PermitoVirginia permit test
The Virginia knowledge test has 40 questions. You need all 10 road sign questions and 24 of the 30 general knowledge questions, which is 34 correct in all. Source: dmv.virginia.gov, checked October 17, 2026.
Test facts
| What | Number | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Questions on the test | 40 | dmv.virginia.gov | |
| Pass mark | 34 of 40 correct, split into the parts below | dmv.virginia.gov | |
| Part: Road signs | 10 questions, 100% (10 correct). Pass this part before the next one | dmv.virginia.gov | |
| Part: General knowledge | 30 questions, 80% (24 correct) | dmv.virginia.gov |
Some practice sites list 35 questions. The agency’s published number is 40. Some practice sites say you need 30 correct answers. The agency’s published number is 34. Source: dmv.virginia.gov, checked October 17, 2026.
Virginia laws and handbook points
Points from Virginia law and the Virginia driver handbook, each taken from one of our Virginia practice questions with its source. Practice material, not the state test.
Permits and graduated licensing
On the Virginia knowledge exam, how many sign questions must you get right to reach part two?
Answer: All ten. The exam has two parts. You must answer all ten sign questions correctly in part one before you can start part two, the general knowledge part.
Other choices: Nine of ten. One miss on the signs still blocks the second part. Eight of ten. A score of eight is the passing mark for part two, not for the sign check.
Sources: Driver handbook, Section 1: Testing.
Alcohol and drugs
Which situation can lead to a Virginia open container charge?
Answer: A partly emptied bottle in the glove box. The passenger area includes the seats and anything within the driver's reach, even an unlocked glove box. Keep open containers in the trunk.
Other choices: An unopened six-pack on the back seat. An unopened pack on the seat is sealed, so it is not an open container. An empty case in the cargo area of the car. An empty case in the cargo area is not within reach of the driver.
Sources: Va. Code 18.2-323.1; Driver handbook, Section 5: Penalties.
Insurance
An adult must attend a clinic after how many demerit points in 24 months?
Answer: 18. An adult must attend a driver improvement clinic at 12 demerit points in 12 months or 18 points in 24 months.
Other choices: 6. Six is far below the clinic total. 24. Twenty-four is higher than the clinic total.
Sources: Va. Code 46.2-498; Driver handbook, Section 5: Penalties.
Speed and following distance
You drive a paved rural road outside town in Virginia with no speed signs. What is the most you may drive?
Answer: 55 mph. The maximum limit on most other roads is 55 mph for cars. Conditions such as fog or rain may require a lower speed than the limit.
Other choices: 65 mph. Sixty-five is above the default for ordinary roads. 35 mph. Thirty-five is the limit on unpaved roads.
Sources: Va. Code 46.2-870; Driver handbook, Section 3: Safe Driving.
Parking
A space is marked for disabled drivers and you lack a permit. May you use its striped access aisle?
Answer: No, the aisle is reserved, too. Do not park in a space reserved for people with disabilities or in the striped access aisle beside it without a permit. The aisle gives room to unload a wheelchair.
Other choices: Yes, if you stay with the car. Staying with the car does not change the rule. Yes, for a quick stop of a minute. Even a quick stop blocks the room a person needs to unload.
Sources: Va. Code 46.2-1242; Driver handbook, Section 3: Safe Driving.
Right of way
You enter an interstate from an entrance ramp. Who has the right of way?
Answer: Traffic already on the highway. A driver entering an interstate from a ramp must yield to traffic already on the highway. Yield also means stopping if you cannot merge safely.
Other choices: The vehicle in the far right lane. Lane position does not decide who yields. The vehicle that is going faster. Speed does not decide who yields.
Sources: Driver handbook, Section 3: Safe Driving.
Sharing the road
A school bus is unloading children, but its red lights are not flashing. What must you do?
Answer: Stop for the children. Stop whenever a bus is loading or unloading, even when its signals are off. Children may be crossing the road at that moment.
Other choices: Slow to 15 mph and pass. Passing a bus that is unloading is unsafe. Honk and then pass the bus. A horn does not make a pass safe.
Sources: Va. Code 46.2-859; Driver handbook, Section 3: Safe Driving.
Emergencies
A driver leaves the scene of a crash that injured someone. What offense is this?
Answer: A felony. Failing to stop and identify yourself at a crash with injury or death, or with more than $1,000 in damage, is a Class 5 felony.
Other choices: A traffic infraction. It is more serious than an infraction. A parking violation. It is a crime involving a crash.
Sources: Va. Code 46.2-894; Driver handbook, Section 3: Safe Driving.
Turns and lanes
On a county highway, a curve hides your car from oncoming drivers for 500 feet. May you make a U-turn there?
Answer: No, U-turns are banned there. A U-turn is banned on any curve, and near a hill crest, where the vehicle cannot be seen by other drivers within 500 feet. That ban holds inside and outside cities.
Other choices: Yes, if you signal first. A signal does not lift the ban on U-turns on a curve like this. Yes, if no cars are in sight. Cars you cannot see may be just ahead, which is why the ban exists.
Sources: Va. Code 46.2-845; Driver handbook, Section 3: Safe Driving.
Pavement markings
A road has a broken yellow center line and the way ahead is clear. May you pass?
Answer: Yes, on the left. A broken yellow center line lets drivers pass on the left when the way ahead is clear. Check for oncoming cars before you start.
Other choices: Yes, on the shoulder. The shoulder is not a lane, so passing there breaks the rule. Yes, on the right. Passing on the right is limited to special cases, so it is wrong here.
Sources: Driver handbook, Section 2: Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings.
- Questions in this list were last updated .
What the Virginia question bank covers
Questions in Permito’s Virginia bank, by topic. The counts describe the bank, not the state test.
| Topic | Questions in the bank |
|---|---|
| Road signs | 359 |
| Right of way | 59 |
| Safe driving | 59 |
| Sharing the road | 54 |
| Speed and following distance | 50 |
| Alcohol and drugs | 46 |
| Turns and lanes | 45 |
| Pavement markings | 40 |
| Permits and graduated licensing | 32 |
| Traffic signals | 32 |
| Parking | 23 |
| Emergencies | 20 |
| Insurance | 14 |
Where these numbers come from
Each number was read on the agency page linked beside it. The count of correct answers is the agency’s percentage, rounded up.
Practice
- Try the Virginia practice questions. Questions with the answer, the explanation and the source.
- Where the Virginia handbook and the law differ. Places where the handbook and the current law say different things, and what to do about it on the test.
- Compare all states
Road signs
Sign questions are part of the Virginia bank too. The road sign reference shows every sign Permito teaches, with its name and what it means. See all road signs.
Common questions
How many questions are on the Virginia permit test?
The test has 40 questions. Source: dmv.virginia.gov, checked October 17, 2026.
What score do I need to pass the Virginia permit test?
You need all 10 road sign questions and 24 of the 30 general knowledge questions, which is 34 correct answers out of 40. Source: dmv.virginia.gov, checked October 17, 2026.
Is the Virginia test split into parts?
Yes. Road signs: 10 questions, 100% (10 correct). Pass this part before the next one. General knowledge: 30 questions, 80% (24 correct). Source: dmv.virginia.gov, checked October 17, 2026.
Why do some websites show different numbers?
Some practice sites list 35 questions. The agency’s published number is 40. Some practice sites say you need 30 correct answers. The agency’s published number is 34. Source: dmv.virginia.gov, checked October 17, 2026.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the agency page at dmv.virginia.gov, which we checked on October 17, 2026. Permito is not part of any government agency.
Are the practice questions on Permito from the Virginia test?
No. They are our own practice questions, written from the Virginia driver handbook and vehicle code. Permito is not affiliated with any DMV or government agency.
Within how many days of moving to Virginia must a driver get a Virginia license?
60. A new resident has 60 days to get a Virginia license after moving here. Titling and registering the vehicle has a shorter deadline. Sources: Driver handbook, Section 7: Other Important Information.
A driver convicted of DUI had a 12 year old passenger. What is added to the sentence?
A five day jail term and a fine. A DUI conviction with a passenger 17 or younger adds a mandatory minimum of five days in jail and a fine of $500 to $1,000. Sources: Va. Code 18.2-270; Driver handbook, Section 5: Penalties.
Police find $4,000 in property damage and no injuries. What do they do?
Send a written report to the DMV. Officers forward a written crash report to the DMV when a crash results in injury or death or total property damage is over $3,000. Sources: Va. Code 46.2-373; Driver handbook, Section 3: Safe Driving.
At night, a car with its lights on approaches on a two-lane road, 400 feet away. What should you do with your high beams?
Switch to low beams. Use low beams when an oncoming car is within 500 feet, and within 200 feet of a car you follow. High beams can blind other drivers. Sources: Va. Code 46.2-1034; Driver handbook, Section 3: Safe Driving.
Fire trucks are stopped answering an alarm. How far away must you stay when parking?
500 feet. Stay at least 500 feet away when parking near fire trucks that are answering an alarm. Crews need that room for hoses and equipment. Sources: Va. Code 46.2-921; Driver handbook, Section 3: Safe Driving.
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