LAWS & REGULATIONS

Taking the guesswork out of laws and regulations simplifies life. Everything essential to driving and insuring in Vermont is included in this list, taking the guesswork out of the always-changing regulations.

Vermont’s Minimum Requirements for Car Insurance

• The Vermont Insurance Division has made it mandatory to insure every Vermont vehicle with Liability and Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists coverage’s.
• Liability minimums in Vermont:
  • $25,000 covers a person if he/she is injured or killed in an accident.
  • $50,000 covers an accident if there is more than one person injured or killed.
  • $25,000 covers property damage in an accident.
• Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist minimums:
  • $50,000 per person
  • $100,000 per accident
  • $10,000 for property damage

New Driver Licensing Requirements

• Any resident who operates a vehicle within the state must be licensed. New drivers under 18 years of age must complete the Graduated Driver License (GDL) program. The program, designed to enhance young drivers’ training, consists of 2 steps:
• The Learner’s Permit. Applicants from ages 15 to below 18 may obtain a Learner’s Permit by enrolling in an approved driver education course and passing the knowledge test and the vision test. The permit holds several requirements:
  • The applicant must drive 40 hours while supervised, 10 hours of which must be completed at night.
  • The applicant may operate a vehicle only when a licensed driver age 25 or older, a licensed parent/guardian or a licensed driving instructor is seated in the seat adjacent to him/her.
  • The permit must be kept for a minimum of 1 year.
• Junior Operator’s License. At age 16 or 17, an applicant who has completed the permit phase, a driver education course and the road skills test, may apply for the Junior Operator’s License. While in possession of this license, the following applies:
  • During the first 3 months, the driver may not carry passengers unless accompanied by a supervisor in the seat adjacent to him/her.
  • In the second 3 months, the driver may transport family members, and after the first 6 months, no passenger restrictions are present.
  • The vehicle may not be used in the course of employment
• Upon turning 18 and holding a clean driving record, the applicant may apply for a Regular Driver License.
• Vision Screening. To hold a license with no restrictions, an applicant must have at least 20/40 visual acuity and 60 degrees of peripheral vision in each eye with or without corrective lenses. Vermont holds few restrictions for drivers with worse vision.
• Knowledge Test. Vermont’s Driver’s Manual holds the answers to the test questions. An applicant must correctly answer 16 of the 20 questions to pass the test.
• Road Test. The vehicle used for the road test must be insured, registered and licensed. Only the test administrator is allowed in the vehicle with the applicant during the test. The administrator will have the applicant demonstrate basic driving maneuvers to demonstrate that he/she is capable of safely and legally driving on the road.
• Fees. The following fees are required:
  • Learner Permit: $47
  • Junior Operator’s Permit: $48
  • Regular License: $66 for a 4-year license and $48 for a 2-year license

DUI/DWI Laws

• BAC limit: .08 Vermont Law (23 V.S.A. § 1205) defines DUI for the state, and it outlines the penalties and factors associated with the offense.
• First Offense:
  • Jail: maximum 2 years
  • License suspension: 90 days
  • Fine: maximum $750
• Second Offense:
  • Jail: maximum 2 years
  • License suspension: 18 months
  • Fine: maximum $1,500
• Third Offense:
  • Jail: maximum 5 years
  • License suspension: permanent
  • Fine: maximum $2,500
• Refusals receive the additional penalties:
  • First Offense: 6 month license suspension
  • Second Offense: 18 month suspension
  • Third Offense: Lifetime suspension

Texting & Driving Laws

Distraction.gov reports that Vermont currently has a ban on texting for all drivers, and effective in October, 2014, all cell phone use (hands-free and handheld) will be banned for all drivers.

Unique Laws

Vermont is a state with a long lineage, and some of the laws still on its books reflect the old lineage more than the new. An example would be the state ordinance that requires a husband’s permission for a woman to get false teeth. A state law forbids anyone from painting a horse or whistling underwater, and all residents must bathe every Saturday night!

STATS

Best Cheap Car Insurance Quotes for Vermont

[additional_info state=’vt’]

CheapCarInsurance.net Methodology

Car insurance quotes are for one car and one driver who has state minimum coverage with $500 comprehensive and collision deductibles. The hypothetical driver is 40 years old, female, married, employed, a college graduate, and has good credit. She has no moving violations, accidents, claims, or lapse in coverage. The vehicles are assumed to be garaged on premises, used primarily for commuting, and driven 16,000 miles per year. Car insurance quotes include commonly available discounts and are estimates and not guaranteed.

Average Car Insurance Premiums

Vermont’s average car insurance premiums were beneath the nation’s by 136 in 2008 and they have remained so since. Vermont’s average car insurance premiums as a percentage of income are also below the national average.
[lineChartAverageCarInsPrem state=’Vermont’]
[lineChartAverageCarIns_Percentage_Of_Income state=’Vermont’]

Drunk Driving Fatalities

Vermont’s drunk driving fatalities shot from below the national average to above in 2011. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recorded the national average in 2012 at 31 percent, and Vermont managed to bring its percentage back under the average at 30 percent. The numbers of fatalities continued to drop in 2013 and 2014.
[lineChart_Drunk_Driving state=’Vermont’]

Teen Drinking and Driving

Slightly below the national average, Vermont’s teens drink and drive less than their neighboring peers.
[barChart_Teen_Drinking_Driving state=’Vermont’]

Vehicular Theft in Vermont

Dipping to 69.5, Vermont’s vehicle theft rate ended 2012 160 points below the national average. Theft rates dropped again in 2013 and 2014. The FBI indicated a slight decline in the nation’s average to 229, still keeping it well above Vermont’s.
[lineChart_Motor_Vehicle_Theft state=’Vermont’]
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RESOURCES

State Department of Insurance

Vermont Department of Financial Regulation
Insurance Division
89 Main St.
Montpelier, VT 05620
(802) 828-3301
dfr.vermont.gov/insurance/insurance-division
Get Directions

Department of Transportation

Vermont Agency of Transportation
One National Life Drive
Montpelier, VT 05633-5001
(802) 828-2657
vtrans.vermont.gov
Get Directions

Department of Motor Vehicles

Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles
120 State St.
Montpelier, VT 05603-0001
(802) 828-2000
888-99-VERMONT (888-998-3766)
dmv.vermont.gov
Get Directions