The Vermont permit test has 20 questions, and you need 16 correct (80%) to pass. Official source. Page updated 2026-10-27.
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Key Vermont DMV rules and numbers
These are key rules and numbers from the Vermont handbook, a few per topic so they fit on one printed page. We favor rules that state a specific number. Every fact below comes from our free Vermont DMV practice test question bank, which has 500 questions across 9 topics, checked against the Vermont handbook (last verified 2026-09-07).
Speed limits
- Vermont's general maximum for roads is 50 miles per hour unless a different limit is posted. (Handbook, p. 28)
- Vermont's general maximum is 50 miles per hour on its roads, but the manual also says the limit may be posted differently. (Handbook, p. 28)
- Vermont does not make 10 mph automatically safe. (Handbook, p. 28)
- The manual treats pedestrians and bicyclists as conditions requiring a safe, adjusted speed at intersections. (Handbook, p. 28)
- The four-second method gives a basic safety spacing, but the manual says drivers should allow more than four seconds when roads are poor, visibility is poor, or speeds are higher. (Handbook, p. 27)
Right of way
- A left-turning driver must wait for every oncoming road user described by the manual, including a motor vehicle or bicyclist. (Handbook, p. 26)
- While you wait to turn left, keep your front wheels pointed straight ahead until you are actually ready to turn. (Handbook, p. 26)
- When two vehicles reach a four-way stop at roughly the same time from different directions, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. (Handbook, p. 28)
- The manual tells drivers to yield even when a pedestrian crosses carelessly, such as stepping into traffic between parked vehicles or crossing where there is no marked crosswalk. (Handbook, p. 38)
- Roundabouts follow the same pedestrian and bicyclist rules as any other intersection. (Handbook, p. 30)
Alcohol and DUI
- For the general adult rule described here, Vermont identifies a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or above as being under the influence or impaired. (Handbook, p. 52)
- Vermont's youth alcohol driving rule is found in 7 V.S.A. 656, which bars anyone under 21 from operating or being in actual physical control of a vehicle on a highway at a blood alcohol concentration of 0.02 or more. (Handbook)
- The manual says the drinking driver is the number one cause of fatal traffic crashes and that on average someone is killed by a drunk driver every 40 minutes. (Handbook, p. 52)
- Drivers under 21 with an alcohol concentration of .02 or more can receive a civil traffic violation. (Handbook, p. 52)
- For a first offense of operating under 21 with a BAC of 0.02 or more, Vermont law sets a 90-day suspension with automatic reinstatement after the 90 days; a second or later offense means 145 days. (Handbook, (b)(3)(B))
Signals and markings
- Vermont requires a turn signal not less than 100 feet before making a turn or changing lanes. (Handbook, p. 26)
- The manual explains that signaling three to five seconds before a turn or lane change covers Vermont’s not-less-than-100-foot requirement. (Handbook, p. 26)
- For a left turn, Vermont's manual directs the driver to position the vehicle within one foot of the centerline when it is safe to do so. (Handbook, p. 26)
- Before a right turn, the vehicle should be about three feet from the right side of the road. (Handbook, p. 27)
- A yellow light warns that the signal is about to turn red. (Handbook, p. 31)
Parking
- Parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection is listed among the prohibited locations. (Handbook, p. 29)
- On a two-lane road, Vermont requires the right wheels of a parked vehicle to be within 12 inches of the right side of the road or curb. (Handbook, p. 29)
- Vermont lists parking on railroad tracks or within 50 feet of the nearest rail of a railroad crossing among prohibited locations. (Handbook, p. 29)
- Vermont says a driver should not stop on a hill, curve, or another place where the vehicle cannot be seen for at least 150 feet in either direction. (Handbook, p. 29)
- On a hill, the manual calls for turning the front wheels and setting the parking brake so the vehicle will not roll into traffic. (Handbook, p. 29)
Safe driving
- Safety belts and defrosters are required in 1964 and later models under Vermont's equipment rules, while directional signals are required on vehicles manufactured after January 1, 1955. (Handbook, p. 19)
- Vermont says that when you drive at night at 40 miles an hour with low beam headlights, you are overdriving your headlights. (Handbook, p. 49)
- The light from vehicle headlights may cause a deer to temporarily freeze and be unable to get out of the way, or it may bound at speeds up to 40 miles per hour toward its habitat. (Handbook, p. 45)
- Vermont's manual says studies have shown that driving with low beam headlights on during the daytime reduces the risk of head-on collisions by more than 20 percent. (Handbook, p. 49)
- Tires must have at least 2/32 inch of tread depth. (Handbook, p. 60)
Road signs
- Vermont uses “Deer Crossing, next 3 miles” as an example of a warning sign that supplies distance information. (Handbook, p. 33)
- A Vermont roundabout is designed so traffic enters and exits through right turns and proceeds counter clockwise. (Handbook, p. 29)
- Drivers may not change lanes once they are in a multi-lane roundabout. (Handbook, p. 30)
- A stop sign requires a full stop before the stop line, crosswalk, or intersecting road, whichever point comes first. (Handbook, p. 32)
- The octagonal stop sign requires a stop, an intersection scan, respect for right of way, and then a safe departure. (Handbook, p. 32)
Laws and paperwork
- The knowledge test contains 20 questions, and an applicant must answer at least 16 correctly to pass. (Handbook, p. 18)
- A person who has moved into Vermont from another jurisdiction with a valid license from that state must obtain a Vermont license within 60 days of moving into the state. (Handbook, p. 12)
- In accordance with state and federal law, any person holding a commercial driver's license from another state must transfer it within 30 days of establishing residency in Vermont. (Handbook, p. 12)
- A Vermont resident must be at least 15 years old to take the learner's permit test. (Handbook, p. 12)
- Applicants who are 16 or 17 must complete an approved driver education course with 30 hours of classroom study, plus six hours behind the wheel and six hours of observation. (Handbook, p. 13)
Emergencies
- If any person has been injured, or if the damage is over $3,000, you must make a written report to the Department of Motor Vehicles within 72 hours. (Handbook, p. 58)
- Vermont law requires drivers to stop not less than 15 feet from the nearest rail when they see a train or hear its whistle, when flashing lights, lowered gates, or a flagman signal a train, and when there is a stop sign at the crossing. (Handbook, p. 37)
- Vermont requires a stop at least 15 feet from the nearest rail when flashing lights, lowered gates, a flagman, a visible train, a whistle, or a stop sign signals a train. (Handbook, p. 37)
- A failed Vermont road test requires a wait of at least one week before another attempt. (Handbook, p. 19)
- The road-test vehicle must be registered and inspected, and the applicant must have proof of insurance for that vehicle. (Handbook, p. 19)
Want the reasoning behind these rules? Study the handbook, chapter by chapter, in 20 short lessons quoted from the Vermont manual.
Signs
Sign shape and color carry meaning before you even read the words. A red octagon always means stop, a red-bordered triangle pointing down means yield, and yellow diamonds warn of a hazard ahead. For every sign image used in our practice test, with the exact meaning and explanation, see the full road sign glossary.
Keep studying
This cheat sheet is a summary, not a substitute for practice. Test yourself with the free Vermont DMV practice test, which explains the reasoning behind every answer, or see Vermont DMV facts and fees before test day.