A 4-minute lesson from the West Virginia course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
West Virginia offers two versions of every license and ID card. Both let you drive; only one works as federal ID at airports. This lesson also covers when your license expires, what renewal costs, and how the card's layout shows the holder's age.
REAL ID ("For Federal Identification")
A license or ID with a gold star that meets full federal requirements for airports and designated federal facilities. The other choice is marked "Not for Federal Identification."
A duplicate for someone under 18 also requires a valid School Driver Eligibility Certificate. If your Social Security number is missing or wrong in DMV records, you must show your Social Security card.
Licenses expire in a year when your age is divisible by five (25, 30, 35…) and are valid five years. To phase you in, a first license may run from three to seven years.
Licenses issued after January 1, 2001 expire on your birthday, not at the end of the month. A license expiring on your 18th or 21st birthday has a 30-day grace period to get the new-color license.
Show your license or permit on demand to any law enforcement officer, magistrate, or DMV official. Failing to is a misdemeanor, but you won't be convicted if it was valid and you produce it in court or at the arresting officer's office.
You turn 34 in the year your license expires. You'll get a six-year license that expires at 40. If instead you renew at 21, it expires at 25 and costs $20.00 ($5.00 x 4 years).
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
Under West Virginia's 'Drive for Five' program, your license expires in a year when your age is divisible by what number?
Five
Four
Ten
Two
Answer: Five
Under Drive for Five, licenses expire in the year the holder's age is divisible by five (25, 30, 35, etc.).