Vermont permit test cheat sheet

Vermont-specific rules from our question bank, condensed to one line each with the handbook page. Read it the night before; don’t use it instead of practicing.

Study sheet for before your test. Notes aren’t allowed in the DMV test room. See the study sheets to print.

Test format: 20 questions
Passing score: 16 of 20 correct (80%)
Permit and test fees: $63 total
Minimum age for a permit: 15 years
Supervised driving: 40 hours (10 at night)
Hold your permit: 12 months minimum

Permits & licensing

You must be at least 15 years old to take Vermont's learner's permit test. p. 13
A Vermont permit holder may drive only with a licensed, unimpaired parent or guardian, a driver education instructor, or a licensed, unimpaired person 25 or older riding in the front seat. p. 14
Vermont requires you to hold your learner's permit for at least one year before getting a Junior Driver's License. p. 14
Vermont teens need 40 hours of driving practice, including at least 10 hours of nighttime driving, certified by a parent or guardian. p. 14
Vermont defines nighttime driving as the period from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise. p. 14
Vermont law says the 40 practice hours must be in addition to the 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training in driver education. p. 15
For the first three months, a Vermont junior driver must drive alone unless a licensed parent or guardian, driver education instructor, or licensed person 25 or older is in the front seat. p. 16
During the second three months of a Junior Driver's License, you may also carry family members; the DMV manual describes them as siblings and parents (23 V.S.A. § 614(c) says "family members"). p. 22
Vermont junior drivers may not drive in the course of employment for one year after getting the license, or until they turn 18, whichever comes first. p. 16
Carrying passengers for hire is a junior operator violation that brings a 90-day recall of the Junior Driver's License. p. 22
Junior operator texting brings a 30-day recall, and it also comes with fines of at least $100 and at least two points on your record. p. 22
A junior operator's permit or license is recalled for 90 days for a single 3-point speeding violation or 6 points in total. p. 22
Both the learner's permit and the Junior Driver's License are provisional. p. 74
Vermont's knowledge test is taken online and has 20 multiple-choice questions with four answers each. p. 19
If you fail the knowledge test, you must wait at least one day before taking it again. p. 19
A Vermont license that has been expired for more than 14 days is not valid, and you may not drive with it. p. 25

Laws, points & insurance

When a Vermont driver reaches 10 points, the DMV sends a letter saying the driving privilege will be suspended. p. 65
Passing a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing costs 5 points on your Vermont record, one of the heaviest point penalties. p. 65
Failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk costs 4 points in Vermont. p. 65
Vermont speeding tickets carry 2 to 8 points depending on how far over the limit you were. p. 65
Vermont does not assess points for parking or defective equipment violations. p. 65
Vermont requires at least $25,000 for death or injury of one person, $50,000 for two or more people, and $10,000 for property damage. p. 68
If you were insured but cannot show the card, you have 15 days to show it. p. 68
All motor vehicles must be inspected within 15 days of registration unless they already have a valid Vermont inspection sticker. p. 60
Vermont law says nothing may hang from the rearview mirror or sun visors. p. 62
Leaving a vehicle idling while unattended in public breaks Vermont's unattended motor vehicle law. p. 69
A minor ticketed for alcohol is referred to the Youth Substance Awareness Safety Program. source