West Virginia DMV Handbook 2025

In West Virginia, all new drivers, regardless of age, must obtain an instruction permit before applying for a driver’s license. Requirements for an instruction permit include being at least 15 years old, submitting an application for the permit, passing a vision test, and passing a knowledge (permit) test on driving theory. If you’re under 18, you must be attending or have graduated from school. Also, your parent or guardian must sign your application, or you must present a copy of your marriage certificate if you’re married.

A driver’s education course is not required of drivers of any age.

You can take the permit test online or at a West Virginia DMV designated location. All questions on the knowledge test are based on the official West Virginia DMV driver’s 2025 handbook (West Virginia DMV Handbook (WV Driver's Manual) 2025). For your convenience, this manual can be easily downloaded from this webpage in PDF format.

You should study this manual, but even this may not ensure you pass the knowledge test. Reportedly, roughly half of applicants have failed the West Virginia DMV knowledge test on their first attempt. Our test preparation program will keep that from happening to you. It includes a graduated series of practice tests accompanied by our AI assistant. It can give you hints and explanations and answer your questions to help you learn driving theory. We guarantee our program will get you to pass the knowledge test – or your money back!

We have also created an audiobook version of the official driver’s manual. It’s formatted as a series of nine downloadable MP3 files, one for each chapter of the handbook: Driver’s License Information, Driver Responsibilities, Driving Under the Influence, and so on. The longest chapter is Chapter 1: Driver’s License Information, whose running time is 51 minutes and 33 seconds. The total running time of this audiobook is approximately 3 hours, 11 minutes, and 1 second, so it may take you a few days to listen to it all. Try listening to an audiobook file while you follow along with the text of the PDF version. This technique can help you concentrate on the material.

In addition to the official handbook, we also offer our own permit test study guide (available elsewhere on this website). We created it to help aspiring drivers avoid unpleasant surprises on the big test day. It covers how to prepare your mind and body to be at your best, what documents to have with you, fees you may have to pay, and test questions that test takers frequently miss.