Ticket Fines and Penalties in Vermont

VT Traffic Ticket Fines and Costs

Vermont traffic ticket fines can vary per citation and varying degree of the offense committed. You’ll find the full amount owed on your actual Vermont traffic ticket; if you’ve misplaced the citation, refer to our page on lost traffic tickets.

Unless you are paying the traffic ticket online, you must notify the court on how you will plead within 20 days: Admitted, No Contest or Denied. Being late on the following will cost you extra:

• Failure to answer the ticket within 20 days of being cited―$20 fee in addition to the original Waiver Penalty
• Failure to pay the amount shown on the judgment within 30 days if you requested a hearing and the judge decided you owe a fine―$30 fee in addition to the judgment amount

For more on how the total amount owed breaks down, read the following on surcharges and waiver penalties.

Waiver Penalties

If you decide to plead “Admitted” and pay the ticket, all you owe is the Waiver Penalty shown on the front to the ticket. This amount varies by the type of traffic violation you commit. For a full list of these charges, refer to the state’s Waiver Penalty Schedule. If you received a speeding ticket, you can also see how the fines breakdown per mile over the posted speed limit on the state’s Speed Chart.

Surcharges

Your traffic ticket fine also includes a surcharge. To see a breakdown of additional costs per set fine amount, consult the Vermont Surcharge Schedule. These restitution surcharges come out to 15% of the fine rounded up to the next whole dollar.

Auto Insurance Rate Increase

One additional cost you might not have accounted for is the increase in your car insurance rate after getting a traffic ticket. Often times additional points on your driving record mean a higher auto insurance premium. Be sure to look for any increases at renewal time. To get ahead of the curve, compare auto insurance rates online. That way you know you’re getting the best deal.

Vermont Traffic Ticket Penalties

Traffic ticket penalties come in the form of driving record points, driving privilege restrictions and sometimes jail time. They are consistent throughout the state, but vary by traffic offense. For example, running a red light in Burlington or Rutland will render the same amount of points on your driving record.

Vermont Point System

Every time the state finds you guilty of breaking a motor vehicle law, you’ll get points added to your driving record. Parking and defective equipment violations don’t count as part of this tally. If you accumulate 10 points, the state will suspend your driver’s license. You’ll receive a notification letter from the Vermont DMV. A hearing may be requested to verify your convictions and the number of points accrued.

The length of your driving privilege suspension is based on the number or points you’ve received within two years. The higher the points, the longer your suspension.

Common infractions and their penalties include:

• Speeding (depending on how far you go over the speed limit}―2-8 points
• Texting while driving―2-5 points
• Driving without a license―2 points
• Failure to stop at a stop sign or red light―2 points
• Failure to obey a police officer―4 points
• Failure to yield right of way to an ambulance, fire truck or police officer―5 points
• Failure to yield right of way to a pedestrian in a crosswalk―4 points
• Failure to stop for a school bus that has stopped with its re wrning lights flashing―5 points

Any points for moving traffic violations and suspensions will stay on your driving record for three years. For more on moving violations and the points that come with them, refer to the Vermont Driver Handbook or our page on the Vermont Point System.

VT Driver’s License Suspension and Revocation

Not all convictions result in a suspended or revoked driver’s license, but it’s worth getting the facts so you know where you and your driving privileges stand. The difference between the two is:

License Suspension―The temporary withdrawal of a driver license or driving privilege for a definite period of time.
License Revocation―The termination of a driver license or driving privilege for an indefinite period of time. May be restored when all requirements for the revocation have been satisfied.

The following result in license suspension that could last as long as two years:

• Conviction of sufficient traffic violations to be subject to the Division Point System.
• As a VT driver, failing to appear in court for a traffic violation when it occurred within the state or in a Non-Resident Violator Compact member state, or that you failed to satisfy fees, fines, or restitution to the court on any criminal charge.
• Conviction for a violation related to approaching an emergency vehicle, and have failed to complete a four-hour live classroom course on driving safety offered by an approved entity.
• Causing or contributing to a crash in which someone was injured or killed or which resulted in serious property damage by reckless or unlawful conduct.
• Being arrested for DUI or having been found guilty of any drug offense.
• Operating a vehicle or allowing a vehicle registered to you to be operated without required insurance or proof of financial responsibility.

The following result in license revocation:

• Failure to stop and give aid if you are involved in a motor vehicle crash resulting in the death of, or personal injury to another.
• Two charges of reckless driving or impaired driving in one year.
• Attempting to flee or refusing to stop after receiving a visual or audible signal from a police officer.
• By reckless or unlawful conduct, you have caused
  or contributed to a crash in which someone was injured or killed or which resulted in serious property damage.
• Driving with a measurable or detectable amount of alcohol in your system when you have an alcohol-restricted status.

If caught driving with a denied, suspended or revoked driver’s license you might be sentenced to jail for 90 days and get slapped with a fine. Plus, the state will extend the duration your license denial, suspension or revocation by the original amount of time. For example, a three-month suspension will get an additional three months tacked on.

For more on the specifics surrounding driver’s license suspension and revocation and a full list of applicable offenses, consult the Vermont Driver Handbook and our page titled Vermont Suspended License

Penalties for Drivers Younger than 18

Vermont penalties for drivers younger than 18 are less lenient. In fact, if you have a VT Learner Permit you must maintain a clean driving record for six months before you can obtain a Junior Operator License. The same goes for those with a Junior Operator License looking to upgrade to a full Operator License. That means no recalls, suspensions or revocations.

The state considers your Learner Permit or Junior Operator License a “provisional license.” Below are just a few infractions that will cause the state to recall your driving privileges:

• Carrying Passengers For Hire, Junior Operator Violation (CPH)―90 day recall
• Junior Operator Points Accumulation Recall (JRP)―90 day recall (for a single three-point speeding violation or a six-point total)
• Junior Operator Texting (JRT)―)30 day recall (includes fines of at least $100 and at least two points on your driving record)

Penalties for Vermont Commercial Drivers

Holding a VT CDL also comes with stricter penalties when driving your personal vehicle. For example, if the state revokes, recalls or suspends your driving privileges due to traffic control law violations, you’ll also lose your privileges to operate a commercial motor vehicle. You must also notify your employer within 30 days of a traffic violation conviction, regardless of the type of vehicle you were driving.

For a full list of penalties―while operating your own car or a CMV―consult the VT Commercial Vehicle Driver Handbook. The following lists of violations are just a sampling of the many ways you could to lose your CDL:

Major Offenses

You will lose your VT CDL for one year if convicted of any of the following offenses:

• Driving any vehicle with a blood alcohol count (BAC) of 0.08% or higher
• Driving a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) with a BAC of 0.04%
• Refusing to submit to a sobriety test
• Leaving the scene of an accident
• Using the vehicle to commit a felony
• Driving a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) with a suspended, revoked or canceled CDL
• Causing a fatality through negligent driving

Serious Offenses

These violations include:

• Speeding 15 mph over the posted speed limit
• Reckless driving
• Improper lane changes
• Following a vehicle too closely
• Driving a CMV without holding a CDL
• Driving a CMV without having your CDL in your possession
• Driving a CMV without the proper CDL endorsement
• Violating a state law of texting while driving

A second conviction of any combination of these violations will lead to the loss of your driving privileges for 60 days, or 120 days for a third or subsequent conviction of any combination of these offenses.

CDL Disqualifications

You CDL will be disqualified from anywhere from 180 days to one year for the following convictions:

• Violating a driver or vehicle out-of-service order while transporting nonhazardous materials
• Violating a driver or vehicle out-of-service order while transporting hazardous materials required to be placarded, or while driving a vehicle designed to transport 16 or more passengers

For more on CDL penalties, consult the website of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.