Virginia DMV · Quick Reference 2026

Virginia DMV Test Cheat Sheet

Every key number, rule, and fact from the Virginia Driver's Manual — on one page. Bookmark it or print it.

🏎️ Speed Limits

All other roads (default)55 mph

Unpaved road35 mph

Reckless-driving threshold20+ over · or 85+ mph

School / business / residential25 mph

81–85 mph in a 65 zone+$100 fine

School zoneObey posted + photo enforcement

Radar detectorsIllegal in VA

Work zone — max fine$500 + $250 handheld

💡 Driving 20+ mph over the limit OR over 85 mph ANYWHERE in Virginia = reckless driving (criminal misdemeanor), regardless of the posted limit. Radar detectors are illegal.

🅿️ Parking Distances

From fire hydrant15 feet MEMORIZE

From an intersection20 feet

From fire / rescue station entrance15 feet

From fire trucks answering an alarm500 feet

From a railroad crossing50 feet

From curb (parallel)≤ 12 in / 1 ft

In front of a drivewayNever — prohibited

🍺 Alcohol & DUI Laws

BAC limit — drivers 21+0.08%

BAC limit — under 210.02% Zero tolerance

Impaired below 0.08%Still DUI-eligible

Refuse breath test (1st)7-day admin suspension

Refuse / 0.08%+ (2nd)60 days or until trial

Refuse / 0.08%+ (3rd)Until trial

DUI with juvenile passenger+5-day jail · $500–$1,000

Under-21 illegal consumption (0.02–0.08)1-yr suspension · $500 min · 50 hrs CS

Drive after alcohol suspension30-day vehicle impound (+90 on conviction)

DUI response-cost restitutionUp to $1,000

⚠️ Under Virginia's implied-consent law, refusing the breath test triggers the same 7-day administrative suspension as blowing 0.08%+ — and refusal does not protect you from a DUI conviction. Multiple DUI suspensions run consecutively.

⚖️ DUI Penalties (Adults)

Offense	Fine	Jail	Suspension
1st DUI (0.08%+ or refusal)	Admin + court fines	Possible	7-day admin susp.
2nd DUI	Admin + court fines	Possible	60 days or until trial (admin)
3rd DUI	Admin + court fines	Possible	Until trial (admin)
DUI + juvenile (17-)	+$500–$1,000	+5 days mandatory	+ all other penalties

📏 Key Distances & Rules

Turn signal — before a turn3–4 sec (~100 ft)

Following — under 35 mph2 seconds

Following — 35–45 mph3 seconds

Following — 46–70 mph4 seconds (more in rain)

School bus w/ flashing redsStop from any direction

Pass bicyclist / horse buggy3 feet minimum

Visibility < 500 ftHeadlights on

Dim beams — oncomingWithin 500 feet

Dim beams — followingWithin 200 feet

Headlight hoursSunset to sunrise

Using wipers for weatherHeadlights required

Pass cyclist clearance3 feet

No parking — railroad crossingWithin 50 feet

Follow emergency vehicleNever closer than 500 ft

💡 Virginia's space-cushion rule does not work over 70 mph. In rain, fog, heavy traffic, behind a motorcycle/bicycle, or when tailgated, add time. Hand response ≈ ½ sec, foot response ≈ ¾ sec — before any perception delay.

🔷 Sign Shapes

Shape	Meaning	Example
Octagon (8 sides)	STOP	Stop sign
Inverted triangle	YIELD	Yield sign
Diamond	WARNING	Curves, merges, hills
Pentagon (5 sides)	SCHOOL	School zone/crossing
Circle	RAILROAD	Advance RR warning
Pennant	NO PASSING	No passing zone (left side)
Vertical rectangle	REGULATORY	Speed limits, rules
Horizontal rectangle	GUIDE	Directions, distances
Crossbuck (X)	RR CROSSING	At the crossing itself

🎨 Sign Colors

Color	Meaning
🔴 Red	Stop, yield, do not enter, prohibition
⬜ White	Regulatory — rules and laws
🟡 Yellow	Warning — hazards ahead
🟢 Green	Guide — directions, distances
🔵 Blue	Services — gas, food, hospital
🟠 Orange	Construction / work zone
🟤 Brown	Parks, recreation, historic
💛 Yellow-Green	Pedestrian, school, bicycle

↗️ Right-of-Way Rules

→At a 4-way stop: first to arrive goes first. If tied, driver on the RIGHT goes first.
→At an uncontrolled intersection: yield to the vehicle on the RIGHT.
→Turning left: always yield to oncoming straight-through traffic.
→Entering from alley, driveway, or private road: stop and yield to ALL traffic.
→At a T-intersection (no signs): the vehicle on the terminating road yields.
→Pedestrians in a crosswalk: ALWAYS yield — marked or unmarked.
→Emergency vehicles with lights/sirens: pull to the RIGHT and stop.
→Non-working traffic signal: treat the intersection as an ALL-WAY STOP (unless a law enforcement officer is directing traffic or portable stop signs are in use).

🚌 School Bus Rules

→Stop for a school bus with flashing reds and extended stop sign when approaching from ANY direction on a highway, private road or school driveway. Remain stopped until all children are clear and the bus moves again.
→Exception: you do NOT have to stop if you are traveling in the OPPOSITE direction on a roadway with a median or barrier dividing the road and the bus is on the opposite side. Still be ready for unexpected student action.
→School buses must ALWAYS stop at railroad crossings — even when the warning signals are not flashing (federal rule reflected in the Virginia manual).

🎓 Teen / GDL Laws

Learner permit supervisorLicensed 21+ in front seat

Permit hold (19+ adults)60 days or driver's-ed cert

Fail knowledge exam < 1815-day wait

Fail knowledge exam 3×8-hr manual course required

Fail road skills test2-day wait

Fail road skills 3×Complete in-vehicle driver's ed

Sibling/guardian supervisorMay be 18, 19, or 20

Teen ages / curfew / passengerSee DMV 16

All-driver phone ruleHands-free only

Handheld in work zone$250 fine

Teen passenger rulesDMV 16 publication

Feesdmv.virginia.gov

🛡️ Child Restraint & Safety Belts

Birth to age 2Rear-facing car seat

Until age 8Child safety seat or booster

All seats (front + rear)Safety belt required

Transporting a passenger under 18Driver is responsible

Safest location for child seatCenter of back seat

Child-restraint violation$50 (1st) · up to $500 subsequent

🏦 Insurance & Financial Responsibility

Bodily injury (per person)$30,000 · $25k pre-2022

Bodily injury (per crash)$60,000 · $50k pre-2022

Property damage$20,000

Proof of insuranceRequired at traffic stops — electronic proof on phone accepted

📋 License Fees & Administration

Driver's licenseSee dmv.virginia.gov

Uninsured motor vehicle fee$500 / year

Caught uninsured$600 + SR-22 for 3 yrs

Crash report thresholdInjury, death, or > $3,000

New to Virginia — licenseWithin 60 days

Address change deadlineWithin 30 days

Organ donor registrydonatelifevirginia.org

🚗 Other Must-Know Rules

→Handheld phone use while driving: illegal for ALL drivers in Virginia (hands-free only). Exception: emergency or lawfully parked.
→Holding a device in a Virginia highway work zone: $250 fine.
→Headlights required: sunset to sunrise + whenever wipers are on.
→Hill parking: downhill = turn wheels TO curb. Uphill with curb = turn wheels AWAY from curb.
→U-turns: illegal wherever a "No U-Turn" or "No Left Turn" sign is posted. In Virginia a U-turn counts as two left turns, so it is also illegal where "No Left Turn" is posted.
→Skidding: ease off gas/brakes, steer INTO the direction of the skid.
→New to Virginia: obtain a Virginia driver's license within 60 days; title and register your vehicle within 30 days; notify DMV of an address change within 30 days (USPS will NOT forward a license).
→Crashes must be reported to police for injury, death, or total property damage over $3,000. Hit-and-run on an unattended vehicle: leave a note and report to police within 24 hours.

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