The Virginia permit test has 40 questions in two parts: you must answer all 10 road sign questions correctly, then 24 of the 30 general knowledge questions. Official source. Page updated 2026-10-22.
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Key Virginia DMV rules and numbers
These are key rules and numbers from the Virginia handbook, a few per topic so they fit on one printed page. We favor rules that state a specific number. Every fact below comes from our free Virginia DMV practice test question bank, which has 500 questions across 9 topics, checked against the Virginia handbook (last verified 2026-09-07).
Speed limits
- The default maximum for passenger vehicles and motorcycles in school, business, and residential areas is 25 MPH. (Handbook, p. 15)
- Virginia lists 35 MPH as the default for unpaved roads when no sign supplies a different limit. (Handbook, p. 15)
- The manual assigns 55 MPH to all other roads in its default-speed list for passenger vehicles and motorcycles. (Handbook, p. 15)
- Virginia identifies 20 miles per hour above the posted limit as one speed based threshold for a possible reckless-driving charge. (Handbook, p. 14)
- Virginia identifies driving over 85 MPH as an independent reckless-driving basis, regardless of the posted limit. (Handbook, p. 14)
Right of way
- Drivers are required to come to a full stop for pedestrians who are lawfully crossing a roadway, and failing to stop and causing serious bodily damage or death can result in a Class 1 misdemeanor. (Handbook, p. 20)
- Virginia’s turning guidance says to signal at least three or four seconds, or 100 feet, ahead of the turn. (Handbook, p. 18)
- When traffic lights are not working, all vehicles coming to the intersection must stop. (Handbook, p. 16)
- A driver using an entrance ramp must yield to traffic already on the highway. (Handbook, p. 16)
- Entering traffic yields to pedestrians and to traffic already circulating in the roundabout. (Handbook, p. 16)
Alcohol and DUI
- Virginia treats a driver who is at least 21 as driving under the influence when BAC reaches .08 percent. (Handbook, p. 24)
- For a driver under 21, Virginia identifies illegal consumption when BAC is at least .02 but below .08. (Handbook, p. 24)
- Virginia’s administrative license suspension lasts seven days for a first offense when the driver refuses a breath test or has BAC of .08 percent or higher and is charged with DUI. (Handbook, p. 30)
- Virginia lists a second offense administrative suspension as 60 days or until the driver goes to trial, whichever comes first. (Handbook, p. 30)
- A DUI conviction involving a juvenile passenger, defined here as age 17 or younger, adds a mandatory five day jail term on top of the other fines and jail sentences. (Handbook, p. 30)
Signals and markings
- A center lane bordered by a solid yellow line and a broken yellow line on each side may be used by drivers traveling in either direction for making left turns, but they may not travel further than 150 feet in this lane. (Handbook, p. 12)
- On a highway, Virginia allows high beams unless another vehicle is within 500 feet coming toward you. (Handbook, p. 23)
- Virginia permits a left turn on red only when the driver is on a one-way street and turning left onto another one-way street. (Handbook, p. 5)
- When signals are out of service and show no lights, Virginia normally requires you to stop and go through the intersection as though it were an all-way stop. (Handbook, p. 6)
- Yellow used with black marks a warning sign. (Handbook, p. 6)
Parking
- Virginia bans parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. (Handbook, p. 22)
- Virginia's parking list says you may not park within 20 feet of an intersection. (Handbook, p. 22)
- Virginia prohibits parking within 15 feet of the entrance to a fire, ambulance or rescue squad station. (Handbook, p. 22)
- The list of places where you may not park includes anywhere within 50 feet of a railroad crossing. (Handbook, p. 22)
- Virginia's parking rules say to park on the right side of the road on a two-way street. (Handbook, p. 22)
Safe driving
- When an emergency vehicle's lights are flashing, Virginia says never to follow it closer than 500 feet. (Handbook, p. 16)
- Sit straight but relaxed, and if the steering wheel were a clock your hands should be at the 8 o'clock and 4 o'clock positions. (Handbook, p. 14)
- Virginia requires headlights during inclement weather when visibility is reduced to 500 feet, and also whenever windshield wipers are being used because of bad weather. (Handbook, p. 22)
- A truck and its trailer may be as long as 65 feet, and it may take you more than half a mile of clear road to pass. (Handbook, p. 21)
- Annually, driver distraction accounts for roughly 17 percent of all traffic crashes in Virginia. (Handbook, p. 24)
Road signs
- An All Way or 4 Way plate under a stop sign tells you that traffic on all roads leading into the intersection must stop, not just your direction. (Handbook, p. 6)
- Virginia assigns one meaning to the octagon: stop. (Handbook, p. 6)
- The inverted triangle identifies a yield instruction. (Handbook, p. 6)
- Do Not Enter is a regulatory warning that the approach is prohibited. (Handbook, p. 7)
- Passing the sign indicates that the vehicle may be pointed into opposing traffic. (Handbook, p. 7)
Laws and paperwork
- An applicant under 18 must wait a full 15 days after failing the knowledge exam before trying again. (Handbook, p. 3)
- Virginia's unrestricted license standard is 20/40 or better vision in one or both eyes and 110 degrees or better horizontal vision in one or both eyes, or a comparable measurement showing a field of vision within that range. (Handbook, p. 4)
- The person supervising a Virginia learner must normally be at least 21, hold a valid driver's license, stay alert, and be able to help while the learner drives. (Handbook, p. 31)
- For an applicant who is 19 or older, Virginia describes two routes before applying for the driver's license: keep the learner's permit for 60 days, or present a driver education certificate of completion. (Handbook, p. 31)
- A license restricted to daylight hours only requires 20/70 or better vision in one or both eyes and 70 degrees or better horizontal vision. (Handbook, p. 4)
Emergencies
- The manual prohibits parking within 500 feet of fire trucks or equipment stopped while answering an alarm. (Handbook, p. 16)
- Law enforcement officers are required to forward a written crash report to DMV when a traffic crash results in injury or the death of any person or total property damage in excess of $3,000. (Handbook, p. 25)
- For a stationary emergency vehicle or tow truck with flashing lights, the preferred response is a cautious lane change into a lane not next to the vehicle when safety and traffic conditions permit. (Handbook, p. 16)
- The manual expressly says these requirements do not apply in highway work zones. (Handbook, p. 16)
- The manual warns that violations can result in a court suspension of the driver's license and demerit points on the driving record. (Handbook, p. 16)
Want the reasoning behind these rules? Study the handbook, chapter by chapter, in 22 short lessons quoted from the Virginia manual.
Signs
Sign shape and color carry meaning before you even read the words. A red octagon always means stop, a red-bordered triangle pointing down means yield, and yellow diamonds warn of a hazard ahead. For every sign image used in our practice test, with the exact meaning and explanation, see the full road sign glossary.
Keep studying
This cheat sheet is a summary, not a substitute for practice. Test yourself with the free Virginia DMV practice test, which explains the reasoning behind every answer, or see Virginia DMV facts and fees before test day.