Vermont Driver Licensing Law
Obtaining a Vermont Learner Permit
The first step in the three-part Vermont Graduated Driver License Program is obtaining a Learner Permit. Learner Permits are available to residents 15 years and older. This phase of the program is designed to give the driver a chance to practice road skills while being supervised by a licensed parent or guardian, driver education instructor, or person at least 25 years old.
To qualify for a Vermont Learner Permit, applicants must:
- Show proof of Vermont residency, proof of identity (primary and secondary), and proof of date and place of birth
- Obtain a parent's or legal guardian's permission, as well as their signature
- Provide a Social Security number
- Make an appointment for an exam
- Pass vision and written tests
Drivers must possess the Learner Permit for at least one year and complete driver's education. In that time, it is required that permit holders complete 40 hours of behind-the-wheel practice driving with a supervising adult sitting in the passenger seat. Ten hours must be during the night.
Obtaining a Junior Operator License
Once all of the Learner Permit requirements have been met, 16- and 17-year-olds will become eligible to apply for a Junior Operator License. To qualify for this license, applicants must provide:
- An unexpired Learner Permit
- A driver education certificate
- A completed log sheet chronicling the 40 hours of practice driving, signed by a parent or guardian
- The same documentation required when applying for the Learner Permit
Before being awarded the Junior Operator License, drivers will be required to pass a road skills test. Applicants are required to bring their own clean, insured, and registered vehicle on test day. If the test is passed, the driver will be subject to the following restrictions while in possession of a Junior Operator License:
- During the first three months: licensees may only drive alone or with a licensed parent or guardian, driver education instructor, or individual 25 or older.
- During the second three months: licensees may begin transporting immediate family members.
- After six months: licensees are no longer subject to passenger restrictions, besides not being permitted to transport more passengers than the car has seat belts.
Drivers are not eligible to obtain an Operator's License until they reach their 18th birthday.
Texting While Driving
Vermont recently enacted a law prohibiting all adults from texting while driving. The penalties for teens caught texting behind the wheel are greater than those for adults.
For anyone under the age of 18:
- Texting (1st Offense): $100 + surcharge & 15%= $156.00, 2 points on license, and 30 day recall of license/permit
- Texting (2nd/Subsequent Adjudication in a 2-year period): $250 + surcharge & 15% = $329.00, 5 points on license or permit, 30-day recall of license/permit
Need more information on state laws? Learn more about the laws where you live.
Note: Our attorneys are licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, and Virginia. This information is not intended to solicit clients for matters outside of the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia, although if you are injured in an accident, we have relationships with other personal injury attorneys and lawyers throughout the United States.