Photo: Smash the Iron Cage, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Before a Virginia teen under 18 can get a license, a parent or guardian must certify at least 45 hours of supervised driving, 15 of them after sunset, and the teen must complete a state-approved driver education course. This checklist covers both requirements, the 90-minute parent/student session and the rules for home-schooled and out-of-state students.
Key facts (as of November 2026)
- 45 hours of supervised driving on the learner’s permit, at least 15 after sunset.
- Certified by a parent, foster parent or legal guardian on a DMV form (married or emancipated teens are exempt).
- Driver ed: at least 36 classroom periods and 14 in-car periods, each at least 50 minutes.
- Plus a 90-minute parent/student component in the classroom part.
- At least 50 miles of driving during the in-car phase.
Virginia 45-hour driving log checklist
- Get your learner’s permit (see the Virginia permit test guide).
- Drive with a qualified supervisor: a licensed driver 21 or older, your parent or legal guardian, or a sibling, half-sibling or step-sibling 18 or older.
- Log every session: date, start and end time, whether it was after sunset, and what you practiced.
- Reach at least 45 total hours with at least 15 after sunset.
- Have your parent, foster parent or legal guardian complete DMV’s certification form. It includes their driver’s license or DMV ID number.
The form states that the certification is part of the license application, and anyone who certifies a false statement may be prosecuted. Do not round up the hours.
A practical way to spread the 45 hours
You must hold the permit for at least 9 months if you are under 18. That works out to a little over 1 hour of driving per week. A balanced plan covers:
- Empty parking lots: starting, stopping, steering, parking between lines.
- Quiet residential streets: stop signs, four-way stops, turns.
- Busier roads and roundabouts.
- Highway merging: freeway driving for new drivers.
- Night, rain and heavy traffic, within your 15 after-sunset hours.
Compare with other states in supervised driving hours by state.
Virginia driver education requirements
| Part | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Classroom | 36 periods of at least 50 minutes |
| Parent/student component | 90 minutes, part of the classroom phase |
| In-car | 14 periods of at least 50 minutes, driving and observation |
| Driving distance | At least 50 miles in the in-car phase |
| Final | Standardized end-of-course road skills assessment |
In-car instruction is limited to 2 periods in any 24 hours, and at least one of them must be actual driving. Classroom content must include alcohol and drugs, aggressive and distracted driving, speeding, motorcycle awareness and what to do at a traffic stop.
Where you can take it
- Your public or private high school, if it offers driver ed (school boards decide).
- A driver training school licensed by Virginia DMV.
- A Board of Education approved correspondence course for the classroom part, followed by behind-the-wheel training.
The 90-minute parent/student session
It covers parental responsibilities, juvenile driving restrictions, the dangers of drinking and underage alcohol use, distracted driving and speeding. In Planning District 8, it must be in person and a parent or guardian must attend. Elsewhere it may be in person or online, and parent attendance is encouraged but not required. Students 18 or older, emancipated minors and unaccompanied minors not in a parent’s custody are exempt.
Home-schooled students
A home-schooling parent can teach behind-the-wheel using a Board-approved course. The student must then pass the DMV driver’s license examination. DMV will not issue the license if, at the time of instruction, the parent had 6 or more demerit points in the previous 12 months, a DWI conviction in the previous 11 years, or any manslaughter conviction.
Moving to Virginia mid-course
Transfer applicants need documentation of at least 30 hours of classroom and 6 hours of in-car instruction from a government-approved program in their former state, territory or Canadian province for a permanent license. Bring the certificate showing the hours.
Common questions
Do I need to send my driving log to DMV?
The law requires a parent’s certification on DMV’s form. Keep your own log as backup and ask your driver ed provider when they need the form.
Do driver ed hours count toward the 45?
The law counts hours driven while holding a learner’s permit, certified by the parent. Ask DMV or your driver ed school whether in-car class time may be included.
Can my grandparent supervise practice?
Yes, if they are a licensed driver 21 or older. Only a parent, foster parent or legal guardian can sign the 45-hour certification.
Is driver ed required if I am 18?
Not until January 1, 2027. From then, applicants aged 18 to 20 need driver education and a 90-day permit hold. See Virginia license rules for new adult drivers.
Can I take the classroom part online?
The Board of Education approves correspondence courses for the classroom part, and DMV licenses computer-based providers. Check that a provider is approved before paying.
Back to the full guide: learning to drive in Virginia. Next: the road skills test and driver ed waiver.
Sources
- Virginia General Assembly, “Code of Virginia 46.2-335: Learner’s permits; fees; certification required” (law.lis.virginia.gov)
- Virginia General Assembly, “Code of Virginia 46.2-334: Conditions and requirements for licensure of persons under 18” (law.lis.virginia.gov)
- Virginia General Assembly, “Code of Virginia 22.1-205: Driver education programs” (law.lis.virginia.gov)
- Virginia General Assembly, “8VAC20-340-10: Driver education program” (law.lis.virginia.gov)
- Virginia General Assembly, “Code of Virginia 46.2-324.1 (effective January 1, 2027)” (law.lis.virginia.gov)