Expired more than one year? Three tests are required.
Virginia DMV says that a license expired for more than one year requires a vision screening, a knowledge exam, and a road skills test.
What your expiration date changes
| Time since expiration | Knowledge and road testing |
|---|---|
| One year or less, including the exact anniversary | Expiration alone does not trigger these tests. A notice can still require them. |
| More than one year | Vision screening, the two-part knowledge exam, and the road skills test are required. |
Count calendar years, rather than 365-day periods. A February 29 expiration assessed on February 28 the following year is a narrow boundary to confirm with DMV. Virginia Code § 1-223: Calendar months and years.
An expired license does not authorize you to drive. A renewal window does not extend the license’s validity.
Can I renew online or by mail?
A shorter lapse does not establish online eligibility. You must use an office if you last renewed online or by mail, are 75 or older, need knowledge or road testing, or meet another DMV exclusion. Use a remote method only when DMV authorizes it and you qualify. Virginia DMV: Ineligibility to Renew Online or by Mail; Virginia Code § 46.2-330: License renewal and examinations.
For an office renewal, plan for a new photo and vision screening. Drivers aged 75 or older may instead present the qualifying recent eye-exam report described in Virginia law.
Check my next steps →Your complete renewal checklist
If the more-than-one-year rule applies, include all three exams. Otherwise complete the tests required by your notice or renewal method.
Prepare your application and documents
Bring your existing license or ID and a completed DL 1P for an in-person standard renewal. After expiration, check whether legal-presence proof is needed; previously documented qualifying statuses have exceptions. Follow any separate document request on your notice. Virginia DMV: Legal Presence.
Complete the vision screening
Bring glasses or contact lenses if you use them to drive. If you do not meet the screening standard, DMV will direct you to an eye-care professional. Virginia DMV: Vision Screening.
Pass the two-part knowledge exam
Study the Virginia manual. The test has 10 road-sign questions (all must be correct) and 30 general questions (24 must be correct). Virginia DMV: The Knowledge Exam.
Pass the road skills test
Pass the knowledge exam first. Bring the completed CSMA 140 and a suitable vehicle with valid registration, plates, inspection, and working safety equipment. Check DMV’s permit, identity-document, and driver-education or observation-record instructions before your test. Virginia DMV: Road Skills Tests.
Pay the DMV renewal fee
The published standard eight-year license fee is $32 ($4 per year, $20 minimum). The amount can differ by license duration or endorsement. A first REAL ID upgrade adds $10. These are government fees, paid to DMV. Virginia DMV: Official fee schedule (PDF).
Do I need driver education again?
After three knowledge-test failures, complete the required classroom course before a fourth attempt. After three road-test failures, complete the required in-vehicle instruction before another attempt. Follow DMV’s separate retesting rules for each exam. Virginia DMV: Road Skills Tests; Virginia DMV: The Knowledge Exam.
Ordinary expiration is not presented here as a requirement to repeat an entire first-time driver course. Follow DMV’s road-test document instructions for your situation.
Preparing for the knowledge test
Use the Virginia DMV: Driver’s Manual and Virginia DMV: Exams & Study Materials. Knowledge practice does not replace the vision screening, road test, application, or DMV payment.
Who this guide covers
Adults renewing an existing standard noncommercial Virginia passenger-car license in Virginia. Existing REAL ID passenger-car licenses are included. Commercial, motorcycle-only, learner, driver-privilege, and limited-duration credentials, state transfers, extensions, suspensions, and individualized reviews have separate processes.
Common questions
What if my license expired and I also received a notice?
Both matter. The checker keeps the expiration-based tests and adds each instruction you report. A reported online-renewal option does not override an in-person condition.
Does a vision test mean I need written-test practice?
No. Vision screening and knowledge testing are different requirements. Office renewal includes vision screening, but that alone does not create a knowledge-test requirement.
Do I need to prove legal presence after expiration?
Expiration can trigger proof of legal presence, with exceptions for certain previously documented statuses. Check the DMV’s exact exceptions and document list without sharing your immigration or identity documents here. Virginia DMV: Legal Presence.
What if the date is uncertain?
An approximate range is useful when both ends fall on the same side of the one-year boundary. Otherwise, find the exact date on your license or ask DMV. The checker will retain any notice instructions you already know.
Official sources
Guidance checked 2026-09-12. This is the content-check date, not a new law’s effective date or an agency endorsement.
- Virginia DMV: Renew Driver’s LicenseRetaking Tests; Renew In Person
- Virginia DMV: Ineligibility to Renew Online or by MailOnline and mail exclusions
- Virginia Code § 46.2-330: License renewal and examinationsSubsections B–D; age 75 and older
- Virginia Code § 1-223: Calendar months and yearsCalendar-year definition
- Virginia DMV: Legal PresenceExpiration and previously documented status exceptions
- Virginia DMV: In-person renewalStandard license; documents; fees
- Virginia DMV: The Knowledge ExamOfficial guidance
- Virginia DMV: Road Skills TestsEligibility; vehicle and documents; retesting
- Virginia DMV: Vision ScreeningOfficial guidance
- Virginia DMV: Official fee schedule (PDF)License fees; publication revision August 10, 2026