Virginia Young Adults to Need 90-Day Permit by 2027

Applicants ages 18 to 20 who have never been licensed must also complete an approved driver education course starting January 1, 2027.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Secondary Education

Virginia Young Adults to Need 90-Day Permit by 2027

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Do you support Virginia requiring 18-to-20-year-olds to hold permits 90 days?

Virginia's Department of Motor Vehicles will add new first-time licensing requirements for drivers ages 18 to 20 starting January 1, 2027. Applicants must hold a learner's permit for at least 90 days and complete an approved driver education course.

Why it matters

The changes stem from House Bill 1224 and reshape the path to a first Virginia license for young adults who have never been licensed in Virginia, another state, a U.S. territory, or another country. Families planning a teen's or young adult's first license should note that the timeline now stretches out, with permit time already logged before the effective date still counting toward the 90 days.

Beginning January 1, 2027, first-time applicants ages 18 to 20 must hold a learner's permit for at least 90 days and complete an approved driver education course. Applicants 21 and older need only 60 days of permit time or an approved course completed while holding a permit.

The players

Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles

The state agency that issues Virginia driver's licenses and sets the permit and driver education rules for first-time applicants.

House Bill 1224

The Virginia legislation that created the new first-time licensing requirements for drivers ages 18 to 20.

The details

Driver training schools submit the completion certificate directly to the Department of Motor Vehicles after a student finishes driver education. The DMV mails the license to the address on file once all requirements are met, and because the U.S. Postal Service does not forward driver's licenses, applicants who move should update their address with the DMV before the card is mailed. Applicants under 18 may also be required to attend a court licensing ceremony with a parent or guardian, and the court mails notice when one is needed.

November 1, 2026: an example applicant receives a learner's permit, starting the 90-day count.
January 1, 2027: the new permit and driver education requirements take effect for ages 18 to 20.
January 30, 2027: the example applicant reaches the 90-day permit requirement.

The Home Front

House Bill 1224 extends Virginia's graduated approach to first licenses by adding a longer permit hold and mandatory driver education for young adults who have never been licensed. The change parallels the state's existing permit-period rules for applicants under 18 and those 21 and older.

If a young adult in your household is seeking a first Virginia license, check the permit start date to plan the 90-day count against the January 1, 2027 effective date. Confirm that the driving school will send the completion certificate to the DMV, and verify the mailing address on file so the license arrives.

The takeaway

Permit time logged before January 1, 2027 still counts toward the new 90-day requirement, so track the start date of any existing permit. Keep the driver training school's completion certificate on file, since the school sends it to the DMV on your behalf.