to Use This Form
The CSMA 19 is for Virginia learner’s permit holders age 18 and older who have not completed a Virginia-approved driver training course. Qualifying home-schooled students use it as well.1Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. In-Car Maneuvers Observation Record (CSMA 19)
If you finished a state-approved driver training course, you don’t need this form; the school provides its own documentation. Drivers under 18 follow a separate graduated licensing process and don’t use the CSMA 19 either.
What to Have Ready Before You Start
Fill in the top of the form with your printed full name, learner’s permit number, and permit expiration date before your first practice session. You’ll also need a qualified observer in the car with you each time you drive.
Under Virginia Code 46.2-335, your observer must be a licensed driver age 21 or older, or a spouse age 18 or older, seated in the front passenger seat while you drive. Each maneuver on the form calls for that observer’s driver’s license number along with their signature, so have the license handy.1Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. In-Car Maneuvers Observation Record (CSMA 19)
The 14 Maneuvers You Have to Document
The body of the CSMA 19 is a list of 14 skill categories. Your observer watches you perform each one, checks the box, and signs the line next to it. You don’t have to do them all in one sitting; most learners spread them across several practice drives, and the form sets no timeline. What matters is that every box is checked and every signature is in place before you take the form to the DMV.1Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. In-Car Maneuvers Observation Record (CSMA 19)
- Basic Skills. Staying attentive, aware of surroundings, following instructions, and reading conditions early enough to react.
- Starting. Starting the engine, engaging the correct gear, and using the brake properly.
- Backing. Checking mirrors and both shoulders, controlling the vehicle smoothly in reverse, and backing in a straight line. Practice off-street.
- Posture. Sitting upright with arms and legs within easy reach of the controls, with seat and mirrors adjusted.
- Gears. Shifting smoothly or operating an automatic, accelerating evenly, and keeping your eyes on the road while shifting.
- Following. Maintaining a safe following distance and appropriate speed in traffic.
- Right of Way. Yielding when required, watching for pedestrians, and responding to signals.
- Lanes. Staying in the proper lane, checking traffic before changing lanes, and avoiding lane straddling.
- Overtaking and Passing. Passing safely on a multi-lane road, judging distance, signaling, accelerating properly, and using the horn when needed.
- Intersections. Handling controlled and uncontrolled intersections by slowing on approach, checking cross traffic, and looking both ways.
- Signs and Signals. Observing stop signs and other traffic signs, stopping at the indicated spot, and proceeding with a clear view.
- Traffic Lights. Reading red, yellow, and green signals correctly, stopping smoothly, watching for pedestrians in crosswalks, and starting promptly on green.
- Turns. Signaling, getting into the correct lane, reducing speed, and completing the turn smoothly.
- Turn-Abouts and U-Turns. Controlling the vehicle in close quarters, watching traffic, and signaling correctly.
How the Signatures Work
Different licensed drivers can observe different maneuvers. If a parent watches your turns and a spouse rides with you for highway passing, each signs beside the skills they personally observed.1Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. In-Car Maneuvers Observation Record (CSMA 19)
If one person observed every maneuver, there’s a shortcut: skip the individual signature lines and sign only the Driver/Observer Certifications section at the bottom. That single signature covers all 14 skills.
The Certifications at the Bottom
The form closes with two certification statements that both you and your observer must sign. They carry legal weight. The form warns that knowingly making a false statement is a criminal violation under Virginia’s perjury laws.1Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. In-Car Maneuvers Observation Record (CSMA 19)
Your observer certifies that they personally watched you perform the checked maneuvers and that they were authorized to accompany you under Virginia Code 46.2-335. You certify that every time you drove on your learner’s permit, you were accompanied by a licensed driver authorized under Virginia Code 46.2-325. The DMV will not accept the form without both signatures.
Turning the Form In
Bring the completed CSMA 19 to any Virginia DMV customer service center. The form is what lets you schedule the road skills test; without it, the DMV won’t let you take the behind-the-wheel exam unless you completed an approved driver training course instead.1Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. In-Car Maneuvers Observation Record (CSMA 19)
Submission is in person only. There is no online upload or mail-in option. Hand the original to a DMV representative at the service center when you arrive, with every box checked and every required signature in ink. A missing checkbox or an illegible signature will send you back to finish the form before you can test.