Drivers EducationUS state guides

Verified as of 2026-10-23 against DMV

Vermont · Learner's Permit

Getting Your Vermont Learner's Permit, Step by Step

This page is for a Vermont teen turning 15, or an adult starting out, who wants the permit without wasted trips. There is no office test anymore. You sign in at mydmv.vermont.gov and answer 20 multiple choice questions, needing 16 right. Under 18, a parent or guardian signs form VL-021 first. Passing alone does not create a permit: you finish the application and pay $39 for the test plus $24 for a permit good for two years. Whatever your age, someone qualified rides in the front seat whenever you drive.

Age to take the test
15
Test location
Online, mydmv.vermont.gov
Format
20 questions; 16 right passes
Test fee
$39 each attempt
Permit fee
$24, lasts 2 years
Minimum age of a non-parent supervisor
25

Step by step

  1. Study first: manual plus DriveVermont

    Read the Vermont Driver's Manual (VN-007), which also comes in audio and translated versions, then do DMV's free DriveVermont tutorial and its practice exam.

  2. Fill in form VL-021

    This is the License and Permit Application. Under 18, a parent or legal guardian signs before the test. Foreign exchange students use VL-036 instead.

  3. Sit the test online

    Sign in at mydmv.vermont.gov and answer all 20. You need 16; a fail means waiting at least a day and paying again.

  4. Finish the application and pay for the permit

    A pass does not issue anything on its own. Complete the application, pay the permit fee and hold on to the receipt.

  5. Carry the receipt until the card arrives

    DMV treats the receipt as a temporary permit for 90 days. Have it with you on every drive.

  6. Follow up if nothing comes

    DMV checks your details and contacts you if something does not match. Silence? Email DMV eServices or call 802-828-2000.

Before you test: are you eligible?

Every Vermont resident who wants to drive starts with a Vermont learner's permit, and testing opens at 15. A teen living in another state but enrolled in a Vermont driver education course can also get one, using a letter from the school confirming enrollment.

Under 18, your teen needs two clean years on the driving record. A past recall, suspension or revocation can mean a waiting period, so call DMV before paying for the test. Emancipated minors sign for themselves.

Before you test: what the questions cover

Everything comes out of the Vermont Driver's Manual: signs, rules of the road, safe driving habits, alcohol and drug laws, and sharing space with cyclists, pedestrians and trucks. Each question offers four choices and one right answer.

Attempts are unlimited, but each one costs $39 and a failure means waiting a day. If your teen has an Individualized Education Program, you may read the questions aloud but not hint at answers. DMV also arranges accommodations for other disabilities if you ask.

While you apply: the paperwork DMV checks

Behind the scenes, DMV verifies who you are and your birth date, your Social Security number, and that you really live at a Vermont street address. Wanting a Real ID or enhanced card adds a fourth check, on lawful status. Since you test online, DMV checks what you type electronically and gets in touch if something does not match.

Keep the originals within reach regardless. You may be asked for them, and you will need them later at an office for photos and licensing. Two pieces of mail at your street address usually prove residency, and a PO box does not count as a residential address.

Once you have the permit: who rides with you

The permit lets you drive anywhere in Vermont, at any hour, if your front-seat companion is licensed and unimpaired and is one of the following: your parent or guardian, a driver education instructor (licensed or certified), or anybody 25 or older.

Adults are held to the same age line. DMV's own answer to an 18 year old who asked about a licensed friend was no, unless that friend is at least 25. Example: your 21 year old sister has driven for five years, but she still cannot supervise you. Before taking the permit into another state, check that state's law.

Over the next year or two: validity and next steps

For $24 the permit lasts two years. A teen keeps it at least a year before a Junior Driver's License, and the final six months of that year must be free of recalls, suspensions and revocations.

If it expires before the road test, you can still test so long as it lapsed less than three years ago and you renew first. Past three years, the written test comes again before any road test.

If something seems stuck

DMV changed the process so a passing score no longer creates a permit by itself. If you passed on or after May 1, 2025, and never finished the application, you still have to complete it.

If you think you applied and paid but have no permit, DMV asks you to phone 802-828-2000 to check. Keep the payment receipt; it is also your temporary permit.

Vermont teen drivers ed: common questions

Is the Vermont permit test really online now?

Yes. DMV offices no longer give it; you take it through mydmv.vermont.gov.

How long is the test?

Twenty questions, four options each, and 16 right answers pass.

What will the permit cost us?

In October 2026, $39 per test attempt and $24 for the two year permit.

Can my 21 year old brother supervise practice drives?

No. Unless the supervisor is a parent, guardian or driver education instructor, he or she must be licensed, unimpaired and 25 or older.

Do I have to wait for the card before I can drive?

No. The receipt works as a temporary learner's permit for 90 days from its date. Carry it whenever you drive.

Can I drive here on another state's permit?

DMV's permit page says yes. While in Vermont, follow Vermont's supervision rules.

I passed but never got a permit. What happened?

Since May 1, 2025, passing does not create the permit automatically. Finish the application, and call 802-828-2000 if you already paid and still have nothing.

Learner's Permit in another state

Related for Vermont drivers

Adult drivers ed

Vermont Drivers Ed for Adults: Your First License at 18 and Up

 Defensive driving

Defensive Driving and Traffic Tickets in Vermont

 VT

Vermont drivers ed overview

Sources

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