US driving theory test practice

Virginia DMV Cheat Sheet

A condensed study guide for the Virginia DMV written knowledge test — test logistics, plus the Virginia-specific rules most likely to differ from what you already know. This isn't a substitute for the official Virginia driver's manual, or for practicing the real questions. Looking for the core rules and signs that apply everywhere, not just Virginia? Check the general driving theory cheat sheet instead.

40Questions
85%To Pass
Varies by license typeFee

Virginia-Specific Rules

Minor & Provisional Licensing

  • Virginia's knowledge exam is a two-part computer test: you must correctly answer all ten traffic sign questions in part one before you can take part two, which requires at least 80 percent correct.
  • If you fail the knowledge exam and are under age 18, Virginia law requires you to wait a full 15 days before retaking it.
  • If you fail the knowledge exam three times, you cannot take it a fourth time until you complete and pass the classroom component of driver education, or an approved 8-hour course based on the Virginia Driver's Manual.
  • A learner's permit holder must be accompanied by a licensed driver at least 21 years old in the front passenger seat -- though the accompanying driver may be 18, 19, or 20 if they are the permit holder's legal guardian or sibling.
  • Applicants age 19 or older must hold a learner's permit for 60 days prior to the first road skills test, unless they present a driver's education certificate of completion instead.
  • If you fail the road skills test, you must wait two days before taking it again; if you fail it three times, you must complete the in-vehicle part of driver education before a fourth attempt.
  • For an unrestricted driver's license, Virginia requires 20/40 or better vision in one or both eyes, and 110 degrees or better horizontal vision.
  • A license restricted to daylight-hours-only driving requires only 20/70 vision and 70 degrees of horizontal vision -- a lower standard than the unrestricted license.
  • A new Virginia resident who drives must obtain a Virginia driver's license within 60 days of moving to the state.
  • To operate a school bus designed to carry 15 or fewer occupants, a driver doesn't need a full commercial driver's license, but must still pass the commercial driver and school bus tests to earn the school bus endorsement.

DUI Laws & Penalties

  • Under Virginia law, driving 20 or more miles per hour above the speed limit, or over 85 mph regardless of the posted limit, can result in a reckless driving charge -- a misdemeanor criminal offense.
  • Drivers convicted of driving between 81 and 85 mph in a 65-mph zone face an additional $100 fine, on top of any other speeding penalties.
  • If you're 18 or older and accumulate 18 demerit points within 12 months or 24 points within 24 months, DMV suspends your driving privilege for 90 days and requires a driver improvement clinic.
  • A driver under 18 convicted of a second demerit-point violation faces a 90-day suspension; a third conviction results in revocation for one year or until age 18, whichever is longer.
  • If you refuse a breath test or your BAC is 0.08 percent or higher, Virginia's Administrative License Suspension automatically suspends your driving privilege for 7 days on a first offense.
  • A DUI conviction involving a juvenile passenger age 17 or younger carries an additional mandatory five-day jail term, plus an extra fine of at least $500 and up to $1,000.
  • A vehicle is impounded immediately for 30 days if the driver is caught operating it after their license was suspended for an alcohol-related offense -- and the court can add another 90 days if convicted.
  • A driver under 21 convicted of driving after illegally consuming alcohol, with a BAC of at least 0.02 but less than 0.08 percent, faces a one-year suspension plus a minimum $500 fine or 50 hours of community service.
  • Restitution for a DUI-related crash in Virginia can require the driver to pay up to $1,000 for the cost of law enforcement, emergency medical services, firefighters, and rescue personnel who responded.
  • Registering a vehicle without liability insurance requires paying a $500 uninsured motor vehicle fee -- but this fee does not provide any actual insurance coverage.

Speed, Right-of-Way & Legal Rules

  • Unless posted otherwise, Virginia's maximum speed limit for passenger vehicles is 25 mph for school, business, and residential areas, 35 mph for unpaved roads, and 55 mph for all other roads.
  • It is illegal to use radar detectors in Virginia.
  • You may turn left at a red light in Virginia only if you're on a one-way street turning left onto another one-way street, after coming to a complete stop and yielding the right-of-way.
  • When passing a stationary trash collection vehicle on a highway of at least four lanes, you must change to a lane not next to the vehicle if you can safely do so; on a highway with fewer than four lanes, slow to at least 10 mph below the posted speed limit and pass at least two feet to the left.
  • U-turns are not legal everywhere in Virginia -- in business districts, cities, and towns, U-turns are allowed only at intersections, and a U-turn on a highway is never legal.
  • Passing is unlawful on hills, curves, at intersections, or at railroad crossings -- except on roads with two or more lanes of traffic moving in the same direction.
  • When another vehicle is passing you, Virginia's manual advises you not to speed up -- instead, maintain a steady speed or slow down.

Emergency Vehicles, School Buses & Work Zones

  • When an emergency vehicle approaches from the opposite direction on an undivided highway, you must also pull over to the edge of the road and stop until it passes.
  • When approaching a stationary emergency vehicle or tow truck with flashing lights, drivers must change to a lane not next to the vehicle if possible, or reduce speed and proceed with caution if they can't safely change lanes.
  • Drivers must yield to all military convoys in Virginia, and may never cut through or join one.
  • A driver may not park within 500 feet of where fire trucks or equipment are stopped answering an alarm.
  • Passing a stopped school bus loading or unloading passengers is unlawful, unless a physical barrier or unpaved median separates traffic going in either direction.

Parking Rules & Technique

  • When parking next to a curb, Virginia law prohibits parking more than one foot from the curb.
  • A driver may not park within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, or within 15 feet of the entrance to a fire, ambulance, or rescue squad station.
  • A driver may not park within 20 feet of an intersection, or within 50 feet of a railroad crossing.
  • Parking in a bike lane is prohibited in Virginia.
  • When parking downhill with a curb present, turn your front wheels toward the curb (to the right); when parking uphill with a curb present, turn your front wheels away from the curb (to the left).

Defensive Driving

  • Virginia law requires headlights during inclement weather such as rain, fog, snow, or sleet whenever visibility is reduced to 500 feet, and anytime windshield wipers are in use because of bad weather.
  • Virginia's following-distance rule recommends 2 seconds under 35 mph, 3 seconds for 35-45 mph, and 4 seconds for 46-70 mph on dry surfaces.
  • Expert drivers try to focus their eyes 20 to 30 seconds ahead while searching the road -- roughly one city block in urban driving.
  • All children under age 8 must be properly secured in a child safety seat or booster seat; a first violation of the child restraint law carries a $50 fine, and a second or subsequent offense can mean a $500 penalty.
  • It is illegal in Virginia to transport children under age 16 in the bed of a pickup truck, even if the truck is equipped with a camper shell.
  • If your vehicle has air bags, you should move your seat back so that you are at least ten inches from the steering wheel, and tilt an adjustable steering wheel downward to point the air bag toward your chest.
Want the core rules and road signs that apply everywhere, not just Virginia?General cheat sheet →

Rules and fees change — always confirm current details with Virginia DMV before your exam. Cheat sheet v1.0, last checked 2026-07-29.