Virginia Learner's Permit Practice Test

333 Virginia permit laws, one at a time: read the rule and why it exists, then answer a question on it straight away. Practice tests match the real 40-question exam.

The exam

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles knowledge test is 40 questions, and 34 correct is a pass. Everything on it comes out of Virginia Driver’s Manual.

How this works

Most practice tests hand you a bank of questions and leave the manual somewhere else. This one puts them together.

You read one law and the reason behind it, then answer a question on that law while it is still fresh. Get it right and you move on; get it wrong and you have found the gap while it is cheap to fix, not on the morning of the exam.

Learning one rule at a time, and proving it immediately, is what turns a manual you skimmed into something you actually know — and it makes studying feel like getting somewhere rather than like waiting to find out.

What Virginia tests

46 concepts, 333 separate rules. Each one is a page of its own.

Questions from the Virginia test

What must a driver do at this sign?

Come to a full stop, then go when the way is clear. A rolling stop moves you into the crossing before you can see down it, and a car coming from the side is already level with you by the time you look.

What do red and white on a traffic sign convey?

Stop, yield, do not and no. In fog you often see the color of a sign long before you can read it, so the color has to carry the message on its own.

What does the number on this sign tell a driver?

The fastest you may legally drive here. The number is set for a dry road in daylight, so in rain or at night the legal limit is still too fast for the conditions.

When should a driver slow down for the bend this sign warns of?

Before reaching it, not partway around it. Tires grip for turning or for braking, not both at once, so the slowing has to be finished before the wheel is turned.

From which direction may a train reach a crossing marked by this sign?

From either direction, on either track. A driver who checks the way a train came last time looks once and misses the one arriving from the other side.

What should a driver expect after passing this sign?

A change in how the traffic is routed. The people working there stand a few feet from moving traffic with nothing between them and the cars but a line of cones.

What does a sign like this one give a driver?

The way to a place further along. Knowing which sign carries a rule and which carries directions saves you reading every word of the ones that carry neither.

Where must a driver stop at a red light when there is no stop line?

Before the crosswalk or the intersection. A car stopped past the line sits in the space people are walking through, so they have to step into traffic to get around it.

What do yellow lines down the middle of a road tell a driver?

Traffic runs in opposite directions here. Yellow is the only marking that means a car may be coming at you, so the color itself is a warning about which lane is which.

What do broken white lines between lanes allow?

Changing lanes, done with due caution. White between lanes means nothing is coming at you, so the only thing to check before moving over is what is beside you.

When may a driver use a marked bicycle lane?

When it is necessary in order to turn. The lane is the only space a rider has, and a car sitting in it forces the rider out into traffic to get around.

What does a white painted curb generally allow?

Stopping to pick up or set down people. These spaces exist so people can get in and out close to a door, and a car left there sends the next one into the traffic lane.

What does a posted speed limit describe?

The fastest legal speed in good conditions. The number was measured on a dry road in daylight, so it is a ceiling rather than a target and never a promise that the speed is safe.

Which three controls require a full stop every time?

Stop signs, red lights and flashing reds. These are the three controls that hand the crossing to someone else, and rolling any of them takes a turn that is not yours.

From which directions must a driver stop for a bus on an undivided road?

From any direction on the roadway. Children step out from in front of the bus where the driver cannot see them, which is the one place a car is most likely to be.

What three things decide the distance a car needs to stop?

Perception time, reaction and braking. Two of the three happen before the brake is touched, which is why a driver who is tired or distracted needs much more road.

Who goes first when two cars reach an intersection at different times?

The driver who got there first. Order of arrival is the only rule both drivers can see the same way, which is what stops two cars moving into the same space.

What must a driver do when an emergency vehicle comes up from behind?

Pull to the right edge and stop there. A crew is losing minutes on the way to somebody, and a driver who keeps rolling makes them wait behind a car that will not settle.

Who must a driver entering a roundabout yield to?

Walkers and traffic already in it. Everyone in the circle is committed and cannot stop, so all of the yielding has to happen before you enter it.

What is the last check before a driver moves into another lane?

A glance over the shoulder beside you. The mirrors miss a whole car length beside your rear wheel, and the shoulder check is the only thing that covers it.

When can a driver safely pull back in after passing?

Once its front shows in your mirror. Seeing the whole front of the car in your mirror is the point at which you are far enough ahead not to clip it coming back.

What happens to a car when a driver over-corrects?

The back wheels slide toward the outside. Most crashes of this kind involve one car and no other driver, which means the whole thing came from the wheel input.

Which lane should a driver turn right into?

The lane closest to the curb. Swinging wide into the far lane crosses the path of anyone turning out of the road you are entering.

What should a driver check before making a U-turn?

Signs that forbid the turn there. A U-turn is banned where the road bends or crests, which is exactly where you cannot see the car that would hit you.

When does Virginia law require a driver to signal?

Turning, changing lanes or leaving a road. The signal is the only way to tell a driver what you are about to do rather than what you have already done.

How many seconds of following distance are needed under 35 miles per hour?

Two seconds behind the car ahead. Counting seconds works at any speed, because the faster you go the further the car travels while you count.

What does searching the road mean?

Keeping your eyes moving over the scene. A driver whose eyes stop moving sees the middle of the road clearly and misses everything about to enter it from the side.

When should a driver be most alert for people on foot?

Near schools, playgrounds and homes. A person on foot has nothing around them, so the same impact that dents a car ends a life.

What are the No-Zones around a large vehicle?

Areas where the driver cannot see you. These blind spots are far bigger than a car’s, so a driver who checks their own mirrors still has no idea what is beside a truck.

How far from the curb may a driver park?

No more than one foot from it. A car parked wide narrows the lane beside it, so traffic has to swing out around it into the next lane.

How far from a fire hydrant must a driver park?

At least 15 feet away from it. A crew needs to get a hose onto the hydrant in seconds, and a car parked over it costs them the time a fire does not give.

Between what times must a driver use headlights?

From sunset until the next sunrise. Headlights are for being seen as much as for seeing, and a car without them at dusk is invisible to the driver waiting to pull out.

What should a driver do first when conditions turn bad?

Slow down before anything else. Every other thing a driver can do works better at a lower speed, which is why it comes first rather than last.

What makes driving aggressive under Virginia law?

An intent to harass or obstruct someone. The offense is about what the driver meant to do, which is why the same maneuver can be a ticket one day and a charge the next.

When may a driver hold a cell phone in Virginia?

In an emergency, or when parked or stopped. A phone in the hand takes a hand off the wheel and the eyes off the road at the same moment, which is why the law names holding it.

At what blood alcohol content is a driver 21 or older legally under the influence?

0.08 percent or higher. Alcohol reaches vision, judgment and coordination before a person feels drunk, so the number exists where the feeling does not.

What must a driver do first after being involved in a crash?

Stop at or close to the scene. Leaving turns a crash into a separate criminal offense, and it leaves anyone hurt without the one person who knows what happened.

What should a driver do when a collision with a deer is unavoidable?

Brake firmly and stay in your lane. Swerving takes you into oncoming traffic or off the road, and hitting a tree or another car is far worse than hitting a deer.

What should a driver do after pulling over for a police officer?

Stay in the vehicle unless asked out. Stepping out puts you in the traffic lane and gives the officer someone approaching them in the dark, which makes the stop worse for both of you.

Who must wear a safety belt under Virginia law?

The driver and all of the passengers. An unbelted passenger in the back is thrown forward in a crash and can kill the person sitting in front of them.

Up to what age must a child ride in a child or booster seat in Virginia?

Under the age of 8. An adult belt crosses a small child at the neck and the stomach, so it injures them in the crash it was meant to protect them from.

How many demerit points can a single conviction carry in Virginia?

Three, four or six points. Points are how a series of small tickets adds up to losing the license, and each one stays on the record for years.

What does suspension of a driving privilege mean?

It is withdrawn for a period of time. A suspension has an end date you can work toward, which is the whole difference between it and losing the license outright.

What is the youngest age at which a Virginia learner’s permit can be issued?

15 years and six months old. The age floor exists because every hour of early practice has to happen with somebody beside you, and the permit is what makes that a requirement.

Which hours may a licensed Virginia driver under 18 not drive?

Between midnight and 4 a.m.. Those four hours carry the highest crash risk of the day for young drivers, because everyone on the road is tired.

How soon must a driver tell DMV about a change of address?

Within 30 days of moving. A license mailed to an old address goes back to DMV, so the driver waiting for it never finds out why it did not arrive.

Where these come from

Every rule here is checked against Virginia Driver’s Manual, published by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, and against the state code itself. Last checked 2026-09-02.