Legislation proposes stricter penalty for Virginia vehicle owners who let unlicensed teens drive

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Lawmakers will consider a bill in January that aims to stop unlicensed minors from operating a vehicle by charging the vehicle owner with a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Tammy McGee, whose son died in a 2019 car accident after an unlicensed and underage teen driver crashed the car he was in, has become an outspoken advocate for safe driving laws. She is now working with lawmakers, including Del. W. Chad Green, R-York, to create accountability for parents and adults regarding driver safety for teenagers with House Bill 1549.

“It’s another tool that law enforcement would have to hold parents responsible,” Green told the Mercury. “Maybe with this change in law, parents and adults will say, ‘hey, we’re not going to let this happen,’ and it could end up saving some lives.”

Under current state law, owners only face a penalty if they knowingly allow someone whose driver’s license, learner’s permit, or privilege to drive a motor vehicle has been suspended or revoked to drive a vehicle.

If the General Assembly and the governor approve the new bill, vehicle owners could face a one-year jail sentence and a $2,500 fine.