Photo: Steven Bergeron, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Vermont road test always includes three set maneuvers: stopping and starting on a hill, turning around by backing into a side street, and parallel parking. Around those, the examiner watches whether you drive safely, courteously and correctly and follow the rules of the road. This guide covers how each maneuver is done the Vermont DMV way, what to bring, and what happens if you fail.
Key facts (Vermont DMV, as of November 2026)
- Under 18: hold your learner’s permit at least one year and finish driver education first.
- Road test fee: $23. With a 2-year junior license ($39), the total is $62.
- All DMV visits are by appointment (mydmv.vermont.gov or 888.970.0357).
- You supply the car, and it must be registered, inspected and insured.
- Fail: wait at least seven days. Fail three times: wait at least one month.
Before you book the Vermont road test
- Permit: must not be expired. If it has been expired for 3 years or less and renewed before the exam, you can still test; if it is expired more than 3 years, you must retake the written test first.
- Driver education: your instructor must have logged your completion in the Driver Education Certification Service before the test can be given.
- 40 hours: a parent or guardian certifies 40 hours of practice, at least 10 at night, on top of driver ed’s 6 behind-the-wheel hours. The manual adds that at least five hours of your practice should be in traffic.
- Consent: a parent or legal guardian signs the application if you are under 18.
- Adults with a permit: bring a licensed, unimpaired supervisor (parent or guardian, driver ed instructor, or someone 25 or older) whose license is valid.
Full eligibility rules are in Vermont junior driver’s license rules and Vermont driver’s ed and the 40-hour certification.
Car checklist for the Vermont road test
No test is given if the car fails any of these:
- Registered and inspected (any state), with a valid inspection sticker
- Insurance card showing the insurer, effective and expiration dates, the insured’s name and the vehicle description including VIN
- Registration certificate
- Working headlights, horn, wipers, rearview mirror, tail lights, brake system, turn signals, tires, steering, windshield, exhaust, fenders and bumpers
- Safety belts (no belts, no test) and defrosters
- A parking or emergency brake strong enough to hold the car in neutral on a hill, facing up or down
- No illegal tint on the front windows
- Clean car, and no animals inside
Not allowed: rental cars (unless the rental company gives a letter accepting full responsibility), dealer plates (unless you are an immediate family member of the dealership), and agriculture, antique or exhibit plates.
How to do the hill start on the Vermont road test
- When told, signal right, pull to the right side of the road and stop.
- Set the parking brake and shift to neutral. The brake must hold the car without rolling back.
- Put the car in gear. Signal left.
- Check mirrors and your left blind spot.
- Accelerate gently until you feel the car want to move, then release the parking brake (unless yours releases itself).
- Look over your left shoulder again and drive up the hill without rolling back.
If your car has hill assist or a parking brake that disengages automatically, do the hill start the way the car is designed to.
In everyday driving you may have to stop on a hill at a sign or light. To avoid rolling back, move your foot quickly from the brake to the gas, or hold the car on the parking brake, press the gas lightly and release the brake as you move off. Going downhill, never coast in neutral or with the clutch pressed down.
How to do the turnaround using a side street
- As you approach the side street on your right, slow down, check traffic in all directions and signal.
- Drive just past the street and stop about 18 inches from the curb or road edge.
- Shift to reverse. Check all directions and your blind spots.
- When clear, back slowly into the side street, staying on your own side. Look mostly through the rear window.
- Stop once the car is fully in the side street, past any crosswalk or stop line.
- Signal left, shift to drive and make a proper left turn back out when no vehicles are coming.
Never back across an intersection. While reversing, you are responsible for traffic in all directions.
How to parallel park on the Vermont road test
Entering the space
- Check your rearview mirror and signal right.
- Stop alongside the front vehicle, two to three feet away.
- Shift to reverse. Check for traffic and pedestrians all around and look over your left shoulder.
- Back in slowly, looking through the rear window, steering fully right and then fully left.
- Pull forward slowly to center the car in the space.
Leaving the space
- Back up if needed so you can pull out in one motion.
- Signal left; check mirrors and your left blind spot for vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians.
- Pull out slowly and stay on your own side.
You may be asked to park with only a front vehicle in place. Use the same steps.
What the Vermont examiner looks for
The manual says you will not be asked to do anything illegal and no tricks will be played. You are expected to:
- follow the examiner’s directions
- handle the car with skill
- drive at proper speeds for the conditions (50 mph on Vermont roads unless posted)
- obey signs and rules of the road
- signal at least 100 feet before turns and lane changes
- yield to pedestrians and bicyclists
For mistakes that commonly fail learners nationwide, seecommon reasons people fail the US driving test.
Taking the road test with a driver ed instructor
Some DMV-licensed driving school instructors and enrolled high school driver ed instructors are certified as road test examiners. They test only their own students. If you pass with a high school instructor, you get a Driver Education Examination Certificate. Then take it to a DMV office in person, with your valid permit, the signed application, the road test and license fees, and proof of Vermont residency.
After the test
- Pass: pay the fees, show identification and your license is issued.
- Fail: wait at least seven days to retest and pay the $23 road test fee again. After three fails, the minimum wait is one month.
- Bad road conditions can cancel tests. Reschedule on mydmv.vermont.gov or at 802.828.2000.
Common questions
What maneuvers are on the Vermont road test?
A hill stop and start, a turnaround backing into a side street, and parallel parking, plus general driving in traffic.
How much is the Vermont road test?
$23 for the test. A 2-year junior license adds $39 ($62 total). For adults, a 4-year license adds $62 ($85 total).
Can I use a rental car?
Only if the rental company provides a letter accepting full responsibility for the road test.
Can my car be registered in another state?
Yes. The DMV says the state of registration and inspection does not matter, as long as both are valid and the car is insured.
How long do I wait after failing?
At least seven days. After a third fail, at least one month.
Does an automatic parking brake matter for the hill start?
No. Do the hill start the way your car is meant to, including hill assist if it has it.
Back to the full guide: learning to drive in Vermont. Compare other states in US road tests by state, and practice parking with US parking rules for new drivers.
Sources
- Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles, “Vermont Driver’s Manual” (VN-007) (dmv.vermont.gov)
- Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles, “Junior Driver’s License” (dmv.vermont.gov)
- Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles, “Driver’s License Fees” (dmv.vermont.gov)
- Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles, “Learner’s Permit” (FAQs) (dmv.vermont.gov)
- Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles, “Driver Education” (dmv.vermont.gov)