Student Driving Laws in Virginia
Important Information Your Teen Needs to Know to Drive in VA
Your teen needs some good instruction and plenty of practice before hitting the road alone. Fortunately, if you live in Virginia, there are specific student driving laws that will help protect not only your teen, but other drivers as well. Here is a brief look at some the student driving laws that you should be aware of before letting your teen get behind the wheel.
Learning to Drive
When your teen is ready to learn how to drive, she must apply for a learner's permit and register to take a Driver’s Education (Driver's Ed) class. This is a course with a specific curriculum that teaches young drivers the rules of the road. In addition, your child must also take a driving portion of Driver’s Ed in order to be eligible to apply for a license. There are a couple of ways that teens in Virginia can do this. You can register your teen to take a Driver’s Ed course at:
- A private driving school approved by the State of Virginia
- At a local public school
- You as a parent, or legal guardian, can teach your teen both the classroom portion and the behind the wheel portion of the Driver’s Ed program (homeschool option).
No matter how you register your teen for Driver's Ed, it is important to remember that both the classroom and the behind the wheel portions are required. This law has no exceptions. Upon successfully completing the Driver's Ed course, your teen is eligible to obtain a a permanent driver's license.
Parents/Guardians Teaching Teens to Drive
If you, the parent/guardian, are interested in teaching your teen how to drive, especially the behind the wheel portion, you will need to make sure you meet certain requirements. First of all, you must hold a valid Virginia license. You must not have more than six driving demerits within the last calendar year. In addition, if you have been convicted of a DUI (driving under the influence) within the last 11 years, you are not allowed to teach the behind the wheel portion to your child. Make sure you have up-to-date auto insurance. Otherwise you will not be able to teach your child the behind the wheel portion of the program.
Before beginning any part of the Driver's Ed course, you must apply to the Department of Motor Vehicles in order to get permission. Once permission is granted, you are free to begin the course. Your child must have successfully completed the classroom portion of Driver’s Ed, before moving behind the wheel.
Completing Driving Hours
Once your teen starts the driving portion of Driver’s Ed, she will need seven hours of driving and seven hours of observation with another student driver or the parent/guardian. Your teen will also need to complete 40 hours of driving time (10 of those hours will need to be after sunset) outside of the Driver's Ed environment.
Once your teen gets a license that is not the end of rules and laws. A law was recently passed that prohibits teens under the age of 18 from using a cell phone while driving. All other driving rules and laws that apply to adults, also apply to teen drivers.
To get your future driver off on the right foot, consider obtaining a Virginia Driver Handbook for your child to read. You can download a copy right from your computer. Knowing laws and what is expected of her before joining a Driver's Ed class will help the process go smoothly.
You, as a parent, can play a big role in helping your teen gain the much-needed informatoin she needs for learning how to drive. It is an exciting time in a teen's life, as well as the parents life. Enjoy this milestone, so the memories of when she started driving will always bring a smile to your face.
Student Driving Laws in Virginia
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