One of the most common questions parents ask when their teen is approaching driving age: how many driving lessons does my teen actually need? The answer depends on where you live, your teen’s age, and how confident they are behind the wheel. Virginia has specific requirements, and most teens need more than just the minimum to feel truly ready for the road.
For parents planning ahead, understanding the full picture of how many hours of driving lessons your teen will complete helps you budget time, money, and expectations. Virginia’s system is designed to build skills gradually through a combination of professional instruction and supervised practice at home.
What Virginia Requires for Teen Drivers
Virginia uses a graduated driver licensing (GDL) system for drivers under 18. The state doesn’t leave the number of driving lessons up to chance. Instead, it mandates a specific structure that every teen must complete before earning a license. The two main components are professional behind the wheel (BTW) appointments and a parent-supervised driving log.
Specifically, Virginia requires teens to complete:
- 7 behind the wheel appointments with a DMV-certified driving school, each lasting 1 hour and 40 minutes
- 45 hours of supervised practice driving logged with a parent or licensed adult age 21 or older, including at least 15 hours after sunset
Both of these requirements must be fulfilled before your teen can take the road skills test and receive a driver’s license. For a full breakdown of every requirement, see our Virginia behind the wheel requirements guide.
Breaking Down the 7 Behind the Wheel Appointments
Each of the 7 appointments lasts 1 hour and 40 minutes and is split into two parts: 50 minutes of active driving with the instructor and 50 minutes of in-car observation while another student drives. Both portions count toward the requirement, and the observation time is genuinely valuable because your teen learns by watching how other students handle real traffic situations.
The 7 appointments are structured to build skills progressively. Your teen can expect the following at each stage.
Appointments 1-2: Learning the Basics
The first two sessions focus on foundational skills. Your teen will learn how to properly adjust mirrors and the seat, use turn signals, accelerate and brake smoothly, make basic turns, and navigate through residential neighborhoods. Instructors introduce one skill at a time so your teen isn’t overwhelmed. By the end of the second appointment, most students are comfortable with basic vehicle control and can handle low-speed driving with growing confidence. If your teen is nervous about getting started, our first lesson guide explains exactly what to expect.
Appointments 3-4: Building Real-World Skills
During sessions three and four, the training moves into more complex driving environments. Your teen will practice lane changes, driving through busier intersections, navigating multi-lane roads, and handling right-of-way situations. The instructor also introduces parking techniques, including pulling into and backing out of spaces. These appointments bridge the gap between basic control and the kind of decision-making your teen will need every time they drive.
Appointments 5-6: Advanced Techniques and Test Preparation
By the fifth and sixth appointments, your teen is ready for advanced maneuvers. This includes highway merging, three-point turns, parallel parking, and driving in higher-traffic areas. The instructor begins simulating test conditions, pointing out the specific skills and habits the examiner will evaluate. These sessions are where everything comes together. Your teen practices smooth transitions between skills and learns to drive with the consistency and awareness that the road test demands.
Appointment 7: The Road Skills Test
The seventh and final appointment is the road skills test itself. The instructor evaluates your teen on all the skills covered throughout the program: vehicle control, traffic awareness, proper signaling, lane positioning, speed management, parking, and overall safe driving habits. If your teen passes, they receive a Driver Training Certificate (DTS-B) that serves as proof of completion. This certificate, combined with their learner’s permit, allows your teen to drive legally while waiting for their permanent license.
The 45-Hour Driving Log: What Parents Need to Know
The 45 hours of supervised practice driving are separate from the 7 behind the wheel appointments with the driving school. This requirement exists because professional instruction alone isn’t enough. Your teen needs extensive real-world experience in the car with a licensed adult who is at least 21 years old, typically a parent or guardian.
Of the 45 total hours, at least 15 hours must be completed after sunset. Nighttime driving presents different challenges, including reduced visibility, glare from oncoming headlights, and harder-to-see pedestrians, so Virginia requires teens to practice in those conditions before testing.
The driving log should include a variety of experiences:
- Different road types: Residential streets, main roads, multi-lane highways, and rural roads
- Various weather conditions: Rain, fog, and overcast days in addition to clear conditions
- Different traffic levels: Light neighborhood traffic, moderate suburban traffic, and heavier commute-time traffic
- Common destinations: School, grocery stores, sports practice, and other places your teen will actually drive to after getting licensed
You’ll need to maintain a written record of each practice session with the date, duration, and conditions. This log is part of the paperwork required before your teen can take the road skills test. Be consistent about logging sessions because incomplete records can delay the process.
Total Training Time: Adding It All Up
When you combine professional instruction with parent-supervised practice, the minimum amount of driving experience your teen will have before testing breaks down like this:
- Professional instruction: 7 appointments x 100 minutes each = approximately 11 hours and 40 minutes (roughly 12 hours)
- Parent-supervised practice: 45 hours minimum
- Total minimum driving experience: approximately 57 hours
That’s a significant amount of seat time, and it’s intentionally designed that way. New drivers need extensive practice across varied conditions to develop the habits and judgment required for safe independent driving. The combination of structured professional lessons and high-volume parent-supervised practice gives your teen the best possible foundation.
Factors That Affect How Quickly Your Teen Is Ready
While Virginia sets the minimum requirements, every teen learns at a different pace. Some students feel confident and test-ready right on schedule. Others benefit from additional practice time before taking the road skills test. Several factors influence how many driving lessons and practice hours your teen truly needs to feel prepared.
- Prior experience: Teens who have spent time driving on private property, in parking lots, or in rural areas before starting formal lessons often progress faster through the early appointments.
- Anxiety level: Some teens are naturally nervous behind the wheel, and that’s completely normal. Students who experience significant driving anxiety may need more practice hours to build the comfort and muscle memory required for the test. For strategies that help, see our teen driver guide.
- Natural aptitude: Spatial awareness, reaction time, and the ability to track multiple things at once vary from person to person. Some teens pick up driving quickly while others need more repetition to develop the same level of skill.
- Frequency of practice between appointments: Teens who practice regularly with a parent between their professional lessons retain skills better and progress faster. Long gaps between practice sessions mean your teen spends part of each appointment re-learning skills instead of building on them.
- Quality of parent-supervised practice: Driving around the same quiet neighborhood repeatedly doesn’t prepare your teen the same way that varied, intentional practice does. Exposing your teen to different roads, traffic patterns, and conditions during the 45-hour log makes a real difference in readiness.
Signs Your Teen Is Ready for the Road Test
Completing the required hours is the minimum, but how do you know if your teen is genuinely ready to pass the road skills test? Look for these indicators during your supervised practice sessions:
- Comfortable in all traffic conditions: Your teen can handle busy intersections, highway merging, and multi-lane roads without freezing up or making sudden, panicked decisions.
- Consistent mirror and signal habits: Checking mirrors and using turn signals has become automatic, not something they have to be reminded about.
- Confident parking: Your teen can parallel park, pull into a standard parking space, and back out safely without multiple attempts or excessive corrections.
- Stays calm under pressure: When another driver does something unexpected, your teen reacts safely and doesn’t panic. They can recover from small mistakes without losing composure.
- Maintains proper speed: Your teen naturally drives at or near the speed limit without constantly speeding up or slowing down unnecessarily.
- Scans ahead consistently: Instead of fixating on the car directly in front of them, your teen looks well ahead, checks cross streets, and anticipates what other drivers might do.
If your teen demonstrates these habits consistently during your practice sessions, they’re likely ready for the test. If they’re still struggling with any of these areas, additional practice before the seventh appointment is a wise investment.
What About Adults? How Many Lessons Do You Need?
If you’re 18 or older, Virginia doesn’t require a set number of driving lessons. Adults aren’t required to complete Driver Education or log supervised practice hours. You simply need to hold a learner’s permit for at least 60 days and then pass the road skills test, either at the DMV or through a certified driving school.
That said, professional instruction is still the most efficient path to getting your license. Adults who have never driven before or who have limited experience benefit enormously from structured behind the wheel training. A certified instructor can identify and correct bad habits quickly, teach you the specific skills the road test evaluates, and build your confidence in a fraction of the time it would take to learn on your own.
Most adult students find that 3 to 5 professional lessons are enough to feel prepared for the test, though this varies based on prior experience. Contact Abba Driving School to discuss an adult lesson plan that fits your needs.
How Abba’s Program Builds Skills Systematically
At Abba Driving School, our 7-appointment program is designed to take your teen from complete beginner to test-ready through a proven, step-by-step progression. Each session builds directly on the one before it, so your teen is never thrown into situations they aren’t prepared for. We follow a structured curriculum that moves from basic vehicle control to advanced traffic maneuvers in a logical sequence, and nothing is left to chance.
The complete behind the wheel program is $340 for all 7 appointments, including the road skills test on the seventh session. Register today and give your teen the structured, professional training they need to become a safe, confident driver.