Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I request a certified driver’s record online?
Vermont residents who want a certified copy of their driving record can access the records online through the Vermont DMV website. This online access does not give you a certified driving record, because the online driving records are sent as PDF files. If you want to obtain a certified driving record, you must visit your local Vermont DMV office and make the request in person.

For more information: Your Vermont Driving Record

Do I need to attend traffic school if I get a speeding ticket?
In the state of Vermont, the DMV does not dismiss your traffic ticket and it does not allow reducing of your driving record points if you complete a traffic school program. Completing this traffic course will only aid you in becoming a better operator of any vehicle and it will also reduce the chances of committing traffic violations and causing accidents.

For more information: Traffic/Driving Schools in Vermont

How can I pay for my traffic or parking ticket?
The state of Vermont gives you different options of how to pay traffic ticket:
  • Online by visitingthe Vermont Courts Online website directly and providing your Vermont traffic ticket number, an e-mail address and a valid credit or debit card.
  • To pay a traffic ticket by mail, you will need to use a check or money order, and write your traffic ticket number on your payment. Then send your payment to the address:

Vermont Judicial Bureau PO Box 607 White River Jct., VT 05001

For more information: How to Pay a Traffic Ticket in Vermont

How do I file a complaint when I believe someone has illegally accessed my DMV record?
Residents of Vermont who have proof that their driving record has been illegally accessed, can file a complaint against the offending party under the Federal Driver Privacy Protection Act. Under this protection act, the individual whose DMV driving record is illegally accessed, can bring a lawful lawsuit against the offending party for invading their personal information and driving record. In order to file a complaint, you must first contact the Vermont Department of Public Safety at the following address:

Department of Public Safety 45 State Drive Waterbury, VT 05671

For more information: Your Vermont Driving Record

How do I get a copy of my driving record?
In the state of Vermont, the DMV offers you the privilege to keep a driving record for every driver in the state. If you want to check your driving record immediately, you can do that electronically. Apart from an online overview of your driving record, you can also have your driving record mailed to your home, or you can simply go to the nearest DMV office and pick your driving record in person. To find out more, contact your local DMV office.

For more information: Your Vermont Driving Record

How do I get a traffic ticket dismissed?
The state of Vermont does not offer you the option to have your traffic ticket dismissed. You won’t be able to take a traffic course in order to remove demerit points or to erase a ticket from your driving record. Your only option to dispute the charges would be to fight your traffic ticket and to schedule a court hearing. For further information, consider consulting a traffic ticket attorney.

For more information: How to Pay a Traffic Ticket in Vermont

How do I obtain a copy of someone else’s driving record?
The Federal Driver Privacy Protection Act allows only certain individuals and organizations to access a driver’s official driving record, including:
  • Government agencies.
  • Agents, employers, or contractors of a legitimate business.
  • Researchers for marketing, surveys or solicitations.
  • Insurance support organizations.
  • Licensed private investigative agencies.
  • Law enforcement of the State that holds the record.

In the state of Vermont, you can obtain someone else’s driving record only if you have a written authorization from the individual. If you are an organization, you can obtain driving records using one of the following ways:

  • Online by visiting the Vermont DMV website
  • In person or via mail, by following these steps:

Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles 120 State Street Montpelier, VT 05603-0001

For more information: Your Vermont Driving Record

How do I reinstate my license if I refused to submit a breath/urine/blood test?
If you want to reinstate your drivers license suspension in Vermont, you must satisfy certain requirements after your suspension period has passed. A first-time offender will have their license suspended for six months. Second-time refusal results in 18 months drivers license suspension. Third and any subsequent refusal of submitting to a chemical alcohol test will result in a lifetime drivers license suspension. To reinstate suspended drivers license, you should visit your local Vermont DMV office.

For more information: Suspended License Information for Vermont

How do I remove points from my driver’s license?
In the state of Vermont, points are added to your driving record when you receive a traffic ticket for any violation committed. You should make sure not to commit any violations that will increase your number of demerit points above 10. You won’t be able to remove points from your drivers license, but the DMV advises you to take traffic course at a traffic school or join an alcohol treatment program in order to improve yourself as a better vehicle operator and to reduce the chances of committing traffic violations and causing accidents.

For more information: Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles Point System

How many points can I get on my driving record before my driver’s license is suspended?
In the state of Vermont, points are added to your driving record when you receive a traffic ticket for any violation committed. You should make sure not to commit any violations that will increase your number of demerit points above 10. If you reach the limit of 10 demerit points, your drivers license will be suspended and you won’t be able to remove points.

For more information: Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles Point System

How many times can I attend a traffic school course to remove points from my driving record?
In the state of Vermont, if you commit any violation and receive a traffic ticket, you will have a certain amount of points added to your driving record. You should make sure not to commit any violations that will increase the number of points you recieve above 10. You won’t be able to remove points from your drivers license, but the DMV advises you to take atraffic course at a traffic school so that you could improve yourself as a better vehicle operator and to reduce the chances of committing traffic violations and causing accidents.

For more information: Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles Point System

If I lost my traffic or parking ticket, how can I find the information again?
Vermont residents who have lost their traffic ticket and paperwork for traffic ticket fines, should immediately contact the Vermont Judicial Bureau or the police department that issued the ticket and ask for a copy of all the paperwork. In order to be easier for them to locate your information, you should give them your Vermont drivers license number, your license plate number and your date of birth.

For more information: How to Pay a Traffic Ticket in Vermont

If my driver’s license was confiscated at the time of my DUI/DWI arrest, how do I get it back?
If your drivers license was suspended or confiscated at the time of your DUI/DWI arrest, you will need to apply for a reinstatement of your license at your local Vermont DMV office. You can submit this application only when the period of suspension or revocation has been finished.

After one year of having your license suspended, you will have to re-take all the driving tests, which include a vision test, knowledge test and road test. If you fail to reinstate your license, it will remain suspended.

For more information: DUI/DWI Information for Vermont

What are the different types of driving records?
In the state of Vermont, there is one single driving record known as Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) from the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This driving record contains your driving history for a certain period of time. It includes the following information:
  • Suspensions
  • Violations
  • Driving status
  • Points
  • Fines
  • Violation codes
  • License classification
  • Endorsements

For more information: Your Vermont Driving Record

What are the penalties of being convicted of driving under the influence?
Vermont drivers who have been found driving above the legal alcohol limit will be assessed a DUI/DWI citation. The penalties of being convicted of DUI/DWI include a license suspension, jail time and fines, which vary according to the nature of the offense:
  • First offense:
    • 90 days license suspension
    • Two years jail time
    • A fine of $750
  • Second offense:
    • 18 months license suspension
    • Two years jail time
    • A fine of $1500
  • Third and subsequent offense:
    • A life-time license suspension
    • Five years jail time
    • A fine of $2500

For more information: DUI/DWI Information for Vermont

What happens if I get traffic ticket fines and I have a CDL?
If you have a Vermont commercial driver’s license (CDL), you might have to face very strict fines and penalties that come with getting a traffic ticket. If the state of Vermont decides to suspend your driving privileges because of violating the traffic laws, you will lose the privilege to operate a commercial vehicle. Don’t forget that no matter what type of commercial vehicle you drive, you have the obligation to notify your employer about your traffic violation within 30 days.

For more information: How to Pay a Traffic Ticket in Vermont

What information does a driving record contain?
Your Vermont motor vehicle record (MVR) or simply known as driving record contains the following information:
  • Suspensions
  • Violations
  • Driving status
  • Points
  • Fines
  • Violation codes
  • License classification
  • Endorsements

For more information: Your Vermont Driving Record

What is considered the legal alcohol limit?
What is the cost of a DUI?
In the state of Vermont, the cost of DUI depends on how many times you have committed an offense. Costs include:
  • First offense: $750
  • Second offense: $1500
  • Third and any subsequent offense: $2500

For more information: DUI/DWI Information for Vermont

What is the cost of a traffic ticket?
Vermont residents who have received traffic ticket fines will have to pay the fine, which varies based on the offense committed. Traffic ticket prices are written on the traffic ticket paperwork that you receive which gives you instructions on how to pay traffic tickets in the state of Vermont.

For more information: How to Pay a Traffic Ticket in Vermont

What is the cost to get a driver record?
If you are a Vermont resident and you want to check your driving record, you can do so online, by mail or in person at your local DMV office. When you apply for a certified copy of your driving record, you can choose whether to obtain a three-year driving record or a complete driving record. The cost of the certified copy of a three-year driving record is $13. The cost of the complete driving record is $16.

For more information: Your Vermont Driving Record

What is the DUI penalty for a CDL driver?
In the state of Vermont any driver with a commercial drivers license might face a DUI/DWIpenalty, which varies depending on the offense. The first-time offense results in a one-yeardisqualification. The second offense results in a lifetime disqualification. Any subsequent offense might only cause a lifetime loss of license. The driver of a commercial vehicle can reinstate the commercial drivers license after 10 years.

For more information: DUI/DWI Information for Vermont

What is the DUI penalty for a minor?
Minors in the state of Vermont are faced with stricter DUI restrictions and penalties than drivers aged 21 and older. Drivers under 21 have a legal alcohol limit of 0.02 percent BAC. Minors with alcohol above the legal limit in their bloodstream will be immediately convicted of DUI. Moreover, the same penalties that drivers over 21 face will also apply to minors when they are under a DUI conviction.

For more information: DUI/DWI Information for Vermont

What must I do to reinstate my driver’s license as a result of a DUI/DWI?
In the state of Vermont, any driver convicted of DUI/DWI has a suspended or revoked license. If your drivers license has been revoked or suspended, then you will need to apply for a reinstatement at your local DMV office. In order to get a suspended drivers license reinstatement, you must complete the following steps:
  1. Pass the vision, written and on-road exams
  2. Get SR-22 insurance for three years in order to have a proof of financial responsibility
  3. Complete a Drinking Driver Rehabilitation Program
  4. Pay a reinstatement fee

You can bring these documents in person at your local DMV office, or send them to the following address:

Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles 120 State Street Montpelier, VT 05603-0001

For more information: DUI/DWI Information for Vermont

Where can I find more information about an ignition interlock device?
An ignition interlock device (IID) is a device connected to the vehicle and requires the driver to breathe into it before starting the device. This ignition interlock device detects the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of the driver and if the concentration is above the legal alcohol limit, then the engine will not start.

If you want to go into further details about the ignition interlock device (IID), read the Vermont Ignition Interlock Program – Frequently Asked Questions.

For more information: DUI/DWI Information for Vermont

Where can I find my traffic or parking ticket information online?
In the state of Vermont, residents who have received traffic ticket fines can pay them online, by mail, or in person at their local Vermont DMV office. To find out whether you may access your traffic ticket fines information online, you have to check for instructions in the received paperwork. If you have trouble understanding those instructions, feel free to contact your local Vermont DMV office.

For more information: How to Pay a Traffic Ticket in Vermont

Why doesn’t a recent traffic ticket I received appear on my driving record?
If you are a Vermont resident and you have obtained a copy of your driving record, you should check it into detail in order to make sure that all the information is accurate. If you believe that a recent traffic ticket or any other information is missing from your driving record, please contact your local Vermont DVM office in order to notify them. Your request for a revision of your driving record may be sent to the address:

Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles 120 State Street Montpelier, VT 05603-0001

For more information: Traffic Violations in Vermont

Will I have points against my driver’s license if I get a ticket?
Violating the driving laws of the state of Vermont results in a suspension of your driving privilege. Points are added to your driving record when you receive a traffic ticket for any violation committed. When you reach 10 demerit points or more, you will have your license suspended. The higher the number of demerit points is, the longer the period of suspension will be.

For more information: Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles Point System

Will I have to take an alcohol awareness class to reinstate my driver’s license?
Drivers in the state of Vermont who are facing a DUI/DWI conviction also face a list of penalties that include: license suspensions, jail time, fines and restrictions on driving. Moreover, some drivers might be required to attend alcohol treatment programs, like the Drinking Driver Rehabilitation Program in order to have their alcohol awareness increased.

Since your drivers license is suspended, the state of Vermont may require you to go through an alcohol screening, an alcohol and driving education program, and an alcohol therapy program at your expense. Failing to do one of the aforementioned programs for alcohol awareness will prevent you from having a suspended drivers license reinstatement.

For more information: DUI/DWI Information for Vermont