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West Virginia driver's license

Get your first license in West Virginia after moving to the US.

How it goes

  1. 1
    You arriveYou have moved to West Virginia and you want to drive here.
  2. 2
    Your permitYou practice on the road with a learner permit.
  3. 3
    The written testYou take the written test.
  4. 4
    Behind the wheelYou take the drive test behind the wheel.
  5. Your licenseYou pass the tests, and the license is yours.

What it costs

A first license

$40

You pay this when you apply.

If you just arrived in the US

If your license from another state has expired

An expired license from another state cannot be renewed in West Virginia: you are treated as a first-time applicant and must pass the vision, written, and road skills examinations. If your license has been expired more than 36 months, or you no longer have it, you must also bring a certified driving record from the issuing state dated within 30 days.

Documents you need

  • Documents that are still validA US passport or passport card and a US military photo ID count while valid. A West Virginia photo license or ID card also counts if it expired 36 months or less ago, for a not-for-federal-use credential.

Your Social Security Number

Giving your number, and who may see it

The DMV collects the Social Security number of every applicant and license or ID holder, as federal child-support and tax law requires. The number stays in your DMV record and is not printed on your permit, license, or ID card.

Tests you take

Eye test

You pass with visual acuity of 20/40 or better in at least one eye, uncorrected or with conventional glasses or contact lenses; bioptic, telescopic, and other special lenses do not count, and if you need correction to reach 20/40 your license carries a corrective-lenses restriction. If you fail the screening, a completed DLAB Form 2 showing your vision meets the state's parameters lets you pass with appropriate restrictions.

Drive test

Yes

Tries you get on the written test

There is no cap on the number of attempts, but if you fail you cannot be tested twice within one week — that wait is set by state law, not office practice.

Practice questions for the written test

Knowing all of the driver's handbook will let you pass the examination, but the handbook itself is only a partial digest of West Virginia motor vehicle law.

  • For a motorcycle permit, a Class F endorsement, or a Class F license, you also need the West Virginia Motorcycle Operator Manual, available at a local DMV Regional Office or at dmv.wv.gov.

Using an interpreter

Prepare to take the knowledge test in English: nothing published promises a translated test or an interpreter, and only you are allowed in the exam room — no companion and no phone. The one published test accommodation is an audio version for the reading impaired, and disability-related aids are free but must be requested at least 48 hours ahead.

Practising with your permit

Who can sit with you while you practise

A licensed driver age 21 or older, a driver-education or driving-school instructor acting officially, or a certified DMV license examiner acting officially.

  • With a Class E instruction permit, you can drive only when a licensed driver age 21 or older is in the front seat.

What to bring to the drive test

Who comes with you

You must arrive at the testing center in a lawful manner; with only an instruction permit, that means you cannot lawfully drive yourself there alone. The handbook does not name an age or license class for the person who brings you.

  • The road-test score form records the name and driver license number of the person who comes with you, so that person must hold a license. No minimum age or license class is stated for them.

  • You must arrive at the examination site in a lawful manner. During the road test itself, only you, the examiner or examiners, and an interpreter can be in the vehicle.

The car and its insurance

The car fails the equipment check if its windows are tinted to less than 35 percent light transmission or its windshield is broken or cracked. Signs, posters, or stickers on the windshield or windows are also barred unless required or permitted by law.

  • Bring current proof of insurance and a valid registration card; the car must also carry a valid inspection sticker and be safe and legally equipped, and you must locate and demonstrate its safety equipment. A minor defect can be corrected, but you cannot switch to a different car on the same test date.

Where to go

Who gives the tests

The West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles.

Booking an appointment

You can book a DMV appointment at telegov.egov.com/wvdmv.

Office locations

You can find DMV regional offices at transportation.wv.gov/DMV/Locations/Pages/default.aspx.

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Every source, quoted19 sources

Every fact on this page is quoted from the page that publishes it, in the words it uses.

Applying for a driver's license in West Virginia?

Answer a few questions and see the steps that apply to you.

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