Virginia Learner’s Permit Test: Sections, Fees, and What to Bring

The Virginia learner’s permit test is a two-part computer exam given at the DMV. The first part shows you 10 road sign questions and you have to get all 10 right. The second part has 30 general knowledge questions, and you need at least 24 correct — 80 percent — to pass.¹ You take both sections back-to-back in one sitting, after a vision screening and a document check.

What’s on the Road Signs Section

Ten questions, no missed answers allowed. These questions test whether you can identify signs by shape, color, and meaning. Study regulatory signs, warning signs, and guide signs until you can recognize them on sight. The DMV treats sign recognition as a baseline skill and doesn’t give partial credit, so this is the section where careless guessing ends the attempt.

What’s on the General Knowledge Section

Once you clear the signs, you move to 30 questions covering traffic laws, right-of-way rules, safe driving practices, and the effects of alcohol and drugs on driving ability.¹ You can miss up to six and still pass.

How to Study

The Virginia Driver’s Manual covers everything on the exam and is the primary study resource.² The DMV also publishes free online practice exams that mirror the format and difficulty of the real thing, and working through several of them is the fastest way to see where your weak spots are.³

If reading the manual isn’t practical for you, an audio version of the exam is available, and the test itself is offered in multiple languages as well as American Sign Language.²

What to Bring to the DMV

Document mistakes turn away more applicants than the test does. Virginia asks for four categories of proof, and the quantities matter:

One proof of identity, such as a birth certificate or valid passport.
One proof of legal presence, which can be the same document if it also establishes citizenship or lawful status.
Two proofs of Virginia residency, such as a utility bill, bank statement, or lease. Two, not one.
One proof of your Social Security number, such as the card itself, a W-2, or a payroll stub showing the full number. If the DMV can verify your number electronically, you may not need to present a physical document.

Full accepted-document lists are in DMV Form DL 141.⁴ Bring originals or certified copies; photocopies aren’t accepted.

Vision Screening

Before the knowledge test, you take a vision screening. Virginia requires at least 20/40 visual acuity in one or both eyes, with or without corrective lenses, and at least 110 degrees of horizontal vision.⁵ Bring your glasses or contacts if you wear them; the examiner will test you with them on, and a corrective-lens restriction will be noted on your permit.

Fees

The learner’s permit itself costs $3, plus the yearly cost of a driver’s license.⁶ A standard eight-year Virginia license is $32, which works out to $4 per year, and your total depends on the duration of your credential. Most DMV offices work by appointment, so schedule ahead. If you pass, you leave with a temporary paper permit valid for supervised driving while your permanent card is mailed.

Age and Consent

You must be at least 15 years and 6 months old to apply.⁷ If you’re under 18, a parent or legal guardian has to sign your application to give written consent; a court order showing emancipation can stand in for that signature.⁸

If You Fail the Test

The wait to retake depends on your age. Under 18, Virginia law makes you wait a full 15 days before another attempt: fail on January 1 and the earliest you can try again is January 17.⁹ At 18 or older, there’s no mandatory waiting period for the knowledge exam, though a two-day wait applies to the separate behind-the-wheel road skills test.¹⁰

There’s also a three-strike rule worth knowing before you walk in. If you fail the knowledge exam three times, you cannot attempt it a fourth time until you complete the classroom portion of a state-approved driver education course. For applicants 18 or older, or under-18 applicants who already finished the classroom component, an alternative course based on the Virginia Driver’s Manual — available in person or online through a licensed driver training school — satisfies the requirement.¹⁰ You’ll need proof of completion at the counter before the DMV will let you retest.

After You Pass

The permit isn’t a license. It comes with restrictions on when you can drive, who has to be in the front seat with you, how many passengers you can carry, and cell phone use, and violating them is a Class 2 misdemeanor.¹¹ There’s also a mandatory holding period before you can apply for a full license — nine months if you’re under 18, 60 days if you’re 18 or older — and under-18 applicants need to complete driver education and log 45 hours of supervised practice, 15 of them after sunset.⁷ Read the full restriction list on the DMV site before you drive, so passing the test doesn’t turn into a citation the same week.¹²

1
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. The Knowledge Exam
2
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Virginia Driver’s Manual
3
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Online Practice Exams
4
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Getting a Virginia Driver’s License or Identification (ID) Card
5
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-311
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. DMV Fees
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Apply for a Learner’s Permit
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Driver License Eligibility Requirements
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Virginia Driver’s Manual – Section 1 Testing
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Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-325
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Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-335
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Teen Driving Restrictions