The West Virginia road test
A plain-language guide, checked against the West Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (WV DMV): who the test is for, what to bring, how it is scored, and what a retake really costs.
The rule that decides your path
The West Virginia road test, also called the behind-the-wheel or driving skills test, is the final exam the WV DMV gives before it issues a driver's license. New drivers can take the West Virginia driving test at 16, after logging 50 hours of supervised driving. The drive includes parallel parking.
West Virginia sets a specific pre-license education step every new driver has to clear. Level 1 starts at 15 or older with parental consent (form DS-23P), driving with a licensed adult 21 or older in the front seat. Level 2 requires being 16, holding Level 1 for 180 days, and passing the road test (up to 3 attempts). West Virginia does not publish a supervised-hours requirement for adults.
Below you'll find the full West Virginia road test requirements: who qualifies, what to bring, how examiners score the drive, and the retake rules if you don't pass the first time. On our Driving Index, West Virginia's written knowledge test ranks 42nd-hardest of 51.
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Supervised hours before the West Virginia road test
These are hours you spend driving with a licensed adult, usually a parent, before you can take the test. Keep a log as you go, on paper or in an app, because the state can ask to see it. Practice in a mix of conditions, day and night, highways and quiet streets, rain and clear weather, and get the night hours in early, since those are the ones most people leave to the last minute.
What to bring to the West Virginia road test
Tap each item to check it off. Your progress is saved on this device.
Documents
Your vehicle must have
Who comes with you. You come with a valid licensed driver. Driving on a permit requires a licensed adult 21 or older in the front right passenger seat.
If you fail the West Virginia road test
Here's how a retake works in West Virginia: No more than once within a week (West Virginia Code 17B-2-6). The retest fee is $7.50 per attempt.
Beyond any fee, a retry usually means another day off work or school, another ride to the office, and another car to borrow, so failing costs far more than it looks on paper.
Passing on the first try is the cheapest way through. A first license runs $25 for a Class E license ($5 per year for 5 years).
How the West Virginia road test is scored
Point-based on a score sheet, where errors add points; too many points means automatic failure.
Mistakes that end the test right away
Do any of these and the examiner stops the drive, no matter how well the rest went.
- In the basic vehicle control skills test, building up too many points.
- In the basic vehicle control test, hitting, tapping, or moving a cone, barrel, or flag.
- In the basic vehicle control test, jumping a curb during any part of the driving test.
- On the public road test, scoring too many points.
- On the road test, not using your safety belt.
- On the road test, using your wireless communications device at any time.
- On the road test, getting a traffic citation for a moving violation, disobeying signs or signals, speeding, rolling through stops, or ignoring traffic laws.
- On the road test, not yielding to pedestrians or other roadway users.
- On the road test, being in an avoidable crash or making physical contact with another vehicle, object, or pedestrian.
- On the road test, committing any unsafe act, or forcing another driver to take evasive action to prevent a crash.
- On the road test, putting the vehicle over or on top of sidewalks or curbs unnecessarily.
- On the road test, the examiner having to take control of the vehicle.
- On the road test, not wearing your glasses when required.
- On the road test, refusing to perform any maneuver that is part of the road test.
- On the road test, showing after a short distance that you are dangerously inexperienced.
- On the road test, not following any traffic control device or lawful direction from the examiner.
- During the safety-equipment check, being unable to both locate and demonstrate the use of any of the vehicle's safety equipment.
Before the road test
Pass the West Virginia written test on your first try
Nearby road-test guides.
Six more states, neighbours first, then the closest matches on test difficulty.
Test specifications, fees and laws change. This guide was last verified July 2026; always confirm current requirements with the WV DMV (transportation.wv.gov) before booking a test. DMV IQ is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with any state DMV, DPS, MVD, or BMV.
Spot an error? Email [email protected] and we'll get it corrected.
Sources for this guide (3 official WV DMV pages)
- Eligibility: https://transportation.wv.gov/DMV/DMVFormSearch/Drivers_Licensing_Handbook_web.pdf
- What to bring: https://transportation.wv.gov/DMV/Pages/Appt-Documents-Skills-Testing.aspx
- Test format: https://transportation.wv.gov/DMV/DMVFormSearch/Drivers_Licensing_Handbook_web.pdf
- Scoring: https://transportation.wv.gov/DMV/DMVFormSearch/Drivers_Licensing_Handbook_web.pdf
- Retakes: https://transportation.wv.gov/DMV/DMVFormSearch/Drivers_Licensing_Handbook_web.pdf
- Fees: https://transportation.wv.gov/DMV/Drivers/Pages/Drivers-Licenses.aspx
- Handbook (Revised 07/2022): https://transportation.wv.gov/DMV/DMVFormSearch/Drivers_Licensing_Handbook_web.pdf
Current as of 2026-07-16. Official West Virginia sources only; anything the state does not publish is left out rather than guessed.