Passing Your Driver’s Test: How Hard It Is In Virginia, DC

WASHINGTON, DC — Handing the car keys to your teen — and turning them loose on the road — is a frightening rite of passage for parents no matter where they live, but some states are more rigorous than others in driver’s license tests. Virginia ranked sixth in terms of overall difficulty among all the states, while the District of Columbia ranked eighth overall.

The study by the personal injury law firm Siegfried & Jensen reviews the variations in the minimum knowledge states require on written tests, how drivers are judged in road tests, whether applicants over 18 are required to get learner permits, and the cost of licenses and tests. Each area was weighted, with 100 possible points.

Here’s what the study showed about Virginia:

There are only five states where it is harder to get a driver’s license than in Virginia, according to the study. Drivers over the age of 18 are not required to have a learner’s permit, license fees are only $4 and applicants can take only one pass at the test, which requires 86 percent proficiency. Driver tests concentrate on 17 elements — Washington, which has the toughest standards, tests skills in 19 areas — and the state’s overall score was 71, compared with 80 points for Washington State.

In the District of Columbia, drivers over the age of 18 are required to have a learner’s permit for a minimum of six months, license and test fees are $26 and applicants need 75 percent proficiency to pass the test. Driver tests concentrate on 13 elements, and the District’s overall score was 69.

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Joining Washington among the top five states with difficult driver licensing standards are Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina and Kansas, respectively. On the other end, just above South Dakota were Ohio, Arkansas New York and Nebraska.

The study used information from driver handbooks issued by each state’s Department of Motor Vehicles or equivalent agency and from comparison websites Driving-Tests.org and DMV.org. The study’s authors said the information about licensing, driving tests, and associated requirements was collected on the assumption the applicant is 18 years old and doesn’t have any mitigating circumstances, such as a veteran status or disability.

Read more about the methodology here.

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