Vermont Driving Law

Information on Vermont driving law and Vermont traffic laws...

Crashes and What You Must Do

You must make a written report to the Department of Motor Vehicles within 72 hours if any person has been injured, or if the damage is over $1,000. This means damage to all property, not just your vehicle.

Under Vermont traffic laws, a crash report must also be made if it's a one-vehicle crash and the person injured is you, and the damage is only to your vehicle.

You still need to file a crash report if someone crashed into your vehicle when it was parked and you were not in it:

if anyone was hurt in the crash, or
if the total damage to all vehicles and property was over $1,000.

You can get a Vermont Crash Report at any Vermont Police Department, by contacting the Department of Motor Vehicles, 120 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05603-0001, by phone at 802.828.2050, online or by visiting any Vermont DMV office.

The Consequences of Impaired Driving

It is against Vermont driving law to drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The driver who has been drinking or using drugs does not have good control over himself/herself or the vehicle, and is a danger to his/her own life and the lives of others.

By definition of law, a driver who has had too much to drink is "impaired" or "under the influence."

Vermont driving law states that when a person's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is .08 or above, he/she is under the influence. The amount that a person can drink before becoming legally impaired depends upon the person's weight and the length of time in which the alcohol is consumed. It is important to remember that a person is impaired at blood alcohol concentration levels below .08.

People under the age of 21 who operate a vehicle with an alcohol concentration of .02 or more can receive a civil traffic violation. The person's driver license will be suspended for a period of time. In addition, they must complete an alcohol and driving education program at their own expense.

Note: Vermont has an administrative suspension process which means that you can lose your license through a civil process prior to a criminal DUI conviction.

If you are convicted of DUI, or driving after taking drugs, your license will be suspended in accordance with Vermont driving law. You must pay a large fine, you may go to jail and your insurance will increase.

Vermont has an "Implied Consent" Law - This means that when a person gets a license, that person is agreeing to say "yes" when asked to take a test to see how much alcohol or drugs are in the person's body. A police officer may ask a driver to take the test if the officer thinks the driver is impaired by alcohol or other drugs. If the driver refuses he/she must lose his/her driver's license for at least 6 months.

Financial Responsibility - Insurance

Vermont has another law that you should know about. The law is called "Maintenance of Financial Responsibility." This means that the vehicle you drive MUST be covered by liability insurance.

Liability and property damage is the most important type of automobile insurance you should have. It protects you against financial loss when bodily injury or property damage occurs.

In accordance with Vermont driving law, the amount of coverage MUST be at least $25,000 for death or injury of one person; $50,000 for death or injury of 2 or more persons; $10,000 for property damage.

You must carry a card from your insurance company in the vehicle that shows there is insurance coverage on the vehicle. If you are stopped by a police officer you will have to show the card. If you are going to take a driving test you will also have to show the card.

If a police officer stops you and asks to see your insurance card and you do not have insurance, the officer will give you a ticket. Under Vermont traffic laws, the fine is $100.00 and two points on your driving record.

If you have insurance on your vehicle and a police officer stops you, and you cannot show the card to the officer, you have 15 days to do so. The card you show the officer must say that you had insurance at the time the officer stopped you.

Your license will be taken away by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles until you get insurance if you are driving without insurance and any of the following happen:

You are in a crash, even if it isn’t your fault,
Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs,
Driving or taking another person's vehicle without the owner's consent,
Driving when your license is suspended, revoked, or refused,
Driving a vehicle in such a way as to cause the death of another person,
Leaving the scene of a crash.

You will have to prove to the Commissioner that you have insurance for a full 3 years.

The Vermont Point System

Points are put on your driving record each time you are found guilty of breaking a motor vehicle law. For example you are given points for the following offenses of Vermont driving law:

Speeding - 2-8 points depending on your speed over the speed limit.

Driving without a license - 2 points.

Failure to stop for a stop sign or red light - 2 points.

Failure to obey a police officer - 4 points.

Failure to yield the right of way to an ambulance, fire truck, police officer - 5 points.

Failure to yield the right of way to a pedestrian in a crosswalk - 4 points.

Failure to stop for a school bus that has stopped with the red warning lights flashing - 5 points.

When a driver receives a total of 10 points, a letter will be sent notifying the driver that his/her privilege to drive is to be suspended. A hearing may be requested to verify the convictions and the number of points accrued.

The number of points received within 2 years will determine how long your driving privilege will be suspended. The more points received - the longer the period of suspension.

Note: Points are not assessed for parking or defective equipment violations.

For more information on Vermont driving law, please visit the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles.

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