Vermont DUI License Reinstatement (2026): Suspension, Steps and Fees
How do you get your license back after a first DUI in Vermont?
Vermont's primary license consequence for a first DUI is a 90-day civil suspension (6 months for a first refusal), a civil administrative process that runs independently of the criminal case and a driver has only 7 days from the notice to request a DMV hearing or the suspension takes effect on day 11. Vermont does not offer a hardship or work permit, but a first-time offender can apply for a Restricted Driver's License with a mandatory ignition interlock after serving the first 30 days. Reinstatement also requires the Project CRASH counseling program, SR-22 insurance for 3 years and the DMV reinstatement fee.
Vermont runs two tracks after a DUI arrest. The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles handles the license through its own administrative process, with 7 days to request a review hearing, while the court case runs separately on its own calendar. The page below lays out both tracks and the order the pieces come in, so the whole path is visible before any single deadline is due.
Whether an ignition interlock is required here depends on the case, commonly the test result or the license option chosen. The SR-22 filing is required. The education or treatment step comes before reinstatement and runs unverifiable. Each piece has its own section below, with the official source beside it.
The parts Vermont drivers most often miss are the 7-day hearing-request deadline, which runs from the arrest or notice date, the insurance filing that lives with your insurer rather than the court and the order of the steps, since several gate the ones after them. The sections below take them in order.
How long is your license suspended after a first DUI in Vermont?
The first-offense term and how the administrative and court tracks interact in Vermont.
| Item | Vermont rule |
|---|---|
| First-offense suspension | 90 days for a test failure (23 V.S.A. 1205(a)(2)); 6 months for a first refusal (23 V.S.A. 1205(a)(1)). Both require compliance with 23 V.S.A. 1209a before reinstatement. |
| Administrative vs court | Vermont's primary license-suspension mechanism for a first DUI is the civil suspension, an administrative process run by the DMV that begins with a Notice of Intention to Suspend at arrest and operates independently of the criminal DUI prosecution. If a first-time offender requests a hearing within the 7-day window, the license is not suspended until the final hearing decision. |
| Worth knowing | A first refusal to provide a breath sample carries a longer 6-month civil suspension instead of the standard 90 days. Repeat offenders do not get the same protection: their license is suspended regardless of whether they request a hearing, though they may still contest it. |
The hearing clock: how long you have to act in Vermont
The deadline to request the administrative review of the license suspension. It runs from the arrest or notice date, not from the court date.
| Item | Vermont rule |
|---|---|
| Request window | 7 days |
| How it works | A driver has 7 days following receipt of the Notice of Intention to Suspend to file a hearing request with the DMV, using the request form attached to the notice (23 V.S.A. 1205(f)). An unchallenged suspension takes effect on the 11th day after the notice is deemed received; if a hearing is requested, the suspension does not take effect unless the court orders it after the hearing. |
The path back: the Vermont reinstatement steps in order
Several of these steps gate the ones after them, so the order matters as much as the list.
- Serve the 90-day civil suspension (6 months for a first refusal)
- Complete Project CRASH, the DUI education and counseling program administered by the Vermont Department of Health
- File SR-22 proof of insurance
- Pay the DMV reinstatement fee ($96)
- Apply to the Vermont DMV for reinstatement once the suspension period and all conditions are satisfied
Get the free Vermont reinstatement checklist
The one-page map of the Vermont steps, in the order Vermont runs them.
Instant download, plus Vermont rule-change alerts. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ignition interlock rules in Vermont
Whether the device is required for a first offense, for how long and where the state lists its certified providers.
| Item | Vermont rule |
|---|---|
| Required for a first offense? | In some first-offense cases (see below) |
| First-offense duration | Required for the duration a driver holds the Restricted Driver's License during the suspension; a total interlock-restricted period of roughly 6 months is secondary-corroborated. Governed by 23 V.S.A. 1213. |
| BAC trigger | not a fixed BAC trigger; interlock is tied to whether the driver elects the Restricted Driver's License, not to a BAC tier for a first offense. A driver with a BAC of 0.16 or higher who elects the RDL must use a GPS-equipped device. |
| Approved providers | Vermont DMV Ignition Interlock Program: https://dmv.vermont.gov/sites/dmv/files/documents/VL-086-Ignition_Interlock_Program_FAQs.pdf |
| Worth knowing | Not mandatory for every first-offense conviction outright, but functionally required for any driver who wants to drive during the suspension period, since the only restricted-driving option (the Restricted Driver's License) requires interlock installation on every vehicle the driver owns or is registered to. Available after the first 30 days of the 90-day suspension are served. |
Confirm the exact interlock term and trigger for your case with the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles before you schedule an install.
Do you need SR-22 insurance in Vermont?
The financial-responsibility filing your insurer makes with the state, where Vermont requires one.
| Item | Vermont rule |
|---|---|
| Required after a first DUI? | Yes |
| The form | SR-22 |
| How long it must stay in force | commonly cited as 3 years; not independently confirmed against primary DMV statutory text |
| Worth knowing | Required as part of the reinstatement process alongside the reinstatement fee and Project CRASH completion. |
Not settled in one published place. Confirm the filing requirement and how long it must stay in force with the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles and your insurer before you rely on it.
Driving before full reinstatement in Vermont
The limited license, if any, that lets a first offender drive during the suspension.
| Item | Vermont rule |
|---|---|
| Available for a first offense? | No; see the notes for the route this state uses |
| What Vermont calls it | n/a (Vermont does not authorize a work, hardship or Cinderella permit) |
| Worth knowing | Vermont explicitly does not provide any hardship, work, or Cinderella permit during a civil or criminal license suspension. The only driving option during a suspension is the interlock-conditioned Restricted Driver's License, available after 30 days of the 90-day suspension. |
The DUI program, the fees and the lookback
The DUI program. Project CRASH, Vermont's DUI education and counseling program, administered by the Vermont Department of Health. Completion is a prerequisite for DMV reinstatement. Length: unverifiable; program length in hours was not located in any source consulted.
The lookback period. 20 years for second-offense qualification (a DUI counts as a first offense if the driver has no prior conviction within the past 20 years); Vermont is otherwise described as using a lifetime look-back for counting all prior convictions once at least one prior falls within the 20-year window. This is the window over which a prior offense counts toward repeat-offense treatment.
The costs a Vermont driver can expect on the way back.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| DMV reinstatement fee | $96.00 |
| Ignition Interlock Restricted Driver's License | $125.00 for the 1-year term |
Confirm the exact program length and the providers the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles accepts before you enroll.
