Virginia Driver License: Seat Belts, Child Seats and Penalties

30 questions with the correct answer and an explanation for each. Topic: Seat Belts, Child Seats and Penalties. Free, no account needed.

1. A driver adjusts the driver's seat before starting a trip. For an air bag to work safely, how far from the steering wheel should the driver sit?

At least two feet
At least six inches
At least eighteen inches
At least ten inches

Answer: D — At least ten inches

Sitting at least ten inches from the wheel lets the air bag deploy and cushion the driver safely.

2. A driver has an adjustable steering wheel. Which direction should it be tilted for air bag safety?

Upward, away from the face
Fully horizontal
Downward, toward the chest
It should not be adjusted at all

Answer: C — Downward, toward the chest

An adjustable wheel should be tilted downward toward the chest so the air bag deploys correctly.

3. A driver is giving a ride to a 15-year-old passenger sitting in the back seat. Whose responsibility is it to make sure that passenger is buckled, boosted, or in a child seat?

The passenger's alone, since they're old enough to decide
The driver's
No one's, since the rule only applies to the front seat
Only the vehicle owner, if different from the driver

Answer: B — The driver's

A driver carrying anyone under 18 must ensure that passenger is belted, boosted, or in a child seat wherever they're seated.

4. A pregnant driver is putting on her seat belt before driving. Where should the lap belt be positioned?

High on the waist, above the belly
Across the belly
It should be left unbuckled until after delivery
As low on the pelvis as possible

Answer: D — As low on the pelvis as possible

Pregnant women should wear the lap belt as low on the pelvis as possible.

5. A driver is preparing to take a 6-year-old on a car ride in a car made after January 1, 1968. What must the child use?

A shoulder belt only
A child safety seat or booster
No restraint is required once a child can sit still
A lap belt only, no booster needed

Answer: B — A child safety seat or booster

All children under 8 must ride in a child safety seat or booster in vehicles made after January 1, 1968.

6. Parents are installing a car seat for their newborn. Which direction should the seat face?

Rear-facing only for the first 6 months
Either direction, as long as it is a booster seat
Rear-facing, from birth until at least age 2 or as long as the seat allows
Forward-facing, so the baby can see the road

Answer: C — Rear-facing, from birth until at least age 2 or as long as the seat allows

Children ride rear-facing from birth to 2 years or as long as the seat allows.

7. A pickup truck has no back seat, and the driver has switched off the front passenger air bag. Can a rear-facing child seat be installed in the front?

No, unless the child is also wearing a lap belt
No, rear-facing seats can never go in the front
Yes — the vehicle has no back seat and the passenger air bag is turned off
Yes, but only if the child is over 2

Answer: C — Yes — the vehicle has no back seat and the passenger air bag is turned off

A rear-facing seat may go in the front only when the vehicle has no back seat and the passenger air bag is absent or turned off.

8. A driver is convicted for a second time of failing to properly secure a child in a required safety seat. What fine applies?

$500
$100
$250
$50

Answer: A — $500

The fine is $50 for a first offense and $500 for a second or later offense.

9. A family wants to let their 14-year-old ride in the bed of a pickup truck under a camper shell for a short drive. Is this allowed?

No, unless a licensed adult rides in the bed with the child
Yes, if the camper shell is attached
No, children under 16 may never ride in a pickup bed, even under a camper shell
Yes, for trips under a few miles

Answer: C — No, children under 16 may never ride in a pickup bed, even under a camper shell

Children under 16 may never ride in a pickup bed, even under a camper shell.

10. A parent wants to know if their child can stop using a booster seat. Which of these shows the seat belt now fits properly without one?

The lap belt lies snugly across the upper thighs, the shoulder belt crosses the shoulder and chest, and the child sits upright with feet flat on the floor
The shoulder belt is tucked behind the child's back to keep it off the neck
The child is tall enough to see over the dashboard
The lap belt rests across the stomach and the child slouches comfortably

Answer: A — The lap belt lies snugly across the upper thighs, the shoulder belt crosses the shoulder and chest, and the child sits upright with feet flat on the floor

A child can ride without a booster once the lap belt lies snugly across the upper thighs, the shoulder belt crosses the shoulder and chest, and the child sits upright with feet flat on the floor.

11. A driver's privilege has been revoked. Once the revocation period ends, what must they do to drive again?

Only retake the vision screening
Simply pay a reinstatement fee
Wait 90 days with no further action needed
Reapply, prove legal presence, and pass the vision screening, two-part knowledge exam, and road test

Answer: D — Reapply, prove legal presence, and pass the vision screening, two-part knowledge exam, and road test

After a revocation, the driver must reapply, prove legal presence, and pass the vision screening, two-part knowledge exam, and road test.

12. A driver's license was already expired for more than a year by the time their suspension ended. Besides paying fees and proving legal presence, what else must they do to reinstate?

Attend a driver improvement clinic within 90 days
Nothing else is required
Serve an additional 90-day suspension
Pass the knowledge, road, and vision exams

Answer: D — Pass the knowledge, road, and vision exams

If the license expired a year or more during the suspension, the driver must also pass the knowledge, road, and vision exams.

13. A driver is convicted of manslaughter involving a vehicle. Is suspension or revocation mandatory or discretionary?

Only a fine applies, no suspension
Mandatory — the court or DMV will suspend or revoke
It depends on whether the driver has a clean record
Discretionary — the court may choose not to act

Answer: B — Mandatory — the court or DMV will suspend or revoke

Manslaughter with a vehicle is on the mandatory list: the court or DMV will suspend or revoke.

14. A driver refuses a blood or breath test when stopped. Is a court required to suspend or revoke the license for this, or does it have discretion?

The court is required to act
Only DMV can act, not the court
The court has discretion — it may suspend or revoke
No suspension or revocation is possible for a refusal

Answer: C — The court has discretion — it may suspend or revoke

Refusing a blood or breath test is on the discretionary list: the court may suspend or revoke.

15. A driver with a required ignition interlock device drives a vehicle without one installed. What happens?

A warning is issued for the first offense
The court may or may not act, depending on the circumstances
The court or DMV will suspend or revoke the license
Only a fine is imposed, with no effect on the license

Answer: C — The court or DMV will suspend or revoke the license

Driving without a required ignition interlock is on the mandatory list, so the court or DMV will suspend or revoke.

16. A 16-year-old driver receives a third conviction carrying demerit points. What penalty follows?

A driver improvement clinic only
Revocation for one year or until they turn 18, whichever is longer
A permanent revocation with no chance of reinstatement
A 90-day suspension

Answer: B — Revocation for one year or until they turn 18, whichever is longer

A third demerit-point conviction under 18 brings revocation for one year or until 18, whichever is longer.

17. A 17-year-old driver receives their first conviction carrying demerit points. What must happen within 90 days to avoid a suspension?

Payment of a fine only
A road test retake
Attendance at a driver improvement clinic
A 90-day suspension automatically, regardless of action taken

Answer: C — Attendance at a driver improvement clinic

Under 18, any demerit-point conviction requires attending a driver improvement clinic within 90 days or the privilege is suspended.

18. An adult driver accumulates 18 demerit points within 12 months. What penalty applies?

A warning letter with no further action
A 90-day suspension plus the driver improvement clinic
A driver improvement clinic only, no suspension
Revocation for one year

Answer: B — A 90-day suspension plus the driver improvement clinic

18 points in 12 months (or 24 in 24) brings a 90-day suspension plus the clinic.

19. A driver's license was suspended after a DMV medical review. To reinstate it, must they submit legal-presence documents again?

Only if the suspension lasted more than a year
No, reinstatement after a medical suspension needs no legal-presence documents
Yes, exactly as with any other suspension
Only non-citizens must resubmit them

Answer: B — No, reinstatement after a medical suspension needs no legal-presence documents

Reinstatement after a medical suspension needs no legal-presence documents, unlike other suspensions.

20. A vehicle owner registers a car without carrying liability insurance. What must they pay instead?

A $100 processing fee
Nothing, as long as they get insurance within 30 days
A $500 uninsured motor vehicle fee
A $1,000 restitution fee

Answer: C — A $500 uninsured motor vehicle fee

Registering a vehicle requires certifying liability insurance or paying the $500 uninsured motor vehicle fee.

21. A parent falls 100 days behind on court-ordered child support, owing $6,000. What can Child Support Enforcement do?

Only refer the case to a collections agency
Nothing until the debt reaches $10,000
Order a license suspension — being 90 days or $5,000 behind is enough
Suspend the license only after a criminal conviction

Answer: C — Order a license suspension — being 90 days or $5,000 behind is enough

Child Support Enforcement orders a suspension when a parent is 90 days or $5,000 behind.

22. By driving on Virginia's public roads, a driver has already legally agreed to what?

Waiving the right to a jury trial for any traffic offense
Carrying proof of a completed driver improvement clinic
Submitting to a breath test if requested by police
Paying a mandatory $500 fine if ever stopped

Answer: C — Submitting to a breath test if requested by police

Under implied consent, driving on Virginia's public roads means agreeing to a breath test on request.

23. After a crash, an officer with probable cause wants to arrest a driver for DUI without first getting a warrant. Within how many hours of the crash must this happen?

Six hours
Twelve hours
One hour
Three hours

Answer: D — Three hours

An officer with probable cause may arrest a driver for DUI within three hours of a crash without a warrant.

24. A driver is charged with a first DUI offense after blowing .08 or higher. How long is the automatic Administrative License Suspension?

30 days
Seven days
24 hours
60 days

Answer: B — Seven days

Administrative License Suspension is automatic for a first offense and lasts seven days.

25. An officer stops a driver and finds a partially emptied alcohol container within the driver's reach, including in an unlocked glove box, along with signs that the driver has been drinking. What can the driver be charged with?

Nothing, since the container was not being actively consumed
Public intoxication only, not a driving offense
A parking violation only
Drinking while driving

Answer: D — Drinking while driving

A partially emptied open container within the driver's reach plus signs of drinking supports a drinking-while-driving charge.

26. A driver is convicted of DUI while a 15-year-old passenger is in the vehicle. What penalty is added to the standard DUI penalty?

80 hours of community service, with no jail time
A mandatory five-day jail term and a $500 to $1,000 fine
A $2,500 fine, with no jail time
An automatic license revocation with no eligibility for reinstatement

Answer: B — A mandatory five-day jail term and a $500 to $1,000 fine

A DUI with a passenger 17 or younger adds a mandatory five-day jail term and a $500 to $1,000 fine.

27. A driver whose license is suspended for an alcohol offense is caught driving anyway. What happens to the vehicle immediately, before any conviction?

It is impounded for 30 days
It is impounded for 90 days
It is only ticketed, with no impoundment until conviction
It is released to a licensed family member

Answer: A — It is impounded for 30 days

Driving on a license suspended for an alcohol offense means immediate 30-day impoundment, plus 90 more days on conviction.

28. A 19-year-old is convicted of driving after drinking, with a BAC of .05. What penalty applies?

The same adult DUI penalties as a .08 BAC
A fake-ID penalty, since they are under 21
No penalty, since .05 is below the legal limit
A one-year suspension and a minimum $500 fine or at least 50 hours of community service

Answer: D — A one-year suspension and a minimum $500 fine or at least 50 hours of community service

A BAC of .02 to under .08 for an underage driver brings a one-year suspension and a minimum $500 fine or at least 50 hours of community service.

29. An adult sells alcohol to a person under 21. If convicted, what is the maximum fine they can face?

$1,000
$2,500
$500
$5,000

Answer: B — $2,500

Providing or selling alcohol to anyone under 21 brings a fine up to $2,500, a suspension up to one year, and 12 months in jail.

30. A 20-year-old uses a fake ID to buy alcohol. What is the minimum fine they face if convicted?

$1,000
$500
$100
$2,500

Answer: B — $500

Using a fake ID to drink or buy alcohol brings a fine of at least $500.