Virginia (VA) — graduated driver licensing: night, passenger and solo-driving rules
16, 3 months
The earliest age your teen may drive without an adult in the car — the intermediate (provisional) licence age. Night-time and passenger limits still apply until the points shown below. From the IIHS graduated-licensing table row quoted on the record page.
For Virginia (VA), intermediate minimum age is 16, 3 months; nighttime restriction is midnight-4 a.m. secondary enforcement; passenger restriction is first 12 months—no more than 1 passenger younger than 21; thereafter, no more than 3 passengers younger than 21 secondary enforcement; night restriction lifted is age 18; passenger restriction lifted is age 18, verified against its source on 2026-09-15.
- State
- VA verified
- State name
- Virginia our reading
- Learner minimum age
- 15, 6 months verified
- Mandatory holding period
- 9 months verified
- Supervised driving hours
- 45 hours, 15 of which must be at night verified
- Intermediate minimum age
- 16, 3 months verified
- Nighttime restriction
- midnight-4 a.m. secondary enforcement
- Passenger restriction
- first 12 months—no more than 1 passenger younger than 21; thereafter, no more than 3 passengers younger than 21 secondary enforcement verified
- Night restriction lifted
- age 18 verified
- Passenger restriction lifted
- age 18 verified
- Exceptions and footnotes
- Footnote 74: In Virginia, the night driving restriction and passenger restrictions apply to learner's permit holders. | Footnote 75: In Virginia, driver education is required for license applicants younger than 22. Driver education programs for students younger than 18 includes a 90-minute segment for parents. Parental participation is required in Planning District 8 (Northern Virginia) and shall be encouraged but not required outside of Planning District 8. Applicants aged 18-21 must hold a learner’s permit for at least 90 days. our reading
Values marked our reading are our classification of what the source says — the source does not print them in those words. The quote below is the evidence for each one; judge it yourself.
What the source says
VA | 15, 6 months Footnote 74 | 9 months Footnote 74 | 45 hours, 15 of which must be at night | 16, 3 months Footnote 75 | midnight-4 a.m. Footnote 74 secondary enforcement | first 12 months—no more than 1 passenger younger than 21; thereafter, no more than 3 passengers younger than 21 secondary enforcement | age 18 | age 18
— iihs.org, retrieved 2026-09-02
Source
- iihs.orghttps://www.iihs.org/topics/teenagers/graduated-licensing-laws-table