Special Licenses in Virginia

Special licenses are issued to people with certain occupations and under certain situations in Virginia. If you want to transport goods or people in Virginia, and then make sure you have a valid special license. Whether you need to drive a taxi, shuttle or bus, or sports vehicle or act as a chauffeur, then Virginia DMV needs to have the information you would need to get a valid license and stay legally inside the state. You can visit DMV special licenses pages to know which license you would need and how to qualify for the special license, the forms to fill in, and the fee you need to pay for it here

Virginia DMV

Virginia DMV, just like any other State DMV is the private organization under the Federal Government which helps the public in getting their Drivers License. They also offer services like address proof verification, distributing application forms, collecting fees, distributing DMV handbook and other pamphlets, eye examination, clicking head shot photo for the identity card, collecting and validating your legal presence documents, renewing licenses, conducting written tests for various license types and behind the wheels driving test which is the road test for various license types. Virginia DMV is well organized in right from the process of maintaining the candidates’ applications to issuing licenses

Bus Licenses

There are quite a few requirements when you are aspiring to drive a bus and need to get a valid license for the same. For this you should have a passenger endorsement on your CDL . For getting this endorsement on your license, you should pass the general knowledge written test, pass the written test for passengers, and also pass the air brakes exam in case your bus is going to be equipped with air brakes. Last but not the least; you should also pass the driving skills test in order to be eligible for the CDL License with Bus endorsement. You need not display a placard for this unless the hazardous materials are being transported in the vehicle. Every school district has their own rules and requirements for age and years. Make sure you visit or go through their website in particular to figure out what are the exact requirements and what documents do they need in order to apply for the bus license.

Sports Vehicles

Vehicles such as all terrain vehicles (ATVs) and Personal Watercraft (PWC) are quite commonly maintained sports vehicles in anyone’s home.

In case of all terrain vehicles (ATVs) there are 2 conditions which need to be followed in order to get the special license for this sports vehicle. Below are the 2 conditions which need to be satisfied.

• Riders below 12 years of age are not permitted
• Riders whose age is between 12 to 16 are also restricted from using the ATVs which are less than 70cc and more than 90cc.

For Personal Watercraft (PWC) vehicles there are some more conditions and they are pretty strict in this case because water sports can be dangerous at times if proper precautions are not taken.

• Under 14 years children are not allowed to operate PWC
• Children who are above 16 years of age need not complete the boating safety course in order to ride the PWC
• Children between 14 and 15 years of age are allowed to ride PWC, however make sure that they carry the boating safety course completion proof.

H3. Other Licenses

Shuttle bus or van as commonly called, taxi license, chauffeur license, etc are some other special licenses which anyone can easily apply for. In case you are carrying less than 16 passengers in your van or the shuttle bus, you would not need the Commercial Drivers License (CDL). In such cases you will need just the regular driver’s license. Any other requirements like age, driving record, etc depends on the DMV location you visit. Taxi license or the hack licenses are usually not handled by the DMV, instead municipal governments and local police departments handle this case.

Eligibility to apply to these special licenses is almost the same as in any licenses. Make sure you follow the DMV site regularly for any updates or changes in the licensing process. All the documents need to submit on time and eye exam need to be cleared at the DMV.
The process for applying and getting the special license is also much similar process. The candidate will have to give a head shot photo after completing the application form, passing the eye exam and paying the fees. Once you are done with this, you need to write the written test and clear it. After you clear the written test, make sure you book an appointment for the road test and clear it. In the road test or behind the wheels driving test as most commonly called, you will be tested for the traffic rules, safety driving and traffic signals. Once you clear the test you will be issued your Special driver’s license.