VIRGINIA ONLINE DEFENSIVE DRIVING COURSES

Virginia’s Driver Point System

Drivers in Virginia are assigned points that fall into one of two categories: safe driving points and demerits.

Safe driving points are awarded in April of each year to those drivers who did not have any violations or suspensions in the previous calendar years. Drivers can earn one safe driving point each April, and they may earn up to five points over five years.

Demerit points are assigned to drivers who are convicted of a traffic violation. These points remain on a driver’s record for two years from the date of the violation. A full list of violations and the demerit points awarded can be found online.

Drivers can view their points balance by visiting the Virginia DMVNow website.

Virginia DMV Information

Many of the services provided by the Virginia DMV are available online through the Virginia DMV2Go website. The website includes the Virginia Driver’s Manual, which is available as an interactive study guide. This study guide contains practice questions designed to prepare applicants for the Traffic Signs and General Knowledge tests.

The Driver’s Manual is also available online in PDF and audio formats, and hard copies are available at Virginia customer service centers. Locate a customer service center through the Virginia DMV locator.

Getting a Virginia Driver License

New Drivers

If you are at least 15 years and 6 months of age, and you have never held a driver’s license in any state, you are eligible to apply for a Virginia learner’s permit. You will be required to take a vision screening and complete a two-part exam, and you will need to pay the applicable fees for both your permit and your license.

Once you are granted a learner’s permit, you will be able to operate a motor vehicle when a driver over 21, or a driver over 18 if they are your legal guardian, sibling, half-sibling, or step-sibling, is in the passenger seat.

At the age of 16 years and 3 months, if you have completed a Virginia-approved driver’s education course, you will be able to drive with your learner’s permit without a licensed driver beside you, if you have held your learner’s permit for at least 9 months and your parent or legal guardian certifies that you have practiced driving for at least 45 hours.

If you are 18 years or older, you will need to hold a Virginia learner’s permit for 60 days or show completion of a state-approved driver’s education course in order to advance to a standard driver’s license.

More information about learner’s permits and standard licenses can be found on the Virginia DMV website.

Virginia License Renewal

Although you always have the option of renewing a Virginia driver’s license in person, every other cycle you will have the opportunity to renew online or by mail. You will receive a renewal notice by mail, which will indicate the options available to you during that cycle.

You can locate a customer service center for in-person renewal using the Virginia DMV locator. Identify the documents you need to provide for your license renewal using this tool.

Virginia REAL ID

If you plan to use your driver’s license as proof of identity for boarding domestic flights or accessing federal facilities, such as military bases, in the near future, you will need to ensure that you have a REAL ID.

To obtain a REAL ID, more substantial proof of identity than standard Virginia driver’s licenses is required. For example, you must show your social security card in addition to other documents to prove your identity and residency.

As a Virginia resident, a REAL ID is optional, but you will not be able to use your standard, non-REAL ID compliant license as proof of identity for boarding domestic flights or accessing secure federal facilities.

View the document guide for a full list of proof of identity documentation for REAL ID. You can begin your application online, but you will need to present the application and your proof of identity in person to convert an existing driver’s license to a REAL ID.