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What Counts as Night Driving in Virginia?
You need 15 night hours in Virginia. The tricky part isn’t the driving. It’s knowing when your hours actually count as “night.”
Virginia’s Night Driving Definition
Virginia defines night as sunset to sunrise. No fixed clock time. The sun goes down, night starts. The sun comes up, night ends.
This means night hours shift throughout the year. In December, sunset might be around 5 PM. In June, it could be past 8:30 PM. The same 7 PM drive counts as night in winter but not in summer.
If you’re tracking on paper, you need to look up your local sunset time before every drive. Most people don’t. Moda checks it automatically using your phone’s GPS location.
What This Means for Your 15 Night Hours
Virginia wants 15 hours of driving during the night window defined above. Out of your total 45 required hours, that’s the part most families put off.
Night drives are stressful. Parents don’t love being in the passenger seat when visibility drops. Teens are less confident. So the night hours pile up at the end and you’re scrambling.
Don’t save night hours for the end. Work them in early. A short drive after dinner twice a week gets you there faster than you’d think.
The Winter Shortcut
Since Virginia uses sunset-based night hours, winter is your friend. The sun sets around 5 PM in December. A 5:30 PM drive that feels like early evening? That’s a night hour.
In June, you’d have to wait until almost 9 PM for the same drive to count. If you’re trying to finish night hours quickly, do them between November and February.
Virginia Permit Requirements Quick Reference
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Total supervised hours | 45 |
| Day hours | 30 |
| Night hours | 15 |
| Night definition | Sunset to sunrise |
| Minimum permit age | 15 and a half |
| Permit hold period | 9 months |
| Supervisor minimum age | 21 |
Tracking Night Hours in Virginia
Since Virginia’s night definition is tied to sunset, you need to know the exact sunset time for your location every time you drive. That changes daily.
Moda checks sunset and sunrise times for your GPS coordinates every session. It tags day and night automatically. You don’t look anything up, and your log is accurate when you hand it to the DMV.
For full Virginia permit requirements, see our Virginia permit hours guide.