The Vermont road test

By the end of this topic you can

• You can book the test and bring the right documents.
• You can check your vehicle against the DMV's requirements.
• You can perform the hill start, turnaround and parallel park the Vermont way.
• You can explain the waiting periods if you do not pass.

What you need to know and understand

• All DMV visits are by appointment, booked through myDMV or by phone. Some high schools have certified instructors who test their own students.
• Teens need a valid permit held for a year, driver education logged with the DMV, 40 certified practice hours and a parent or guardian's signature.
• You supply the vehicle. It must be registered, inspected and insured, with a parking brake that holds on a hill.
• Bring an insurance card showing the carrier, coverage dates, insured's name and the vehicle's VIN, plus the registration.
• Adults testing on a permit must bring a qualifying licensed driver with them.
• If you fail, wait at least one week. After three fails, the wait is at least one month.
• No animals may be in the vehicle during the test.

Vehicle checks before you start

The examiner can refuse a vehicle with problems such as an exhaust leak, worn tires (less than 2/32 inch of tread), a badly cracked windshield, a driver's window that will not open for hand signals, missing or broken front seat belts, a weak parking brake, aftermarket tint on the windshield or front side windows, or working dual controls. Rental cars need a letter from the rental company, and vehicles with farm, antique or exhibition plates cannot be used. A dirty or smelly interior can also be refused.

The hill start

1. When told, signal right, pull to the right side of the road and stop.
2. Set the parking brake and shift to neutral. The brake must hold the car.
3. Put the vehicle in gear and signal left.
4. Check mirrors and look over your left shoulder.
5. Press the gas gently and release the parking brake (unless it releases automatically), check over your shoulder again and pull away without rolling back.

The side-street turnaround

1. Slow, check all around and signal as you approach the side street on your right.
2. Drive just past it and stop about 18 inches from the curb or road edge.
3. Shift to reverse, check all directions including blind spots, and back slowly into the side street, looking mainly through the rear window and keeping to your side.
4. Stop once you are past any crosswalk or stop line.
5. Signal left, shift to drive and make a proper left turn back out when clear.

Parallel parking

Check your mirror and signal right. Stop alongside the front vehicle, about two to three feet away. Shift to reverse, check all around and look over your left shoulder, then back slowly into the space, steering fully right then fully left while looking through the rear window. Pull forward to center the car. You may only have a front vehicle to park behind. To leave, signal left, check mirrors and your blind spot, and pull out carefully. Our guide to the Vermont hill start, turnaround and parallel park has more practice drills.

Common mistakes

• Arriving with an expired insurance card or inspection sticker, which stops the test before it begins.
• Rolling back on the hill start because the parking brake was released too early.
• Backing into the side street without checking blind spots, or swinging onto the wrong side.
• Rolling stops at stop signs and forgetting to signal at least 100 feet before turns.

Test yourself: The Vermont road test

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Vermont Road Test
• Learning to Drive in Vermont
• Vermont Driver’s Ed and the 40-Hour Practice Certification