Can Undocumented Immigrants Get a Driver’s License in Virginia?

An undocumented immigrant cannot get a standard driver’s license in Virginia, but can get a Driver Privilege Card (DPC), which is the credential Virginia created for non-U.S. citizens who live in the Commonwealth and need to drive legally. The card has been available since January 2021, costs $50, and does not require proof of lawful immigration status.¹ You take the same knowledge and road tests any other Virginia driver takes, and once you pass you can drive on Virginia roads with the same authority.

What the Driver Privilege Card Lets You Do

The DPC is a driving credential, not an all-purpose ID. It looks similar to a Virginia driver’s license, but it is printed with the words “Not for Federal Purposes,” and that phrase carries real consequences.¹

You cannot use a DPC to board a domestic flight. Since May 7, 2025, TSA has enforced REAL ID at airport checkpoints, so a DPC holder who needs to fly domestically has to carry a valid passport or another federally accepted ID.² The DPC also cannot be used to enter a federal building that requires ID, to register to vote, or to vote. Non-citizens who vote in a federal election face prison and possible deportation, so decline any voter registration offer during your DMV visit.

Who Qualifies

You can apply if you meet all four of these requirements:¹

You live in Virginia and are not a U.S. citizen.
You are at least 16 years and 3 months old. Applicants who are 15 years and 6 months or older may qualify for a driver privilege learner’s permit.
You reported income from Virginia sources, or someone claimed you as a dependent on a Virginia tax return, within the past 12 months.
Your driving privileges are not currently suspended or revoked in Virginia or any other state, including for insurance-related reasons.

The tax requirement is where most first-time applicants get stuck. To file a Virginia return, you need either a Social Security number or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). If you have neither, you’ll need to apply for an ITIN with the IRS on Form W-7 before you can start the DPC process, and that application on its own can take several weeks. Plan the timeline backward from when you want to test.

Documents to Bring

Virginia DMV requires original documents in four categories, listed on Form DMV 309, the DPC-specific document guide.³

Identity and Date of Birth

You need two proofs. Either two documents from List A, or one from List A and one from List B. List A documents must include a photograph and cannot be expired more than five years; common examples are a foreign passport, an Employment Authorization Document, or a consular identification document. List B is broader and includes an ITIN assignment letter, an official foreign birth document, a Social Security card, or certified school records. Anything in a foreign language must come with a certified English translation.

Virginia Residency

You need two proofs of your current Virginia address. At least one has to come from the primary residency list, such as a utility bill, lease agreement, or official correspondence from a government agency or school. The second proof can come from the primary or secondary list. Each document must show your name and current Virginia address. Printouts of online statements are accepted.

Tax Filing

You must show that you filed a Virginia return, or were claimed as a dependent on one, within the past 12 months. The DMV verifies this electronically with the Virginia Department of Taxation in real time during your visit, so the return has to already be on file with the state before you show up.¹

Social Security Number or ITIN

Bring proof of a Social Security number if one has been issued to you, or proof of your ITIN. Acceptable Social Security proof includes the card itself or a W-2 showing the full number. For an ITIN, the IRS assignment letter works.

How the Application Works

Schedule an appointment at a Virginia DMV customer service center rather than walking in. Bring the completed Application for a Driver Privilege Card (Form DL 10) and every original document. A DMV employee reviews your paperwork and runs the electronic tax check.

Once your documents are accepted, you take a vision screening and then the two-part knowledge exam. Part one is 10 road-sign questions, and you must answer all 10 correctly. Part two is 30 questions on traffic laws and safe driving, and you need at least 24 right to pass. The sign section is where people fail, because there’s no margin for a wrong answer. The exam is offered in more than 25 languages, including Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, Korean, Vietnamese, Amharic, Dari, Farsi, Pashto, Haitian Creole, and American Sign Language.⁴

After the knowledge exam comes the road skills test. You need to bring a vehicle that is registered, insured, and has a valid inspection sticker. Pass, and you leave with a temporary paper permit that day. The permanent DPC is mailed to your address on file.

Cost and How Long the Card Lasts

A first DPC costs $50. A combined DPC and learner’s permit is $53. Renewals are $50.¹

Your first DPC expires on your birthday in the second year after issuance. Every card after that, including replacements, is valid for two years from the date of issuance. Renew before the expiration date and the new card runs for another two years. Let it lapse and there is no late-fee shortcut: you start the entire application over, including retaking both tests. Put the renewal date on your calendar the day you get the card.

Insurance Is Still Required

A DPC does not exempt you from Virginia’s auto insurance laws. If you own or register a vehicle in Virginia, you must carry liability insurance meeting the state minimums. For policies effective January 1, 2025, those minimums are:⁵

$50,000 for injury or death of one person
$100,000 for injury or death of two or more people
$25,000 for property damage

Driving uninsured triggers suspension of your driving privileges and vehicle registration. Reinstatement requires a $600 noncompliance fee, an SR-22 financial responsibility filing that you must maintain for three years, and any additional reinstatement fees.⁵ A suspension is especially costly for a DPC holder because it also disqualifies you from holding or renewing the card.

What Happens to the Information You Submit

Virginia law treats DPC application materials as privileged. Information collected specifically for the DPC that isn’t otherwise part of the DMV’s normal records — your proof documents, the type of documentation you provided, and your application itself — cannot be released to outside parties except at your request, by a parent or guardian of a minor, or under a court order.⁶ A federal agency cannot just request your application file from the DMV.

The protection is not absolute. Information the DMV keeps in any driver’s record — your name, address, and driving history — can be released to federal, state, or local government entities carrying out their official functions.⁶ At the federal level, the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act generally restricts state DMVs from disclosing personal information from motor vehicle records, but it also includes an exception for government agencies performing official functions.⁷ Application-specific documents have strong protection. Basic record information does not.

Old Traffic Tickets

A past traffic ticket does not automatically disqualify you. What matters is whether your driving privileges are currently suspended or revoked. If you were cited but never suspended, or if a past suspension has been fully resolved, you remain eligible.¹ The DMV checks every U.S. jurisdiction, so an unresolved suspension in another state will surface.

Applicants Under 18

If you are at least 15 years and 6 months old but not yet 16 years and 3 months, you apply for a driver privilege learner’s permit. The document requirements match the full DPC.³

Applicants under 18 have one extra step. The DMV sends the first-time DPC to the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court in your locality instead of mailing it to your home. The court schedules a licensing ceremony, and a parent or guardian must attend.³

1
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Driver Privilege Card
2
Defense Travel Management Office. REAL ID Required for U.S. Travelers Beginning May 7, 2025
3
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Getting a Virginia Driver Privilege Card or Identification Privilege Card
4
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. The Knowledge Exam
5
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Insurance Requirements
6
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-328.3 – Driver Privilege Cards and Permits
7
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 2721 – Prohibition on Release and Use of Certain Personal Information From State Motor Vehicle Records