There are two sets of requirements that need to be considered related to students receiving a driver’s license in the state of Virginia.
1. Driver education is a part of tenth-grade health and physical education.
2. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles has state licensing requirements that must be met for students to receive a driver’s license.
Please see the basic requirements described below.
New legislation effective July 1, 2016
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter3/section46.2-334
1. Age requirement for Driver Education: every applicant for a driver’s license who is under 18 (was under 19) years of age shall furnish the Department with satisfactory proof of his successful completion of a driver education program approved by the State Department of Education. Driver license applicants age 18 and older are no longer required to present proof of successful completion of a state-approved driver education program.
2. 18 year olds must hold a learner’s permit for 60 days – they are no longer required to hold a learner’s permit for 9 months.
3. Failed the learner’s permit test 3 times: no person who fails the driver knowledge examination for a driver’s license administered by the Department three times shall be permitted to take such examination a fourth time until he successfully completes, subsequent to the third examination failure, the classroom component of driver instruction at a driver training school licensed under Chapter 17 (§ 46.2-1700 et seq.) or, for (i) persons at least 19 years old or (ii) persons less than 19 years old who have previously completed the classroom component of driver instruction at a driver training school licensed under Chapter 17 (§ 46.2-1700 et seq.), a course of instruction based on the Virginia Driver’s Manual offered by a driver training school licensed under Chapter 17 (§ 46.2-1700 et seq.) and approved by the Department of Motor Vehicles or the Department of Education. (https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodeupdates/title46.2/section46.2-325)
4. Passenger restriction: Until the holder is 18 years old, a provisional driver’s license shall not authorize its holder to operate a motor vehicle with more than one passenger who is less than 21 years old. After the first year the provisional license is issued, the holder may operate a motor vehicle with up to three passengers who are less than 21 years old (i) when the holder is driving to or from a school-sponsored activity, (ii) when a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old is occupying the seat beside the driver, or (iii) in cases of emergency. These passenger limitations, however, shall not apply to members of the driver’s family or household. (https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodeupdates/title46.2/section46.2-334.01)
5. All drivers (including teens) will be issued a driver’s license for the standard 8 year duration. The driver’s license no longer expires on the 20th birthday.
Chesapeake Public Schools’ Driver Education Program
The Department of Education approves Chesapeake Public Schools’ driver education program. The Curriculum Guide for driver education contains 17 classroom performance indicators and The Standards of Learning Objectives serve as the conceptual framework. The Chesapeake School Board requires driver education as part of the tenth grade physical education and health course. Chesapeake Public School students must take the classroom portion of driver education but no longer offers the behind-the-wheel portion at our high schools. Students may contact a commercial driving school to receive the behind-the-wheel training that is required.
The success of any driver education program depends upon the combined efforts of involved, concerned parents, qualified and dedicated teachers, responsible students, competent supervision, and appropriate equipment and facilities.