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Vermont driver's license

Get your first license in Vermont after moving to the US.

How it goes

  1. 1
    You arriveYou have moved to Vermont and you want to drive here.
  2. 2
    Your permitYou practice on the road with a learner permit.
  3. 3
    The written testYou take the written test.
  4. 4
    Behind the wheelYou take the drive test behind the wheel.
  5. Your licenseYou pass the tests, and the license is yours.

What it costs

A first license

$23 for the operator's license examination.

  • $62 for a four-year operator's license or privilege card.

  • $39 for a two-year operator's license or privilege card.

  • $39

  • $23 for the road test, for both Real ID and Non-Real ID.

  • Fees differ by credential type and how long the license is valid.

You pay this when you apply.

If you just arrived in the US

Your immigration status

Vermont offers a Driver's Privilege Card (DPC), a license or permit that is not Real ID compliant.

  • A Real ID or EDL requires proof of lawful status with at least 30 days remaining before the proof expires. The Driver Privilege Card does not require lawful status or U.S. citizenship.

  • The graduated pathway goes from a Permit to a Junior License to a Full License.

Foreign documents with no expiry date

A license from Taiwan needs a notarized translation issued by Taiwan's Directorate General of Highways, with authentication through TECO-Boston (617-259-1350); that document, not the card's dates, shows the license is not expired. Licenses from every other country go through the knowledge and road tests, where the card's dates decide nothing.

If your license from another state has expired

If it expired less than three years ago, an eye examination is the only test required, and the license is surrendered when your Vermont license is issued.

  • Bring it if it is valid or expired less than three years ago; it is surrendered when your Vermont license is issued.

Documents you need

  • Documents that are still validA valid, unexpired passport; a certified birth certificate; a Permanent Resident Card (I-551); a consular identification document; a Consular Report of Birth Abroad; a Certificate of Naturalization; a Certificate of Citizenship; or a REAL ID license or identification card. No general grace period for expired identity documents is published.

Your Social Security Number

Giving your number, and who may see it

Giving your Social Security number is mandatory under federal law, which allows its use to administer motor-vehicle, tax, and child-support laws and to identify the people those laws affect. The DMV verifies your name, date of birth, and SSN electronically with the Social Security Administration.

  • The DMV is not allowed to use biometric identifiers to identify applicants for licenses or permits.

  • The DMV verifies your name, date of birth, and SSN electronically with the Social Security Administration.

Tests you take

Eye test

The Commissioner can also require an oral eye examination at their discretion.

  • The examiner tests how well you see with a vision-screening device; the standard is 20/40. If you do not pass, you are referred at your own expense to a licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist, whose evaluation determines any restrictions on your driving privilege.

Drive test

A thorough road test is part of the required examination.

  • It covers pre-trip inspection, parking, turning, and lane use.

  • Yes

Tries you get on the written test

If you fail, you must wait at least one day before retaking the test.

  • A failed test means waiting at least one day before taking another one.

Practice questions for the written test

The state provides the Driver's Manual and practice tests as study materials.

  • The Driver's Manual is the official study resource and covers everything needed for a learner permit.

  • For the CDL exam, Vermont's public and school libraries provide access to Gale Presents: Peterson's Test and Career Prep, which includes tutorials and practice tests.

Using an interpreter

You can call 802-828-2000 for language assistance or reasonable accommodations with in-person DMV services.

  • You can bring an interpreter of your choice to the oral examination or road test, including to translate the oral commands given during the road test.

Practising with your permit

Who can sit with you while you practise

A licensed adult must ride in the front seat while you drive on a learner's permit.

  • A licensed, unimpaired parent or guardian, a licensed or certified unimpaired driver education instructor, or a licensed, unimpaired person 25 or older must ride in the front seat; with one of them there, you can drive anywhere, anytime in Vermont. Carry your permit or its valid temporary receipt.

  • If you arrive at the exam office by driving illegally — on a permit without a licensed, unimpaired parent or guardian, driver education instructor, or licensed driver 25 or older in the front seat — you will not be tested that day.

What to bring to the drive test

Who comes with you

The examiner rides with you during the road test. No animals are allowed in the vehicle.

The car and its insurance

Proof of insurance is required, and it must state the insurance carrier, the start and end dates of coverage, the insured's name, and the vehicle's description including its vehicle identification number.

  • The examiner can refuse a car whose interior condition is not acceptable for testing.

  • The car must be properly equipped, in good mechanical condition, and properly registered and inspected, or the driving test will not be given.

  • It must be registered, inspected, and insured.

  • A rental car is allowed only with a letter from the rental company giving express permission to use it for the road test.

Where to go

Who gives the tests

Motorcycle rider training instructors can be authorized to give the motorcycle endorsement examination and skill test.

  • The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles. All exams are by appointment only.

  • Certified instructors at participating driving schools also give the DMV road test.

Booking an appointment

You can book an appointment at mydmv.vermont.gov or by calling 888-970-0357.

  • You can book an appointment at mydmv.vermont.gov.

Office locations

You can find DMV offices at dmv.vermont.gov/locations.

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Every source, quoted42 sources

Every fact on this page is quoted from the page that publishes it, in the words it uses.

Applying for a driver's license in Vermont?

Answer a few questions and see the steps that apply to you.

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