Free Virginia DMV Car / Permit Practice Test 2026
The Virginia Car / Permit knowledge test has ~40 questions, and you need ~34 correct (~85%) to pass. Practice free with questions written from the official Virginia driver handbook — every one has a clear explanation, and you can retake as often as you like with no sign-up.
Content reviewed against official driver handbooks · August 12, 2026
What's on the Virginia written test
The Virginia Car / Permit knowledge test has ~40 questions; you need ~34 correct (~85%) to pass.
Based on the official Virginia exam format — always confirm current details with your state DMV.
Practice by topic
Focus on one area at a time — each topic has its own set of Virginia practice questions.
Learn the shapes, colors, and meanings of regulatory, warning, and guide signs — from stop and yield to construction and school-zone signs.
Speed limits, turning and signaling rules, headlight and seat-belt requirements, and the everyday laws every driver must follow.
How to read traffic signals, lane lines, and pavement markings — including yellow and white lines, arrows, and flashing lights.
Who goes first at intersections, four-way stops, roundabouts, and crosswalks, and how to yield to pedestrians and emergency vehicles.
Following distance, scanning, blind spots, using your lights, and the habits that prevent crashes and keep you in control.
Driving safely around motorcycles, bicycles, large trucks, pedestrians, and school buses — and knowing who has the right of way.
Blood alcohol limits, zero-tolerance and implied-consent laws, and how alcohol and drugs — legal or not — affect your driving.
Legal and illegal parking, colored curbs, distances from hydrants and crossings, and how to park safely on hills.
Choosing a safe speed, keeping a space cushion, adjusting for weather and traffic, and understanding stopping distance.
What to do when things go wrong — brake failure, tire blowouts, skids, and stalling on railroad tracks.
The point system, license suspension, provisional-license rules, insurance requirements, and other licensing basics.
How to pass the first time
- Read the official Virginia driver handbook at least once before test day.
- Practice by topic to find your weak spots, then fix them.
- Take full-length practice tests until you pass comfortably every time.
- Read every explanation — understanding beats memorizing.
Virginia Car / Permit test — frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the Virginia Car / Permit test?
The Virginia Car / Permit knowledge test has ~40 questions, and you need ~34 correct (~85%) to pass. Our practice tests mirror that format.
How many questions can I miss on the Virginia Car / Permit test?
You can miss up to ~6 of the ~40 questions and still pass — you need ~34 correct, which is ~85%.
Can I retake the practice test?
Yes — practice as often as you like, completely free. The questions and answer choices are shuffled each time.
Can I take the Virginia practice test in Spanish?
Yes. Every question here is available in English and Spanish — switch languages anytime. Many states also offer the real knowledge test in languages other than English; confirm what Virginia offers with your DMV.
Can I practice on my phone?
Yes. The practice tests work in any mobile or desktop browser — no app or sign-up needed — so you can study anywhere.
Are these the real DMV test questions?
No. Our questions are original, written from the current official Virginia driver handbook to match the real test's topics and style. We are not affiliated with any DMV or government agency.
What's the best way to study?
Read the Virginia driver handbook, practice by topic to target weak areas, and finish with full-length tests until you consistently pass.
Other Virginia practice tests
Take the Car / Permit test in another state
Every Virginia question is written from the official Virginia driver handbook and checked against its current edition. DMV Test Free is a free, independent study resource — not affiliated with any DMV or government agency. About DMV Test Free
Virginia Car / Permit questions with answers
20 sample questions from the Virginia Car / Permit question bank — each with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the section of the official handbook it comes from.
Show all 20 questions with answers
1. How does the following-distance rule tell you whether you are too close to the car ahead?
Correct answer: Count seconds as you reach a fixed point it passed
Watch the car ahead pass a fixed object, then count the seconds until you reach the same point. If you get there before the two-, three-, or four-second count, you are too close.
2. What kind of message does a yellow, diamond-shaped sign carry?
Correct answer: A warning about conditions or hazards ahead
Diamond warning signs, colored yellow with black, alert you to hazards or changing conditions on the road ahead so you can slow down and stay ready.
3. How far ahead of a turn or lane change does Virginia require you to signal?
Correct answer: About 100 feet before the turn
Signal at least three to four seconds, or about 100 feet, before turning or changing lanes so other drivers can react to your move.
4. A bicyclist may legally ride in the center of a travel lane when:
Correct answer: The lane is too narrow to share safely
Cyclists may take the center of the lane when necessary, for example to turn left or where the lane is too tight to ride safely beside a car.
5. You hit an unattended parked car and cannot find its owner. Virginia law requires you to:
Correct answer: Leave a note and report it to police within 24 hours
Try in good faith to locate the owner; if you can't, leave a clearly visible note with your name, phone number, the date and time, and a description of the damage, then report it to police within 24 hours.
6. To reduce the danger of drowsy driving on a long trip, Virginia suggests you:
Correct answer: Stop to rest at least every two hours
Limit long stretches, stop to rest at least every two hours, and take a nap if needed. Even 10 to 20 minutes of sleep can help; caffeine is not a reliable fix.
7. In Virginia, a left turn on a red light is permitted only when:
Correct answer: Turning from a one-way street onto another one-way street
You may turn left on red just when you are on a one-way street turning onto another one-way street, after stopping and yielding. No sign may prohibit it.
8. A first conviction for violating Virginia's child restraint law carries a fine of:
Correct answer: $50
A first offense is a $50 fine; a second or later offense can reach $500. The driver is responsible for securing every child properly.
9. When must you stop before crossing a sidewalk?
Correct answer: When pulling out of a driveway or parking lot
A full stop is required when you enter a street or roll across a sidewalk out of a driveway, alley, building, or lot, giving way to people and traffic already there.
10. As you approach a funeral procession, Virginia law says you must:
Correct answer: Yield and not cut through it
You must yield to a funeral procession. Never cut through, merge into, or disrupt it; the same rule covers a military convoy.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual — Yielding the Right-of-Way
11. For a Virginia driver age 21 or older, the blood alcohol concentration at which you are legally considered to be driving under the influence is:
Correct answer: .08 percent
A BAC of .08 percent or higher means DUI for drivers 21 and over. You can still be convicted below .08 if your driving is impaired.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual — Drunk and Drugged Driving
12. You are traveling between 35 and 45 mph. Virginia's recommended following gap is:
Correct answer: Three seconds
Use a three-second gap in the 35-to-45 mph range, stepping up to four seconds from 46 to 70 mph.
13. A yellow diamond-shaped sign with three curved arrows forming a circle is posted ahead. What does it mean?
Correct answer: A roundabout (circular intersection) is ahead; slow down and prepare to yield.
A roundabout (circular intersection) is ahead; slow down and prepare to yield. (This is the "Roundabout Ahead" sign.)
14. Unless a sign says otherwise, the maximum speed for passenger cars in Virginia school, business, and residential areas is:
Correct answer: 25 mph
The default limit in school, business, and residential areas is 25 mph. Unpaved roads default to 35 mph and most other roads to 55 mph.
15. Towing a light or medium trailer affects your vehicle because it now takes:
Correct answer: Roughly twice as long to stop and pass
The added weight means your vehicle needs about twice as long to pass, stop, speed up, and turn, so allow for the extra length and time.
16. When hitting a deer or another large animal cannot be avoided, you should:
Correct answer: Brake firmly and stay in your lane
Don't swerve, which can trigger a worse crash. Brake firmly, keep to your lane, and roll to a controlled stop.
Source: Virginia Driver's Manual — Deer/Large Animal Hazards
17. Under 35 mph in good conditions, Virginia's following-distance guideline is at least:
Correct answer: Two seconds
Use a two-second gap under 35 mph, three seconds from 35 to 45 mph, and four seconds from 46 to 70 mph. Add more time in poor conditions.
18. The traffic signals at an intersection are completely dark because of a power failure. You must:
Correct answer: Stop and proceed as if it were an all-way stop
When signals show no lights at all, drivers treat the intersection as an all-way stop unless an officer or portable signs are directing traffic.
19. A conviction for speeding in a highway work zone can bring a fine of up to what amount?
Correct answer: $500
Speeding in a work zone can bring a fine of up to $500, and using a handheld communications device in a work zone brings a $250 fine.
20. Virginia law prohibits parking within how many feet of a fire hydrant?
Correct answer: 15 feet
You may not park within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. Other limits include 20 feet from an intersection and 50 feet from a railroad crossing.