Free · 20 short lessons · Quoted from the manual
Vermont Driver Handbook, Chapter by Chapter
Start with lesson 1Every chapter of the Vermont Driver's Manual that matters for the written test, cut down to the rules and exact numbers you need. Each point links to the manual text it comes from, with the page, and ends with questions from our free Vermont practice test.
20 lessons in handbook order
Read one lesson, answer its 3 check questions, then drill that topic in the practice test. Most lessons take about 5 minutes.
- Lesson 1Chapter 4: General License InformationLaws and paperwork
Learner's Permit and Junior Driver's License
Vermont teens can take the permit test at 15 and must hold the permit a full year before a Junior Driver's License. They also need driver education and 40 hours of logged practice, 10 of them at night.
9 key points · 9 numbers · Handbook pp. 12 to 13
- Lesson 2Chapter 5: Graduated Driver's License ProgramLaws and paperwork
Junior license passenger rules and recalls
For the first three months a junior driver drives alone unless a qualified adult rides along, then may add family, and after six months has no passenger limit. Junior drivers may not drive for work in the first year, and violations bring recalls.
9 key points · 8 numbers · Handbook pp. 15 to 21
- Lesson 3Chapter 4: General License InformationLaws and paperwork
Tests, renewals and license rules
The online knowledge test has 20 questions, and you need 16 correct to pass. New residents must get a Vermont license within 60 days, and a license expired more than 14 days is not valid.
9 key points · 8 numbers · Handbook pp. 7 to 24
- Lesson 4Chapter 8: Point SystemLaws and paperwork
Insurance, points and phone laws
Vermont requires $25,000/$50,000/$10,000 in liability insurance and a proof card in the vehicle. Ten points brings a suspension notice, and using a portable electronic device while driving carries fines of $100 or more.
9 key points · 7 numbers · Handbook pp. 55 to 68
- Lesson 5Chapter 9: Vehicle OwnershipLaws and paperwork
Safety belts and child restraints
Every occupant must use a safety belt or approved child restraint. Children under two ride rear facing, under eight need a harnessed seat or booster, and under 13 should ride in back when practical.
8 key points · 6 numbers · Handbook pp. 62 to 63
- Lesson 6Chapter 9: Vehicle OwnershipSafe driving
Equipment, inspection and maintenance
Vermont vehicles are inspected once a year and must carry working brakes, lights, wipers, defrosters and belts. Tires need at least 2/32 inch of tread, and nothing may hang from the mirror.
9 key points · 5 numbers · Handbook pp. 19 to 61
- Lesson 7Chapter 7: Driving Safely and Studying for Your PermitSafe driving
Stopping, braking and following distance
It takes the average driver about three quarters of a second to hit the brakes, and braking distance grows on wet, icy or gravel roads. Keep at least four seconds behind the vehicle ahead, more in poor conditions.
8 key points · 3 numbers · Handbook pp. 25 to 35
- Lesson 8Chapter 7: Driving Safely and Studying for Your PermitSignals and markings
Turn signals and turning
Vermont law requires a turn signal at least 100 feet before any turn or lane change, which three to five seconds covers. Position within one foot of the centerline for a left turn and about three feet from the edge for a right.
8 key points · 3 numbers · Handbook pp. 26 to 35
- Lesson 9Chapter 7: Driving Safely and Studying for Your PermitSpeed limits
Speed limits and safe speeds
Vermont's maximum is 50 mph on all roads and 65 mph on interstates unless posted otherwise. You must always drive at a speed that is safe for conditions, and speeding fines double in work zones.
7 key points · 4 numbers · Handbook pp. 28 to 68
- Lesson 10Chapter 7: Driving Safely and Studying for Your PermitRight of way
Right of way rules
Yield to pedestrians, bicyclists and traffic already in an intersection, and to all oncoming traffic when turning left. At a four way stop the first to arrive goes first, and on a tie the driver on the left yields.
9 key points · 1 numbers · Handbook pp. 28 to 38
- Lesson 11Chapter 7: Driving Safely and Studying for Your PermitParking
Parking rules
On a two lane road your right wheels must be within 12 inches of the edge or curb. Vermont lists exact distances from hydrants, crosswalks, signals, railroad tracks and fire stations where you may not park.
9 key points · 7 numbers · Handbook p. 29
- Lesson 12Chapter 7: Driving Safely and Studying for Your PermitSignals and markings
Traffic lights, arrows and roundabouts
Stop at the stop line or crosswalk on red, and treat a dark signal as an all way stop. In roundabouts, traffic moves counterclockwise, you yield to circulating traffic and you may not change lanes inside.
10 key points · 0 numbers · Handbook pp. 29 to 32
- Lesson 13Chapter 7: Driving Safely and Studying for Your PermitRoad signs
Road signs
You can tell a sign's general meaning from its shape and color even when the words are covered. Stop signs have eight sides, yield signs are upside down triangles, and warning signs are usually yellow or green diamonds.
10 key points · 1 numbers · Handbook pp. 32 to 36
- Lesson 14Chapter 7: Driving Safely and Studying for Your PermitSignals and markings
Highway markings and passing
Yellow center lines separate opposite directions, and broken white lines separate lanes going the same way. Pass only where the broken line is on your side, and never at hills, curves, railroads or intersections.
9 key points · 0 numbers · Handbook pp. 34 to 52
- Lesson 15Chapter 7: Driving Safely and Studying for Your PermitEmergencies
Emergency vehicles, Move Over and police stops
For an emergency vehicle with flashing lights or a siren, pull to the right and stop until it passes. Slow down and change lanes when safe for stopped emergency, repair or maintenance vehicles, and stay in your car during a police stop.
9 key points · 1 numbers · Handbook pp. 30 to 51
- Lesson 16Chapter 7: Driving Safely and Studying for Your PermitEmergencies
School buses and railroad crossings
Never pass a school bus with red warning lights on, from any direction, except on a divided highway when it is going the other way. At railroad crossings, stop at least 15 feet from the nearest rail when a train is coming.
8 key points · 3 numbers · Handbook pp. 33 to 40
- Lesson 17Chapter 7: Driving Safely and Studying for Your PermitSafe driving
Bicyclists, motorcycles, trucks and animals
Leave at least four feet when passing a bicyclist or any vehicle, and give motorcycles a full lane and more than four seconds of following room. Stay out of truck No Zones and keep four seconds behind horses and riders.
10 key points · 5 numbers · Handbook pp. 40 to 52
- Lesson 18Chapter 7: Driving Safely and Studying for Your PermitSafe driving
Floods, winter, skids and visibility
In storms, slow down, skip cruise control and keep more than four seconds of space. Most skids come from not adjusting speed in time; do not brake, and steer where you want to go.
10 key points · 4 numbers · Handbook pp. 46 to 49
- Lesson 19Chapter 7: Driving Safely and Studying for Your PermitAlcohol and DUI
Alcohol, drugs and implied consent
Someone is killed by a drunk driver every 40 minutes, and in Vermont you are impaired at .08, or .02 if under 21. Only time removes alcohol, and refusing a test costs your license for at least six months.
9 key points · 5 numbers · Handbook pp. 7 to 53
- Lesson 20Chapter 7: Driving Safely and Studying for Your PermitEmergencies
What to do after a crash
A driver in a crash must stop and give reasonable help, and call 911 if anyone is hurt. Show your license to anyone injured or whose property was damaged, and report injuries or damage over $3,000 to the DMV within 72 hours.
7 key points · 2 numbers · Handbook pp. 58 to 59
Read, check, then practice
- Read a lesson. Open any point's source to see the exact manual wording and page.
- Answer the 3 check questions at the end without looking back.
- Drill that topic in the free Vermont practice test, then take a full test when every lesson feels easy.
- Keep the Vermont cheat sheet for a last look before test day.
Source: the Vermont Driver's Manual (Fees as of July 1, 2024). Lessons are plain English summaries, not the law itself; where they differ, the manual and the statute govern. Every quote on these pages is checked against our saved copy of the manual. Last checked 2026-09-27.