Driving Tests

Virginia Driver Privilege Card: Who Can Get One and What It Costs

informational·how to guide·Published August 6, 2026

What is a Virginia driver privilege card?

A Virginia driver privilege card is a driver's license for non-U.S. citizens who live in Virginia. You do not need proof of legal presence or U.S. citizenship. You must be at least 16 years 3 months old and have reported Virginia income, or been claimed as a dependent on a Virginia tax return, in the past 12 months. The card costs $50 and is not REAL ID.

Where the driver privilege card facts come from

Most rules here come from the Virginia DMV page on the driver privilege card. The fee, the renewal tax rule and the exam waiver rule come from Code of Virginia 46.2-328.3, and the fee lines from the DMV fee chart (DMV 201). The 2027 age rules also use Code of Virginia 46.2-324.1 and the DMV learner's permit page. This guide gives facts, not legal or immigration advice, and is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (dmv.virginia.gov) before you drive.

Who can get a Virginia driver privilege card?

You are a non-U.S. citizen who lives in Virginia.
You reported income from Virginia sources, or someone claimed you as a dependent on a Virginia tax return, in the past 12 months.
Your driving privilege is not suspended or revoked in Virginia or any other state, and you have no insurance-related infractions.
You are 16 years 3 months old or older. You may be able to get a learner's permit from 15 years 6 months.
If federal law requires you to register with the Selective Service and you have not registered yet, you must let DMV send your information to it. Generally, this applies to males under 26. If you refuse, DMV cannot issue the card.

How DMV checks your Virginia tax return

DMV checks your Virginia income electronically with the Virginia Department of Taxation before it issues the card. The date when the tax department accepted your last return must be within one year of the day you apply. For example, if you apply on January 2, 2025, your most recent return must have been accepted on or after January 2, 2024.

What a Virginia driver privilege card costs

What a Virginia driver privilege card costs
Item	Fee
First driver privilege card	$50
Each renewal	$50
Combined driver privilege card and learner's permit	$53
Original card or permit for a homeless youth, as Virginia law defines it	No fee

How long the card lasts and how to renew it

Your first card expires on your birthday. It is valid for up to eight years, or five years if you are 75. You can renew up to one year before it expires. A card renewed in time stays valid for another eight (or five) years from the current expiration date. If you do not renew before it expires, you must start the application over. A card issued before July 1, 2026 must be renewed in person, with a new photo and a vision screening if applicable.

What the card lets you drive, and its limits

Under the law, the card gives the same privileges as a driver's license, unless the law says otherwise. The card shows Class D, which lets you drive passenger vehicles. It is not REAL ID-compliant, so you cannot use it as identification to board a flight or enter a secure federal facility. Card applicants are also not eligible for a commercial driver's license.

Which documents do you need for the card?

The Driver and Identification Privilege Card Application. Use your full legal name. DMV does not accept abbreviations or nicknames.
Two proofs of identity.
Two proofs of Virginia residency. Print-outs of online residency documents on the DMV list are accepted.
Proof of your Social Security number if you have one, or your individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN).
Tax return documentation.
If you are under 18, a parent or legal guardian signs the application to give written consent. A court order that shows you are an emancipated minor is accepted instead.

Document rules to know before your DMV visit

Bring originals. DMV verifies each document and does not accept temporary documents or photocopies. A document in a foreign language needs a certified English translation by a professional translator. The accepted documents can change without notice, and DMV may ask for more, so check the DMV list before your visit.

Which tests do you need for the card, now and from 2027?

You hold or held a license from Virginia, another U.S. state or territory, or a foreign country

You may be able to exchange it for a card. The law says no part of the driver exam can be waived for a card applicant. A DMV FAQ page says something different, so ask DMV which tests apply to you. If the license expired more than one year ago, retake the vision screening, the two-part knowledge exam and the road skills test. For a license from another country, see our guide to foreign license exchange in Virginia.

You are 18 or older, never held a license, and get the card before January 1, 2027

Pass the knowledge exam and get a learner's permit. Then finish a state-approved driver education program, or hold the permit for at least 60 days, and pass the road skills test. Try our free question on the 60-day permit option.

You are 21 or older, never held a license, and apply on or after January 1, 2027

The same two options stay: a state-approved driver education program, or a learner's permit held for at least 60 days. Then pass the road skills test.

You are at least 18 and less than 21, never held a license, and apply on or after January 1, 2027

You must finish a state-approved driver education program, pass the knowledge exam and hold a learner's permit for at least 90 days before you pass the road skills test. The driver training school sends your completion certificate to DMV. Read more about the 2027 driver education rules.

You are under 18 and never held a license (now and from January 1, 2027)

Show that you finished a state-approved driver education program, held a learner's permit for nine months and passed the knowledge exam. A parent, guardian or foster parent signs the driver education certificate to confirm at least 45 hours of driving, 15 of them after sunset.

Where to take the knowledge exam, and when a translator may help

Take the two-part knowledge exam at any DMV customer service center or in classrooms at participating high schools. It is available in several languages.
At a DMV customer service center, a translator may help with the knowledge exam if DMV does not offer it in your primary language and you cannot complete and understand it without one.
On the road skills test, a translator may help if you cannot complete and understand the test without one.
DMV does not provide translators. Bring your own, with a photo ID document listed on the DMV 141.

What happens after you pass

After you pass and DMV approves your application, you get a temporary driving permit, and DMV mails the card to you. USPS does not forward driver privilege cards, so tell DMV right away if you move. If you are under 18, the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court mails you a notice if you and a parent or guardian must attend a licensing ceremony.

Key takeaways

You must live in Virginia, be 16 years 3 months or older, and have Virginia income or dependent status on a Virginia return in the past 12 months.
The card costs $50, and each renewal costs $50. A combined learner's permit and card costs $53.
The card is not REAL ID. You cannot use it to board a flight or enter a secure federal facility, and card applicants cannot get a commercial driver's license.
From January 1, 2027, first-time applicants at least 18 and less than 21 need driver education and 90 days with a permit before the road skills test.
Next step: practice on the free Virginia passenger practice test, which is in English only.

Virginia driver privilege card: common questions

Can I get a driver privilege card if I have not paid taxes in Virginia yet?

No. The law that created the card requires that you reported income from Virginia sources, or that someone claimed you as a dependent on a Virginia tax return, in the past 12 months. DMV does not have the authority to change this rule.

Can I get a driver privilege card with a past traffic ticket?

Yes, if your driving privileges are not suspended or revoked now. Before DMV approves any driving credential, it checks your record in Virginia and in every other U.S. jurisdiction. This check includes insurance-related infractions.

Do I have to show my tax return again when I renew?

No. Virginia law says that you do not have to show proof of Virginia income or dependent status again for a renewed, reissued or duplicate card. Each renewal costs $50.

Does the driver privilege card say I am not a citizen?

The law says the front of the card must look the same as a Virginia driver's license that is not REAL ID. The card shows Class D and restriction 9. The back of the card explains restriction 9 as limited duration, with the expiration date on the front.

What happens to my driver's license from another state?

When Virginia issues your driver privilege card, you must surrender any driver's license, driver privilege card, commercial driver's license or ID card that another state issued to you. The state that issued it cancels it.