Virginia Driver's Ed Rule Starting January 1, 2027

The statute has two versions

Code of Virginia § 46.2-324.1 is posted in two versions. Until January 1, 2027, a first-time applicant who is at least 18 and has never held a license from Virginia, another state, a U.S. territory, or another country must either complete a Chapter 17 course approved by DMV or the Department of Education, or hold a Virginia learner’s permit at least 60 days before the first behind-the-wheel exam. The same either-or applies to someone who has never held the class of license they want now.

Effective January 1, 2027, the code splits by age. An applicant at least 21 still uses the either-or: the course, or a learner’s permit held at least 60 days. An applicant at least 18 and less than 21 must do both: complete the approved course, and hold a Virginia learner’s permit at least 90 days. Those changes are 2026 chapters 754 and 755, from House Bill 1224.

DMV’s pages and one wording difference

DMV’s driver education page and the revised FAQ describe the new pair of requirements for ages 18, 19, or 20. DMV says the course is completed while holding the permit. The code sentence requires the course and the 90-day hold. It does not itself use the words “while holding.” Use DMV’s instruction when you plan the course, and read the statute for the age and the day count.

One FAQ bullet says “older than 18 and younger than 21.” The code says at least 18 and less than 21, and DMV’s requirements page says ages 18, 19, or 20. An 18-year-old is inside the both-requirements rule. Do not read the single FAQ bullet as dropping age 18.

DMV’s FAQ also says a learner’s permit issued before 2027 still needs proof of driver education if the person is 18, 19, or 20 and the license is obtained after January 1, 2027. The statute’s effective date is January 1, 2027. A permit from 2026 does not freeze the old either-or rule if the license is issued on or after that date.

Who the 2027 pair does not replace

Applicants under 18 are unchanged. They still complete approved driver education, hold a learner’s permit at least nine months, and have a parent or guardian certify 45 hours of driving, including 15 after sunset. The school submits the completion certificate. DMV does not accept that certificate from the applicant.

Proof of a license from another state, territory, or country may mean you do not repeat driver education or the knowledge and road tests. An out-of-state learner’s permit is not a license. For someone under 18, time on an out-of-state permit can count toward the Virginia hold, and out-of-state driver education counts only with proof of at least 30 classroom hours and 6 in-car hours.

Subsection E, effective in 2027, says a learner’s permit other than a motorcycle permit, plus documentation that the driver is at least 18 and less than 21 and has completed an approved course, can be a temporary driver’s license to drive without a licensed adult until the permanent license is issued, if the other requirements of that chapter are met. It does not say the 90-day hold can be skipped. Confirm the motorcycle case with DMV. The temporary-license sentence excludes a motorcycle permit.