Virginia driver's license and ID card: first license, renewal, replacement and REAL ID

How to get a Virginia learner's permit and first driver's license, exchange an out-of-state license, renew online, by mail or in person, replace a lost card, and get a REAL ID or state ID card, based on Virginia DMV's own pages.

Guide · Virginia · REAL ID · Driver licenses · Renewals · ID cards · updated October 29, 2026

Virginia driver's licenses, learner's permits and ID cards are issued by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). A Virginia license is generally valid for up to eight years and expires on your birthday. This guide covers the common cases in order: a first license (including the teen rules), moving to Virginia, renewing, replacing a lost card, and REAL ID. For appointments and the general document list, see the Virginia DMV visit guide.

Learner's permit

You must be at least 15 years and six months old to apply for a learner's permit. You apply in person at a DMV customer service center. You need the completed application, the fee, one proof of identity, one proof of legal presence, two proofs of Virginia residency and, if you have one, proof of your Social Security number. If you are under 18, a parent or legal guardian must sign the application. At the same visit, you take a vision screening and the two-part knowledge exam. The permit is then mailed to you.

The knowledge exam has two parts:

  • Part one: 10 road-sign questions, and you must answer all of them correctly.
  • Part two: 30 general questions, and you must answer 24 correctly to pass.

If you are under 18 and fail, you must wait 15 days before retaking it. If you are 18 or older, you can test once a day. After three failures at any age, you must complete the classroom part of an approved driver training program before you can test again.

With a permit, you may drive only with a licensed driver beside you who is at least 21, or at least 18 if they are your legal guardian or sibling.

Your first driver's license

You must be at least 16 years and three months old to apply. The requirements depend on your age.

  • Under 18: complete a state-approved driver education program and hold your permit for at least nine months. A parent or guardian must also certify at least 45 hours of driving, 15 of them after sunset. You take the road skills test through your driver education program.
  • 18 or older, never licensed (until December 31, 2026): either hold your permit for at least 60 days or complete driver education while holding it. If you skip driver education, you must also pass the road skills test.
  • From January 1, 2027: first-time applicants aged 18 through 20 must hold the permit for at least 90 days and complete driver education. Applicants aged 21 and older keep the 60-day-or-driver-education choice.

Driver training schools send completion certificates to the DMV directly. The DMV does not accept them from applicants. Teen drivers are also subject to restrictions:

  • Drivers under 18 may not drive from midnight to 4 a.m., with exceptions such as driving to or from work.
  • In the first year, drivers under 18 may carry only one passenger under 21, unless a licensed parent is in the front seat. Family members do not count.
  • Learner's permit holders may not carry more than one passenger under 18.

If you are under 18 when your license is issued, your local court may require you to attend a licensing ceremony to receive it.

Moving to Virginia

The DMV says you have 60 days after moving to Virginia to get a Virginia driver's license, or 30 days for a CDL. See also how long new Virginia residents have. If you are 18 or older and your out-of-state license has not been expired for more than one year, you skip driver training and the knowledge and road tests. You still take the vision screening, which is required of everyone, and you bring your documents, your current license and the fee. The DMV suggests starting the application online before your visit. If you moved with a valid learner's permit from another state, the time you held it counts toward Virginia's holding period.

Renewing

You can renew online, by mail or in person, as early as one year before your license expires. The DMV sends reminders by mail, text or email 90 days before expiry. However, you must renew in person every other renewal cycle.

  • By mail: fill in, sign and date your renewal reminder, and send it with a check or money order to Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, P.O. Box 26506, Richmond, VA 23260-6506. The DMV reuses your current photo, and the new license may take up to 15 days to arrive.
  • In person: at any customer service center or DMV Connect. You pay the fee, pass a vision screening, have a new photo taken and prove legal presence if required. The DMV gives $32 as the fee for a standard license.

A renewed license is valid for eight years, or five years if you are 75 or older. If your license has been expired for more than one year, you must retake the vision screening, the knowledge exam and the road skills test.

Replacing a lost or stolen license

You can order a replacement online or in person, and either way the new card is mailed to you. Online replacement is not available in some cases, including when:

  • You are under 18.
  • Your license is expired.
  • You need to change your name.
  • You need a new photo.
  • You owe the DMV money.
  • You are upgrading to REAL ID.

In person, bring a completed Driver's License and Identification Card Application (DL 1P) and one proof of identity, have a new photo taken and pay the fee. The DMV lists $20 for a replacement license and $2 for a replacement permit. If your license expires within a year, you can renew it instead.

REAL ID

A REAL ID is an optional, upgraded license or ID card marked with a star in the upper right corner. The DMV says a REAL ID or another federally approved ID is required to board a domestic flight or enter a secure federal facility or military base. All REAL ID applicants, including current Virginia cardholders, must visit the DMV in person with original documents. The DMV lists a $10 fee on top of the cost of the license or ID card. REAL IDs are not transferable between states: the DMV notes that TSA requires anyone who moves to a new state to apply for a new REAL ID, even if they already have one from their previous state. Our Virginia REAL ID guide covers documents and booking in detail.

Virginia ID card

Virginia residents of any age who do not hold a driver's license or learner's permit issued within the United States can get a Virginia ID card. You may hold a license or an ID card, but not both. You can exchange a Virginia license for an ID card.

  • Adult ID card: for age 15 and older. You need the same documents as for a license and the DL 1P application.
  • Child ID card: for children under 15, using form DL 5.

The DMV lists the fee as $2 per year (minimum $10, maximum $16). The card is mailed to you.

For vehicle paperwork, see the Virginia vehicle registration and title guide.

Sources · checked October 29, 2026

We wrote this summary ourselves from the official pages above on the date shown. Agencies change rules without notice: the official page always wins. DMVorganization.org is independent and not a government agency.

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