Beginning Monday, July 19, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will offer passenger vehicle road skills testing at 72 customer service centers across the commonwealth. The 38 added locations will create more than 39,000 additional road skills testing appointment opportunities for the coming 90 days of appointment availability.
Christiansburg and Roanoke are among the locations offering closed course (parking lot) road skills testing.
The easing of social distancing requirements and the end of the state of emergency in the commonwealth enabled DMV to expand road skills testing locations by resuming the traditional testing process in which an applicant operates a vehicle on the road with an examiner sitting beside them in the vehicle. Customers who would like to use an interpreter during their road skills test will need to schedule an appointment on a closed course.
An appointment is required for a road skills test and, depending on the location of the appointment, customers will complete their test on a closed course or on the road. Both tests ensure new drivers demonstrate safe driving skills.
“We are thrilled to continue expanding appointment opportunities by adding road skills testing locations,” said DMV Commissioner Richard D. Holcomb. “DMV is conducting more transactions now than before the pandemic, and much of that work is being done outside of our offices. But some services simply must be conducted in person. With the easing of social distancing requirements, we can resume road skills testing at all of our offices equipped to offer it and create tens of thousands of new appointment opportunities for Virginians who need this vital service.”
Road skills testing at DMV is available to Virginia residents age 18 and older. For those under age 18, the road skills test will be given as part of the Virginia driver education course taken at a public, private, or commercial driving school.
Appointment opportunities at a DMV customer service center are available at dmvNOW.com/appt. Road skills tests can be conducted at any full-service DMV customer service center except Arlington Metro, Fair Oaks Mall, and Pentagon.
In addition to the expanded road skills testing, with the easing of social distancing requirements, DMV has been able to open more windows at customer service centers across the state, creating over 150,000 appointment opportunities since late spring.