West Virginia Driver's License Guide 2026
Everything below is taken from the West Virginia DMV’s own pages. Where the DMV does not publish a figure, this guide says so rather than inventing one.
Level 1: the knowledge test and what it costs
West Virginia’s graduated system starts with a Level 1 instruction permit, and the knowledge test costs $7.50 per attempt. You must be at least 15 and under 18. A parent, a single parent with custody, or a legal guardian must sign the application before you can be tested; married applicants under 18 do not need parental consent but must produce a certified marriage certificate. The permit is not renewable and expires on your 18th birthday with a 30-day grace period.
What a Level 1 permit holder may do
You must have a licensed driver aged 21 or over in the front seat, and you may drive only between 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Every occupant must wear a seat belt, there is zero alcohol tolerance, and you may carry at most two non-family passengers in addition to the supervising adult. Using a phone or texting while driving is a primary offence, so you can be stopped for it alone.
Level 2 and Level 3
The Level 2 intermediate licence needs a road skills test, also $7.50, from age 16, after holding Level 1 for six months with no infractions in those six months, and a 50-hour certification form with 10 of those hours at night. For the first six months at Level 2 you may carry no non-family passengers under 20, and only one for the second six months. Two violations at Level 2 revoke the licence until your 18th birthday. The full Class E licence comes at 17 after a year at Level 2 with no infractions, and costs $5.00 for each year until your 21st birthday.
Practising before you go
Our free West Virginia practice questions cover the same topics as the West Virginia Driver’s Licensing Handbook, and every question shows the correct answer. They are practice questions written to those topics - they are not the DMV’s own test questions.
DMV Permit Test 2026
Free practice questions for all 50 states, with the answer explained