License colors, Drive for Five and renewal

Key points

1. Applicants 15 to 17 get a vertical red license or permit, and those 18 to 20 get a vertical blue one.

   Source: PDF page 17

   “Applicants 15 to 17 years old are issued a driver's license or instruction permit that is vertical and color-coded red. Applicants 18 to 20 years old, are issued a vertical driver's license or instruction permit that is color-coded blue.”
   West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, PDF page 17

2. Applicants 21 or older get a horizontal license with a landscape background.

   Source: PDF page 17

   “Applicants 21 years old or more will be issued a horizontal license with a landscape background.”
   West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, PDF page 17

3. Under Drive for Five, licenses expire in a year when your age is divisible by five, such as 25, 30 or 35.

   Source: PDF page 22

   “all driver's licenses will expire in a year in which your age is divisible by five (for example, age 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, etc.).”
   West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, PDF page 22

4. Under this program your license is valid for 5 years.

   Source: PDF page 22

   “Under this program, your license is valid for five (5) years.”
   West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, PDF page 22

5. Licenses issued after January 1, 2001 expire on your birthday, not at the end of the month.

   Source: PDF page 23

   “New driver's licenses issued after January 1, 2001, expire on the applicant's birthday instead of at the end of the month.”
   West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, PDF page 23

6. Licenses expiring on an 18th or 21st birthday have a 30 day grace period to get the right color license.

   Source: PDF page 23

   “Driver's licenses expiring on a licensee's 18th or 21st birthday will have a 30-day grace period to allow the bearer to obtain the appropriate color license.”
   West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, PDF page 23

7. Renewal fees are $5.00 per year until your age is divisible by five.

   Source: PDF page 23

   “until your age is divisible by five (25, 30, 35, 40, etc.), at a rate of $5.00 per year.”
   West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, PDF page 23

Numbers to know

3 questions from the West Virginia practice test

1. 1. What license format is issued to applicants who are 21 years old or older?

   1. A vertical license with a blue background
   2. A vertical license with a red background
   3. A horizontal license with a landscape background
   4. A horizontal license with a portrait background
   Show answer

   A horizontal license with a landscape background. Applicants who are at least 21 receive a horizontal license with a landscape background. The red vertical design identifies applicants ages 15 through 17, while the blue vertical design identifies those ages 18 through 20. A portrait background changes the handbook's description and is not the adult format. These visual distinctions help law enforcement and retailers recognize the cardholder's age. When reviewing a license sample, check both orientation and background rather than relying on color alone.

2. 2. What does West Virginia's Drive for Five program make easier for a license holder to remember?

   1. The date of the next road skills test
   2. The expiration date of the driver's license or identification card
   3. The date of the vehicle's annual inspection
   4. The date of the driver's first traffic citation
   Show answer

   The expiration date of the driver's license or identification card. Drive for Five is presented as a way to make the license expiration date easier to remember. The handbook connects expiration years with ages divisible by five, such as 25, 30, 35, and 40. It does not describe the program as a road-test calendar, an inspection reminder, or a record of citations. Check the renewal card for the actual date and fee because an initial license may be phased into the cycle for a different number of years. The program helps with the date, while the card remains the authority.

3. 3. What is the standard validity period for a West Virginia driver's license under the Drive for Five program?

   1. Five years
   2. One year
   3. Four years
   4. Until age 25
   Show answer

   Five years. Once a driver is in the regular Drive for Five cycle, the license is valid for five years. The one-year and four-year choices shorten the standard period, while age 25 is an example of an expiration-year target rather than a validity duration. The handbook notes that an initial license may be issued for three to seven years while the DMV phases the driver into the cycle. Review the printed expiration date because the transition period can differ from the later five-year pattern.

Source: the West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, Chapter I: Driver's License Information. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.