How to get a West Virginia Learners Permit

First Time Drivers

Under West Virginia DMV guidelines, you must be 15 ½ years old to get an instruction permit. You can get an instruction permit at age 15 if you present traffic safety education certification on the Instruction Permit Application as proof of enrollment in an approved course.

You then must hold your instruction learners permit for at least 6 months and log 50 hours of driving before applying for an intermediate license.

Prepare for the Written Test

Applicants who are at least 15 ½ years of age, who have not taken the driver's education class, must pass a written exam on traffic laws, rules, and regulations in order to get an instruction permit.

The test is based on the latest edition of the West Virginia Driver Manual. If you fail the knowledge test, some states require you to wait until at least the next day to take the test again and charge a re-examination fee.

All new drivers are encouraged to study for this driver education exam so you don't miss the opportunity to get your learners permit as soon as you reach the approved age. Online practice tests are available that provide real sample questions from the DMV Exam - Take the West Virginia practice permit test now and test your driving knowledge.

Required Paperwork for your Instruction Permit

Before you head to the West Virginia DMV Office, make sure you have all of the following required documents to get your learners permit:

• Documents that establish your identity must contain your name, date of birth, signature, photo, and current residence address, in whole or in combination.
• Parental/guardian permission.
• Visit the West Virginia DMV website to verify that you meet all the requirements.

On the Road

During the learners permit phase, the licensee must complete 50 hours of driving time, 10 for nighttime driving. If the licensee has taken driver education, no hours are required.

The licensee must be at least 16 years old to qualify for an intermediate license. The nighttime restriction for an intermediate license is not being allowed to drive between the hours of 10 PM to 5 AM. For the first 6 months, the licensee isn't allowed to have any passengers younger than 20, for the second 6 months, the licensee isn't allowed to have more than one passenger under 20.

In order to remove the nighttime and passenger restriction, the licensee must be 17 years old.

Learner's permit holders younger than 18 may not drive 10 pm-5 am and may not carry more than 2 passengers in addition to the supervising driver.