"Having a license is a privilege; one that is earned by demonstrating your driving skills in a manner that shows you are a proficient and safe driver." - Bonnie L. Rutledge, Commissioner
Vermont has a 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.
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. 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.
If you are driving without insurance and any of the following happen, your license will be taken away by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles until you get insurance.
If you live in Vermont and have a vehicle that you want to drive on the roads, you must register it. If you live in another state and are in Vermont on vacation or are just passing through you do not have to register in Vermont. If you are moving to Vermont from another state, you must register your vehicle within 60 days of moving into the state.
It is against the 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 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.
The drinking driver is the number one cause of fatal traffic crashes both in Vermont and nationally. Nearly 50% of all fatal collisions in Vermont are alcohol related.
The ultimate intent of Vermont's point system, as defined in Chapter 25 of the vehicle code, is to remove dangerous drivers from the road. Points range from one to 10 and are added to your record every time you get convicted of a moving violation. If you accrue 10 or more points within a two-year span, you will be notified by mail that your license has been suspended.
| Points | Type of Violation |
|---|
| 2 | § 601. License required; § 602. Exceptions for farm tractors and highway equipment |
| 2 | § 611. Possession of license certificate; |
| 2 | § 612. Restrictions of license; |
| 2 | § 614. Rights under license; |
| 2 | § 615. Unlicensed operators; |
| 2 | §1004. Interstate highway regulatins; |
| 2 | §1008. Regulations in municipalities; |
| 2 | §1009. Restrictions on controlled-access roadway; |
| 2 | §§ 1021 and 1022. Failure to obey traffic-control signals; |
| 2 | § 1024. Failure to obey flashing signals; |
| 2 | § 1026. Failure to obey lane control signals; |
| 2 | § 1031. Illegal driving to right; |
| 2 | § 1032. Failure to keep to the right of center when meeting oncoming traffic; |
| 2 | § 1037. One-way roadways and rotaries; |
| 2 | § 1038. Driving on roadways laned for traffic; |
| 2 | § 1041. Restricted access roadways; |
| 2 | § 1046. Failure to yield right-of-way at intersection; |
| 2 | § 1047. Failure to turn to left properly; |
| 2 | § 1048. Failure to stop or yield at intersections; |
| 2 | § 1049. Failure of vehicle to yield right-of-way when entering from private road; |
| 2 | § 1053. Failure to exercise due care; |
| 2 | § 1059. Driving through safety zone; |
| 2 | § 1061. Illegal turning at intersections; |
| 2 | § 1062. Turning prohibited; |
| 2 | § 1063. Unsafe starting of parked vehicle; |
| 2 | § 1064. Failure to use required signals; |
| 2 | § 1065. Improper use of hand signals; |
| 2 | § 1071. Illegal driving on or near railroad grade crossing; |
| 2 | § 1072. Failure to stop at railroad crossings; |
| 2 | § 1073. Improper crossing at a railroad grade by heavy equipment; |
| 2 | § 1074. Improper emerging from driveway; |
| 2 | § 1081. Basic rule and maximum limits; |
| 2 | § 1082. Slow-moving vehicles; |
| 2 | § 1083. Special speed limitations; |
| 2 | § 1092. Damaging surface of road; |
| 2 | § 1093. Smokescreen device; |
| 2 | § 1095. Operating with television set installed; |
| 2 | § 1113. Illegal backing; |
| 2 | § 1114. Illegal riding on motorcycles; |
| 2 | § 1115. Illegal operation of motorcycles on roadways laned for traffic; |
| 2 | § 1116. Clinging to other vehicles; |
| 2 | § 1117. Illegal footrests and handlebars; |
| 2 | § 1118. Obstructing the driver's view; |
| 2 | § 1119. Improper opening and closing vehicle doors; |
| 2 | § 1121. Coasting prohibited; |
| 2 | § 1122. Following fire apparatus prohibited; |
| 2 | § 1123. Driving over fire hose; |
| 2 | § 1124. Position of operator; |
| 2 | § 1127. Unsafe control in presence of horses and cattle; |
| 2 | § 1131. Failure to give warning signal; |
| 2 | § 1132. Illegal driving on sidewalk; |
| 2 | § 1243. Lighting requirements; |
| 2 | § 1256. Motorcycle headgear; |
| 2 | § 1257. Face protection; |
| 2 | § 800. Operating without financial responsibility; |
| 2 | All other moving violations which have no specified points; |
| 3 | § 1033. Illegal passing on the left; |
| 3 | § 1034. Illegal passing on the right; |
| 3 | § 1035. Limitations on passing; |
| 3 | § 1036. No passing zone; |
| 3 | § 1039. Following too closely; |
| 3 | § 1040. Improper driving on divided highway; |
| 4 | § 1012. Failure to obey enforcement officer; |
| 4 | § 1013. Authority of enforcement officers; |
| 4 | § 1051. Failure to yield to pedestrian; |
| 4 | § 1057. Failure to yield to blind persons; |
| 5 | § 1050. Failure to yield to emergency vehicles; |
| 5 | § 1075. Illegal passing of school bus; |
| 5 | § 676. Operating after suspension, revocation or refusal - civil violation; |
| 10 | § 674. Operating after suspension or revocation of license; |
| 10 | § 1091. Negligent operation; |
| 10 | § 1094. Operation without owner's consent and aggravated operation without owner's consent; |
| 10 | § 1128. Failure to stop when involved in an accident; |
| 10 | § 1133. Attempting to elude a police officer; |
| 2 | State speed zones and local speed limits, less than 10 miles per hour over and in excess of speed limit; |
| 3 | State speed zones and local speed limits, more than 10 miles per hour over and in excess of speed limit; |
| 5 | State speed zones and local speed limits, more than 20 miles per hour over and in excess of speed limit; |
| 8 | State speed zones and local speed limits, more than 30 miles per hour over and in excess of the speed limit. |