Vermont driver's license and ID card: first license, renewal, replacement and REAL ID
How to get a Vermont learner's permit, junior or full driver's license, transfer an out-of-state license, renew or replace your card, and what a REAL ID or non-driver ID requires, based on the Vermont DMV's own pages.
Guide · Vermont · REAL ID · Driver licenses · Renewals · ID cards · updated October 29, 2026
Vermont driver's licenses, learner's permits and non-driver ID cards are issued by the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), part of the Agency of Transportation. This guide covers the common cases in order: a first license (including the teen permit and junior license), moving to Vermont with a license from elsewhere, renewing, replacing a lost card, and REAL ID. For booking a visit and the general document list, see the Vermont DMV visit guide.
Learner's permit
Vermont residents who want to drive in Vermont start with a learner's permit. You must be at least 15 to take the test. The permit test is taken online through myDMV, and the permit is issued once you pass and pay the fee. The DMV notes that passing the exam does not issue the permit automatically. You must also complete the permit application. Your receipt serves as a temporary learner's permit for 90 days from its date.
If you are 15, 16 or 17, a parent or legal guardian must sign the application before you can take the test, unless you are an emancipated minor. Applicants under 18 must have kept a "clean" driving record for the previous two years.
With a permit, you may drive in Vermont only with one of these people in the front seat:
- A licensed, unimpaired parent or guardian
- A licensed or certified driver education instructor
- A licensed, unimpaired person aged 25 or older
The DMV says this applies whatever the age of the permit holder.
Junior and full driver's license
A junior driver's license is issued to 16- and 17-year-olds who pass the road test. Before applying, you must:
- Hold your learner's permit for at least one year.
- Keep a clean record, with no permit recalls, suspensions or revocations, for the six months before you apply.
- Pass a state-approved driver education course: 30 hours of classroom study, 6 hours behind the wheel and 6 hours of observation.
- Complete 40 more hours of driving practice, at least 10 of them at night, certified by a parent or guardian.
- Schedule an exam appointment and bring a road-ready vehicle with a valid inspection sticker, insurance card and registration.
Restrictions apply while you hold a junior license:
- For the first three months, you may drive alone or with one of the adults listed above.
- In the second three months, you may also carry family members.
- After six months, the passenger limit ends.
- For the first year, or until age 18, you may not drive as part of a job.
- You may never carry passengers for hire.
Breaking these rules can lead to a recall of the license.
A standard driver's license is issued at 18 or older to people who pass the required examination. It covers non-commercial vehicles, but not a school bus or motorcycle.
Moving to Vermont
The DMV says you must get a Vermont driver's license no later than 60 days after moving to Vermont. If your out-of-state license expires sooner, you must get it before then. If you hold a valid out-of-state license, or one expired for less than three years:
- Bring that license; you must surrender it when your Vermont license is issued.
- Bring your identity documents.
- Expect an eye examination.
If your license has been expired for more than three years, you must retest. Junior licenses from other states now transfer like a standard license. You do not retest or certify the 40 hours, but you still need proof that you completed driver education. Vehicle rules for new residents are in the Vermont vehicle registration and title guide.
Renewing
You can renew online or by mail if your photo stays valid through the whole renewal period. Licenses renew for 2 or 4 years, and photos are valid for up to nine years. To renew by mail, send your renewal notice or a completed form VL-021, with payment, to Vermont DMV, 120 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05603-0001.
You must renew in person in these cases:
- You need a new photo.
- You hold a learner's permit without a photo.
- You hold a CDL.
- You are upgrading from a Driver's Privilege Card to a REAL ID or standard license.
- You are upgrading to an Enhanced Driver's License.
Online renewal is not yet available for non-REAL ID credentials. Holders can renew by mail, or in person if they need a new photo. A standard Class D license has a 14-day grace period after expiry. The permanent card is mailed within 14–20 business days.
Replacing a lost or stolen license
If your license, permit or non-driver ID is lost, stolen or destroyed, you can request a replacement in any of these ways:
- Online
- At any DMV office
- By mail, with form VL-021 (license or permit) or VL-017 (non-driver ID) and the fee
If you have a non-REAL ID card, you must provide all the required documents again, and replacement non-REAL ID cards must be requested in person.
REAL ID and other card types
You can choose between a REAL ID driver's license and a Driver's Privilege Card (DPC), which is not REAL ID compliant and is available without proof of lawful status. The DMV says both cost the same. An Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) is also REAL ID compliant, and it is accepted for land and sea border crossings. It has an additional fee, requires proof of U.S. citizenship and must be applied for in person.
For a REAL ID, the DMV must check original or certified copies of documents from four categories:
- Identity and date of birth
- Social Security information
- Vermont residency and current address
- Lawful status in the United States
The DMV says you do not need a REAL ID if you have a valid U.S. passport or passport card, or if you do not fly domestically or visit military bases or secure federal facilities. A compliant Vermont card has a circle with a star in its upper-right corner. See how to tell if your license is a REAL ID and REAL ID explained.
Non-driver ID card
Every Vermont resident, of any age, can get a non-driver ID card. You may hold only one credential at a time, either a license or a non-driver ID. Your first non-driver ID must be applied for in person at a DMV office, with form VL-017, identity documents and the fee. Applicants under 18 need a parent or guardian to sign. If you hold a license or ID card from another U.S. state, you must surrender it.