Verified as of 2026-10-23 against DMV

Vermont · Getting Your First License as an Adult

Your First Vermont Driver's License as an Adult or New Resident

Two groups will find what they need here: grown-ups who have never driven legally, and people arriving in Vermont with a card from somewhere else. For the first group the path is short. Pass the online permit test, practice with someone 25 or older, and pass the road test; nobody 18 or over is required to take a class or wait out a set permit period. The second group has a 60 day window to convert, and if the old card is current or lapsed by under three years, the eye chart is normally the only exam.

Age for a full Driver's License: 18
Deadline after moving in: 60 days, or sooner if the old license expires
Standard or Real ID license: $39 for 2 years, $62 for 4
Enhanced Driver's License: $75 for 2 years, $98 for 4
Road test: $23
Vision standard: 20/40

Step by step

Work out which route applies
Two branches. Brand new, or your old card died more than three years ago? You need a permit and then a road test. Card still good, or dead for under three years? Just a vision check and the swap.
Collect documents
Pack proof of who you are, your Social Security details and two things tying you to a Vermont street address. Real ID needs lawful status papers; enhanced needs proof you are a citizen.
Get a permit if you need one
Take the online knowledge test, finish the application and pay $39 plus $24 for the permit.
Make an appointment
All DMV office visits are booked through mydmv.vermont.gov. Cancel if you cannot go, so someone else can use the slot.
Pass the vision and road tests
Arrive with a qualified companion and a car whose registration, inspection and insurance you can prove on the spot.
Choose your card and term, then pay
Pick Real ID, standard or enhanced, and two or four years. Your old license is surrendered.

If you are moving in with a license

Residency starts a 60 day countdown, which ends early if your current card expires first. Convert a card that is still good, or lapsed by less than three years, and the only test is the eye chart; you trade in the old license on the spot.

A card dead for three years or more is treated like no card at all: under 23 V.S.A. 632 you sit the full set of eye, knowledge and road exams. Expect a background check too. DMV searches the national Problem Driver Pointer System, and if another state has you suspended or revoked, Vermont waits for that state to release you.

If you are starting from zero at 18 or older

Grown-ups skip three teen rules: the class, the year on the permit and the logged hours. What remains is the online knowledge exam, the permit itself, the road test, and a qualified companion (licensed, sober, and either 25-plus, a parent or guardian, or an instructor) every time you practice.

DMV gives the road test only after every other piece is done, vision screening included. Fall short of 20/40 and you are referred to an eye doctor, who decides on corrective lenses or other restrictions.

Before the appointment: the documents

Bring originals or certified copies; photocopies and faxes are turned away. For identity, use a valid passport, certified birth record, permanent resident card, naturalization or citizenship certificate, or another state's Real ID card. For Social Security, the card, a W-2, an SSA-1099 or a pay stub.

Two envelopes delivered to your home address normally settle residency. Use a PO box? Then pick two of these that print the physical address: your lease or a statement from the landlord, the property tax bill, a renters or homeowners policy, a Vermont EBT card, or a utility bill listing the service location.

At the counter: Real ID, standard or enhanced

In October 2026, Real ID and standard licenses cost the same: $39 for two years, $62 for four. Real ID is the version federal agencies accept at airport security for domestic flights and at federal buildings, and it requires proof of lawful status.

Then there is the enhanced card, priced at $75 (two years) or $98 (four), and only for U.S. citizens. Beyond doing everything Real ID does, it gets you back into the country by car or boat from Quebec and the rest of Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean. Families near the northern border who cross often may find it pays for itself.

After you are licensed: how long it lasts

Expiry is tied to your birthday: the fourth one after issue ends a first license, barring exceptions. In DMV's worked case, a person with a June 1 birthday licensed on May 15 gets three years and 16 days.

Pick the two year card and the same birthday logic applies to the shorter term. A fresh photo is required at least every other renewal.

If you are not a U.S. citizen

If your lawful status is temporary, the card says limited term and ends when your status does. If the status has no end date, you may choose a two or four year card, and it carries full driving and ID privileges.

DMV will not issue a license with less than 30 days of lawful presence remaining. Residents who cannot document lawful presence can apply for a Driver's Privilege Card; check DMV's page on it for the current document list before booking.

Vermont adult drivers ed: common questions

Must I take drivers ed to get licensed in Vermont at 18?

No. Adults need a permit, practice with a supervisor 25 or older, and a passed road test, but no course.

How long after moving do I have to switch?

You get 60 days from becoming a resident, unless your current card expires before then.

Will I have to take a road test after moving?

Only if the old card has been dead three years or more. Current, or lapsed less than that? A vision check is enough.

How much is a Vermont license?

As of October 2026, $39 for two years or $62 for four, whether standard or Real ID. Enhanced is $75 or $98.

Does the enhanced license work at the airport?

Yes. DMV says it is acceptable for federal purposes such as boarding a plane, and for land and sea border crossings.

Can I walk in without an appointment?

No. Every office visit needs a booking, made on mydmv.vermont.gov, according to the manual.

Can I get a license if I was suspended in another state?

Not until that state clears you. DMV checks the national Problem Driver Pointer System before licensing.

Getting Your First License as an Adult in another state

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Sources

Rules change. If a source above says something different from this page, the source is right. Last checked 2026-10-23.

Step by step

Work out which route applies

Collect documents

Get a permit if you need one

Make an appointment

Pass the vision and road tests

Choose your card and term, then pay