Auto Mechanic Schools in Virginia Beach and Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads has 4 ASE-accredited automotive programs you can join as an adult. Richmond has one. They sit in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Hampton, all within 25 miles of Virginia Beach. One of them, Tidewater Community College’s Regional Automotive Center in Chesapeake, runs four manufacturer programs under one roof. The metro employs 3,560 automotive service technicians; Richmond employs 2,930. The median wage here is $58,290 (BLS, May 2025).
This page covers Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton and Newport News. It lists every accredited program in the area and what each one leads to. It also shows what technicians here earn and how ASE certification works once you are on the job. Accreditation dates come from the ASE Education Foundation. Wages come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 survey for the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro.
Accredited automotive programs you can enroll in as an adult
ASE accreditation means the ASE Education Foundation has checked the program’s tools, hours and curriculum against what repair shops need. It re-checks on a schedule. The expiry date is the end of the current cycle. A date two or more years away means the school passed a full review recently. Confirm the status with the school before you apply.
| School | Location | Accredited programs | Notes | Accreditation expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tidewater Community College | Chesapeake, VA | Automobile (Ford ASSET, Honda PACT, Mopar CAP, Toyota T-TEN); Medium/Heavy Duty Truck | 2027-06-01 | |
| Tidewater Community College- Chesapeake Career Center | Chesapeake, VA | Collision Repair and Refinishing | open to high-school and adult students | 2029-06-01 |
| Virginia Peninsula Community College | Hampton, VA | Automobile | 2029-04-01 | |
| Advanced Technology Institute | Virginia Beach, VA | Automobile | 2028-11-01 |
Advanced Technology Institute, Virginia Beach
ATI is the only private technical institute on this list. It is also the only accredited program inside Virginia Beach that takes adult students, at 5700 Southern Boulevard, Virginia Beach, VA 23462. Its Automotive Technology program runs as a diploma in 15 months or an associate degree in 18 months. A Diesel Mechanic Training program runs on the same two tracks. ATI is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) and certified to operate by SCHEV, the state’s higher education council. Its Automobile program holds ASE accreditation to 2028-11-01. Program details are from auto.edu, read September 2026. We have a separate page on ATI.
Tidewater Community College Regional Automotive Center, Chesapeake
TCC’s Regional Automotive Center is at 600 Innovation Drive. It holds ASE accreditation for its Automobile program and its Medium/Heavy Duty Truck program, both to 2027-06-01. It is the only campus in Virginia with four manufacturer programs: Ford ASSET, Toyota T-TEN, Mopar CAP (Stellantis) and Honda PACT. In a manufacturer program you take the college coursework and spend paid work terms at a sponsoring dealership. You finish with the brand’s own certification on top of the college credential. Each brand has its own application through the dealer as well as the college. Ask TCC’s automotive department how to find a sponsoring dealer before you apply.
Virginia Peninsula Community College, Hampton
Virginia Peninsula Community College, formerly Thomas Nelson, is at 99 Thomas Nelson Drive in Hampton. Its Automobile program holds ASE accreditation to 2029-04-01. If you live in Hampton, Newport News or Williamsburg, this is the accredited option on your side of the water. No tunnel or bridge at rush hour.
Collision repair at the Chesapeake Career Center
TCC runs a Collision Repair and Refinishing program at the Chesapeake Career Center, 1617 Cedar Road. It takes both high-school and adult students. It holds ASE accreditation to 2029-06-01. It is the one accredited body-shop program in Hampton Roads open to adults. Body repair is the best-paid automotive trade here at the top end (see the wage table below).
Tidewater Tech, Norfolk
Tidewater Tech is a private trade school in Norfolk. Its Auto Technician program runs at the main campus, 4535 E. Princess Anne Road, Norfolk, VA 23502. A full-time student can finish in 48 weeks. The school is accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education (COE). Its auto program is not on the ASE Education Foundation’s accredited list, which is why it is not in the table above. The school says students can earn student ASE certification after completing specific courses. It also teaches welding, HVAC and building trades. Program details are from tidewatertechtrades.edu, read September 2026.
High-school automotive programs in Hampton Roads
If you are still in high school, 4 centers in the area run ASE-accredited automotive programs. The ones marked AYES follow the Automotive Youth Educational Systems model. That is an accredited high-school program paired with a paid internship at a local dealership. It is built so you can move straight into a dealer job or a college program like TCC’s. Ask your school counselor how to enroll.
| Center | Location | Program area | Model | Accreditation expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesapeake Career Center | Chesapeake, VA | Automobile | AYES | 2029-02-01 |
| New Horizons Regional Education Center | Hampton, VA | Automobile | AYES | 2028-06-01 |
| New Horizons Regional Education Center | Hampton, VA | Collision Repair and Refinishing | AYES | 2028-12-01 |
| The College and Career Academy at Pruden | Suffolk, VA | Automobile | AYES | 2030-11-01 |
| The College and Career Academy at Pruden | Suffolk, VA | Collision Repair and Refinishing | 2027-07-01 | |
| Virginia Beach Technical & Career Education Center | Virginia Beach, VA | Automobile | AYES | 2028-11-01 |
| Virginia Beach Technical & Career Education Center | Virginia Beach, VA | Collision Repair and Refinishing | 2030-11-01 |
What automotive technicians earn in Hampton Roads
These figures are the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro. The 10th percentile is roughly where trained entry-level technicians start; the 90th is what experienced, certified technicians reach.
| Occupation | Employed in the metro | Median | 10th percentile | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics | 3,560 | $58,290 | $36,460 | $80,110 |
| Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists | 1,360 | $59,200 | $43,720 | $73,800 |
| Automotive Body and Related Repairers | 820 | $60,100 | $36,900 | $123,130 |
The Virginia state median for automotive service technicians is $59,330, so Hampton Roads pays a little under the state figure at the middle of the range. Diesel and truck work starts higher. The 10th percentile for bus and truck mechanics here is $43,720, against $36,460 for general technicians. That is the wage band ATI’s Diesel Mechanic Training program and TCC’s truck program point at. Body repair has the widest spread. The median is $60,100, and the 90th percentile of $123,130 is the highest top-end figure of any automotive trade in the metro.
ASE certification once you are working
ASE accreditation applies to schools. ASE certification applies to you. The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence certifies working technicians by exam, one specialty at a time: engine repair, brakes, electrical systems, heating and air conditioning, and so on. A repair technician test needs one, two or three years of hands-on work experience, depending on the test. ASE gives credit toward that requirement for relevant formal training, so time in one of the accredited programs above shortens the wait. The current rules and the work experience form are on ase.com. Dealerships and fleet shops use the certifications as the pay ladder. That is why the wage table above spreads so widely between the 10th and 90th percentiles.
Requirements to work as a mechanic in Virginia
Virginia does not license general auto mechanics. You need a valid driver’s license to move customers’ vehicles. Many employers ask for ASE certification or a clean driving record on top of it. Beyond that, the credential that matters is the one the school gives you, plus the ASE tests you pass once you are working.
ASE-accredited automotive programs near Virginia Beach
The 12 schools below hold current accreditation from the ASE Education Foundation, the body that sets the standard for automotive training in the United States. Accredited means the program has been checked against what shops actually need and is re-checked on a schedule. Distances are measured from Virginia Beach.
| School | City | Distance | Programs accredited |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Technology Institute | Virginia Beach, VA | 5 mi | Automobile (post-secondary) |
| Virginia Beach Technical & Career Education Center | Virginia Beach, VA | 5 mi | Automobile, Collision Repair and Refinishing (high school) |
| Tidewater Community College | Chesapeake, VA | 6 mi | Automobile, Medium/Heavy Duty Truck (post-secondary) |
| Chesapeake Career Center | Chesapeake, VA | 11 mi | Automobile (high school) |
| Tidewater Community College- Chesapeake Career Center | Chesapeake, VA | 11 mi | Collision Repair and Refinishing (post-secondary) |
| Virginia Peninsula Community College | Hampton, VA | 23 mi | Automobile (post-secondary) |
| New Horizons Regional Education Center | Hampton, VA | 24 mi | Automobile, Collision Repair and Refinishing (high school) |
| The College and Career Academy at Pruden | Suffolk, VA | 28 mi | Automobile, Collision Repair and Refinishing (high school) |
| Currituck County High School | Barco, NC | 30 mi | Automobile (high school) |
| Northeastern High School | Elizabeth City, NC | 36 mi | Automobile (high school) |
| Gloucester High School | Gloucester, VA | 46 mi | Automobile (high school) |
| Perquimans High School | Hertford, NC | 46 mi | Automobile (high school) |
Accreditation status is taken from the ASE Education Foundation. Programs whose accreditation has expired are excluded. Check current status with the school before you apply.
More automotive training pages for Virginia
- Auto mechanic schools in Virginia: every accredited program in the state, with the full wage tables
- Auto mechanic schools in Richmond
- Advanced Technology Institute: our profile of the Virginia Beach school
Sources
- ASE Education Foundation, accredited program search, data collected July 2026
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metropolitan area and Virginia statewide, occupations 49-3023, 49-3031 and 49-3021
- Advanced Technology Institute, Programs, auto.edu/programs/, read September 2026
- Tidewater Tech, Auto Technician program and About pages, tidewatertechtrades.edu, read September 2026