No driver training school shall be established or continue operation unless the school obtains from the Commissioner a license authorizing the school to operate within the Commonwealth.

Ask a traffic law question, get an answer ASAP!
Thousands of highly rated, verified traffic lawyers.
Parking violations, accidents, DUI/DWI, licensing, registration, and more
Protect your vehicle and your rights with expert legal help now
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

Terms Used In Virginia Code 46.2-1701

  • Instructor: means any person, whether acting for himself as operator of a driver training school or for such school for compensation, who teaches, conducts classes, gives demonstrations, or supervises persons learning to operate or drive a motor vehicle. See Virginia Code 46.2-1700
  • Person: includes any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or any other legal or commercial entity and any successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality thereof. See Virginia Code 1-230
  • school: means a business enterprise conducted by an individual, association, partnership, or corporation, for the education and training of persons, either practically or theoretically or both, to operate or drive motor vehicles, and charging a consideration or tuition for such services. See Virginia Code 46.2-1700
  • State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-245

No instructor shall perform the actions enumerated in the definition of “instructor” in § 46.2-1700 unless he obtains from the Commissioner a license authorizing him to act as driving instructor. Such license shall be valid for a period of two years. A nonrefundable license fee of $75 shall be paid to the Department by a person applying for an instructor license. The first license issued to an instructor shall expire on the same date the driver training school’s license expires, and the first license fee may be prorated on a monthly basis. Thereafter, the renewal period for the instructor shall match that of the school.

The Commissioner shall have authority to set and collect school and instructor licensing fees. All licensing fees collected by the Commissioner under this chapter shall be paid into the state treasury and set aside as a special fund to meet the expenses of the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Upon application of a driver training school licensed in accordance with this chapter, the Commissioner may license such driver training school using criteria established by the Commissioner pursuant to § 46.2-1702 to provide computer-based driver education courses using curricula approved by the Commissioner.

The Commissioner may issue a two-year license to driver training schools, including computer-based driver education providers. A nonrefundable license fee of $150 shall be required with each such application. Such licensing fee shall be in addition to fees permitted under this chapter.

1990, c. 466; 2004, c. 587; 2016, c. 437; 2023, cc. 308, 309.