Driver Education

In 2003, the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation to allow parents or guardians of homeschooled children to teach the behind-the-wheel portion of driver education training. Parents were already allowed to teach the classroom portion of the course.

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the Virginia Board of Education have worked together to create policies and guidelines for homeschooling families who wish to teach driver education, effective July 1, 2003. Following is a summary of the options now available to homeschooling families.

Driver education in Virginia has two required components: a classroom portion and an "in-car" or "behind-the-wheel" portion.

Classroom Training

As in the past, homeschooled students may complete the classroom portion of the training through an approved correspondence course, a commercial driver training school, or a public or private school.

Effective in July 2003, approved correspondence courses for the classroom portion of driver education must comply with the newly revised Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) for Driver Education.

In Car/Behind-the-Wheel Training

Parents or guardians of homeschooled students may now elect to provide in-car driver education training to their children. Other options include using a commercial driver training school or a public or private school. Homeschooling families are encouraged to explore all the various options in their community before committing to a particular school or course.

Parents who choose to teach their children behind-the-wheel training must meet certain qualifications:

They must hold a valid Virginia driver's license.
They must have accumulated no more than six demerit points in the last 12 months.
They must not have been convicted of driving while intoxicated in the past 11 years, and must not ever have been convicted of voluntary or involuntary manslaughter.
They must maintain proper vehicle insurance.
They must submit Form HS-1 to the Department of Motor Vehicles, granting consent to DMV to review and monitor the parent's driving record until the student successfully completes the DMV road skills test. Along with Form HS-1, the parents must also submit proof that their child has completed the classroom portion of driver education, as well as a copy of the letter from the school division documenting receipt of the Notice of Intent or Religious Exemption paperwork.

Parents must use a behind-the-wheel training program that is approved by the Virginia Board of Education and is in compliance with the Virginia Standards of Learning. Currently, there is only one such program: the Curriculum Scope and Sequence Modules for Driver Education in Virginia: Module Eleven: Behind-the-Wheel and In-Car Observation This 43-page curriculum, created by the Virginia Department of Education in cooperation with DMV, is the same as the one used in Virginia public schools and commercial driver training schools, and is free to anyone with internet and printer access. The Module Eleven program requires 7 hours of driving and 7 hours of observing another student driving. If no other student is available, the student may observe the parent driving to fulfill the observational requirement. Students must also complete at least 40 hours of driving time, 10 of which must occur after sunset. After completing the in-car training, the student will take the road skills test at their local DMV.

Additional Information

Driver Education Information for Homeschoolers
DMV overview of Driver Education for homeschoolers.

Home Schooled In-Car Driver Education Sheet(HS-3, July 2004)
DMV fact sheet on home instruction and in-car driver education.

Driver Education Requirements
DMV page explaining the requirements for teen drivers in Virginia.

Online Study Guide For Student Drivers
Study the Virginia driving regulations. Animations, online sample questions, and traffic laws and rules help teens to study for their learner's permit or their driver's license.

Learning to Drive, Again
Mary Wilson talks about her experience with the local Driver Improvement Program and what she learned.

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